Preston first came to widespread attention of a U.S. mainstream audience as the organist (and sometimes vocalist) in the house band on the television show 'Shindig,' popular during 1964-66. On tour backing stars Little Richard and Sam Cooke, he met the Beatles (early in their career) in Hamburg, Germany in 1962. He was later invited by George Harrison to join The Beatles in the studio for the filming/recording of 'Let It Be' (1970). Preston's most memorable performance with the Beatles is on the track "Get Back".
The apparent reason for the collaboration was that the project was being done live— without overdubs— and the Beatles wanted a second keyboardist. Preston's soulful style was to compliment the rhythm and blues approach the Beatles had for this album. His was a genre they'd grown up listening to and were reaching back to as well as paying tribute to.
Another apparent reason for Preston's involvement was to buffer the growing tensions between the members of the band (that had started around the time of filming). Everyone set aside their differences to make Preston feel welcome at the sessions. Members of the band have later commented on their joy with working with Preston, whom they respected as a talented musician.
While Preston was never considered for permanent membership in the Beatles (despite stories to the contrary), he did continue working with them through to the end of the 60s: releasing two solo albums on Apple Records (the Beatles' label), collaborating with George Harrison on 'All Things Must Pass', and joining in on the Concert for Bangladesh— one of the first significant benefit concerts of its kind (at Madison Square Garden in 1972). Preston also later made an appearance in the infamous Beatles tribute film 'Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band' (1978), as the title character— Sgt. Pepper. He's sometimes been referred to as a 'Fifth Beatle'.
In addition to work with said group, Preston also played and toured with The Rolling Stones, playing on significant albums such as 'Sticky Fingers' and 'Exile on Main St.' In the 70s, Preston also worked with Bob Dylan, playing as an accompanist on ' Blood on the Tracks', and Aretha Franklin, on her record 'Young, Gifted and Black'. As the years went on, Preston collaborated with numerous other artists including Barbra Streisand and Miles Davis, also notable touring with Sly and the Family Stone for a time. He also played organ with the Ray Charles big band on tour in the late 60s.
In terms of his solo career, Preston's hit tracks "Will It Go 'Round in Circles" and "Nothing From Nothing" both reached all the way to number one in the U.S. and still remain staples of oldies stations. He won a Grammy Award for best pop instrumental performance for "Outa Space" in 1971, and he received an invitation to the White House no less in 1974. Though perhaps overshadowed by his collaborative work, he devolved a strong and devoted fan-base as album after album made it into the Billboard top 200 album chart.
Preston was also the music director and band leader for the Garry Shandling show in the 80s, returning to the TV work that had given him his start. Yet, in the 80s and 90s, Preston sadly suffered substance abuse and financial issues. He spent three years in prison in 1997 for a drugs possession charge handed out earlier that year (cocaine possession and assault).
His last recordings were on the Red Hot Chili Peppers' album 'Stadium Arcadium' and with Neil Diamond for his "12 songs" record, both produced by Rick Rubin.
A U.S. musical legend, Preston passed away at the age of 59 in a hospital in Scottsdale, Arizona, as a result of "malignant hypertension that resulted in kidney failure and other complications".
Can't You Hear My Heartbeat
Billy Preston Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Meet the family
You can't move into my house
Hope you don't think I'm rude
Fuck you
Hope you don't think I'm precious
Fuck you
Hope you see I'm well adjusted
Don't wanna be starting something
Don't want to antagonize
All I said was something simple
I can't stand the sight of you
I can't stand the sight of you
Don't believe, don't believe the words
I don't believe all the things I've heard about you
I will be saying this in your defense
I'd rather eat a fridge full of arses than know you
And I've tried with all my might to see past
All you failing but I've failed to give a fuck
You're a fuck-up, you're a joke
You're a clown, take your pants down
Get fucked you fucking fuckwit
No you can't move into my house
With a range of ethics that are quite perverse
You're sitting in the center of your own universe
Not content to sit upon the fence, you'll fall
Either way ignoring common sense
I look into your eyes and seen a haze
Of your twisted sensibilities and little saving grace
I believe, I believe the words, of your
Best friend when he likened you to a steaming turd
And when he said he wished that you were dead
It was the most intelligent thing that anyone's ever said
And I've tried with all my might to see past
All your failings but I failed to give a fuck
The lyrics of Frenzal Rhomb's "Meet the Family" song express a great distaste for someone, as they refuse to allow them to move into their house and insult them heavily throughout the song. The use of the phrase "I can't stand the sight of you" in the song suggests an intense dislike and disgust for the person in question. The singer asserts their boundaries by repeating the phrase "fuck you" and also makes an attempt to distance themselves from the situation by stating "I don't believe all the things I've heard about you". This line implies that the person being insulted in the song has a reputation or some kind of history that the singer does not want to be associated with.
The second verse of the song is an escalation in aggression, as the singer not only insults the person they are addressing, but they also insult their friend's judgment. The lyrics imply that the insulted person is arrogant and self-centered, unwilling to take responsibility for their actions or learn from their mistakes. The use of derogatory language such as "fuck-up" and "fuckwit" shows the extent of anger the singer is feeling towards this person.
Overall, the lyrics of "Meet the Family" depict a strong negative sentiment towards an individual or group, with the singer expressing a clear desire to distance themselves from them. The use of vulgar language and insults highlights the intensity of the dislike and anger towards the person in question.
Line by Line Meaning
Meet the family
We are introducing you to the characters in this story, likely the family mentioned in the first line.
You can't move into my house
This line is setting a boundary, possibly between the singer and someone else who is trying to take advantage of them.
Hope you don't think I'm rude
The singer is acknowledging that what they are about to say may come across as impolite.
Fuck you
The artist is expressing extreme anger or frustration towards someone.
Hope you don't think I'm precious
The artist is again acknowledging that their words or actions may be seen as overly delicate or refined.
Fuck you
The singer repeats their angry or frustrated exclamation.
Hope you see I'm well adjusted
The singer is attempting to assert their emotional stability or sanity, possibly in response to a situation that is pushing them to their limits.
I can't stand the sight of you
The artist has a strong negative response to the presence or behavior of someone.
Don't wanna be starting something
The artist does not want to incite conflict or provoke a negative reaction from someone else.
Don't want to antagonize
The artist is trying to avoid causing anger or irritation in the other person.
All I said was something simple
The singer is suggesting that their words or actions were not intended to be harmful or provocative, and potentially that the other person is overreacting.
I can't stand the sight of you
The artist reiterates their extremely negative feelings towards the other person.
Don't believe, don't believe the words
The singer is suggesting that there are rumors or accusations being spread about the other person that are not true or at least not entirely accurate.
I don't believe all the things I've heard about you
The singer is skeptical of the negative information they have received about the other person from outside sources.
I will be saying this in your defense
The singer is implying that they are going to defend the other person in some way, possibly against harsh criticism or accusations.
I'd rather eat a fridge full of arses than know you
The artist feels very negatively towards the other person, to the extent that they would prefer to do something physically disgusting rather than associate with them in any way.
And I've tried with all my might to see past all your failings...
The artist has given the other person a chance or tried to see the good in them, but has ultimately failed to find any redeeming qualities.
You're a fuck-up, you're a joke, you're a clown, take your pants down
The singer is using a variety of demeaning insults to describe the other person, indicating a very low opinion of them.
Get fucked you fucking fuckwit
The singer is expressing extreme anger or frustration towards the other person in a vulgar and insulting way.
No you can't move into my house
The artist is repeating the boundary they set earlier, most likely because the other person has continued to push for something they cannot have.
With a range of ethics that are quite perverse
The artist is suggesting that the other person has a highly questionable moral code or set of values.
You're sitting in the center of your own universe
The artist is implying that the other person is highly self-centered or narcissistic.
Not content to sit upon the fence, you'll fall
The singer is suggesting that the other person is prone to taking extreme positions or actions, rather than remaining neutral or balanced.
Either way ignoring common sense
The artist is suggesting that the other person is not thinking rationally, or perhaps is ignoring obvious truths or facts.
I look into your eyes and seen a haze
The singer is describing a literal or metaphorical haze or distortion that they see when they look at the other person's eyes, indicating confusion or mistrust.
Of your twisted sensibilities and little saving grace
The singer believes that the other person has skewed or abnormal values or thought processes, and is lacking in any redeeming qualities.
I believe, I believe the words...
The singer is indicating that they now fully accept the negative information they have received about the other person, and believe that it is accurate.
Best friend when he likened you to a steaming turd
The artist's friend compared the other person to a piece of excrement, indicating that there is absolutely nothing good or redeeming about them.
And when he said he wished that you were dead
The artist's friend expressed a wish for the other person to be dead, indicating an extremely low opinion of them and a desire to be rid of them entirely.
It was the most intelligent thing that anyone's ever said
The singer is suggesting that their friend's harsh words about the other person were accurate and insightful, and possibly that others have been overly diplomatic or hesitant to speak the truth.
And I've tried with all my might to see past all your failings...
The singer reiterates that they have made a sincere effort to give the other person the benefit of the doubt, but have ultimately failed to find anything positive about them.
But I failed to give a fuck
The artist has given up on trying to see the good in the other person, and now has no emotional investment or concern for them whatsoever.
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: JOHN CARTER, KENNETH HAWKER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind