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".
I've Got A Feeling
Billy Preston Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oh yeah, oh yeah.
I've got a feeling, a feeling I can't hide
Oh no, oh no, oh no.
Yeah, I've got a feeling.
Oh please believe me, I'd hate to miss the train
Oh yeah, oh yeah.
Oh no, oh no, oh no.
Yeah, I've got a feeling, yeah.
All these years I've been wandering around,
Wondering how come nobody told me
All that I was looking for was somebody
Who looked like you.
Ev'rybody had a hard year
Ev'rybody had a good time
Ev'rybody had a wet dream,
Ev'rybody saw the sunshine
Oh yeah, oh yeah.
Ev'rybody had a good year,
Ev'rybody let their hair down,
Ev'rybody pulled their socks up,
Ev'rybody put their foot down.
Oh yeah, oh yeah.
In Billy Preston's song "I've Got A Feeling," the lyrics describe a deep and intense feeling inside, which can't be hidden. The singer tries to convey the urgency of this feeling, which is a kind of intuition, by saying that he doesn't want to miss the train and that he won't be late again. The tone of the song is upbeat, and there are a lot of "oh yeahs" and "oh nos" that reflect the singer's positive and negative emotions.
The lyrics also mention the idea of searching for someone who looks like a particular person. This suggests that the singer is looking for a more meaningful connection beyond surface appearances. The last verse of the song describes how everybody had a hard year, but also a good time, and that everybody shared a common experience of seeing the sunshine. The repetition of "oh yeah" links these experiences to the positive feeling that the singer has been feeling throughout the song.
Overall, "I've Got A Feeling" by Billy Preston is a song about intuition, urgency, and a search for deeper connections. Its upbeat and positive tone makes it a timeless classic that still resonates with listeners today.
Line by Line Meaning
I've got a feeling, a feeling deep inside
Billy Preston feels strongly about something deep within him.
I've got a feeling, a feeling I can't hide
Despite trying to resist it, Billy Preston cannot keep this feeling to himself.
Yeah, I've got a feeling.
This feeling is confirmed to exist by Billy Preston.
Oh please believe me, I'd hate to miss the train
Billy Preston urges his listener to trust him and not let an opportunity pass.
And if you leave me I won't be late again
If his listener stays with him, BIlly Preston won't miss out again.
Yeah, I've got a feeling, yeah.
This feeling is repeated as he remains certain about what he's feeling.
All these years I've been wandering around,
Billy Preston has been wandering around for years.
Wondering how come nobody told me
Billy wonders why nobody ever told him what he needed to find.
All that I was looking for was somebody
He was looking for a certain kind of person.
Who looked like you.
This person looks like the person he has found.
Ev'rybody had a hard year
Everyone has had a challenging year.
Ev'rybody had a good time
Despite tough times, everyone enjoyed themselves.
Ev'rybody had a wet dream,
Everyone had a fantasy dream.
Ev'rybody saw the sunshine
Everyone saw brighter days ahead.
Oh yeah, oh yeah.
This is repeated to emphasize the shared experience.
Ev'rybody had a good year,
Overall, everyone had a good year.
Ev'rybody let their hair down,
Everyone relaxed and let loose.
Ev'rybody pulled their socks up,
Everyone worked hard to improve.
Ev'rybody put their foot down.
Everyone took a stand for what they believe in.
Oh yeah, oh yeah.
This is repeated as an affirmation of shared experience.
Lyrics © EMI Music Publishing
Written by: JOHN LENNON, PAUL MCCARTNEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Super Pyramid
Nothing like 1870's soul
RhythmDroid
@Super Pyramid LOL
Super Pyramid
@erielhonan
Well, the description reads "From Billy Preston's 1870 album Encouraging Words". A true pioneer.
erielhonan
Not sure if that's a typo, but I like the idea of 1870s soul!
Arturo Montana
while i still prefer the original...i am LOVING this funky take on the track.
Josh Michael
I didn't know you could improve on the original like this...killing
T/Albino
Oh man, the groove on this thing! I can't keep still and I'm sweating like a madman.
Eduardo Vilar
XIX century funk is the funkiest
Grande Mauro
Way ahead, friend... way ahead... R.I.P. forever Billy!
rippersk8er
1870? I guess it's 1970... or maybe he was the funkiest back then.