Brothers Sly Stone and singer/guitarist Freddie Stone combined their bands (Sly & the Stoners and Freddie & the Stone Souls) at the end of 1966. Sly and Freddie Stone, trumpeter Cynthia Robinson, drummer Gregg Errico, saxophonist Jerry Martini, and bassist Larry Graham completed the original lineup; Sly and Freddie's sister, singer/keyboardist Rose Stone, joined within a year. This collective recorded five Top 10 hits and four groundbreaking albums, which greatly influenced the sound of American pop music, soul, R&B, funk, and hip hop music. In the preface of his 1998 book For the Record: Sly and the Family Stone: An Oral History, Joel Selvin sums up the importance of Sly & the Family Stone's influence on African American music by stating "there are two types of black music: black music before Sly Stone, and black music after Sly Stone". The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993.
During the early 1970s, the band switched to a grittier funk sound, which was as influential on the music industry as their earlier work. The band began to fall apart during this period because of drug abuse and ego clashes; consequently, the fortunes and reliability of the band deteriorated, leading to its dissolution in 1975. Sly Stone continued to record albums and tour with a new rotating lineup under the "Sly & the Family Stone" name from 1975 to 1983. In 1987, Sly Stone was arrested and sentenced for cocaine use, after which he went into effective retirement.
Cynthia Robinson - January 12, 1944 – November 23, 2015
Are You Ready
Sly & The Family Stone Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Are you ready (are you ready)?
Don't hate the black
Don't hate the white
If you get bit
Just hate the bite
Make sure your heart is beatin' right
How's your backbone
How's your eye?
Add some bottom on mighty tight
Groovy people how do you do?
Let me dedicate my fuzz to you
Are you ready (are you ready)?
Are you ready (are you ready)?
Are you ready (are you ready)?
Are you ready (are you ready)?
The lyrics of Sly & The Family Stone's song "Are You Ready" seem to be asking us a question: are we ready for something? It is not clear what we are supposed to be ready for, but the repeated chorus and the urgent tone of the song convey a sense of anticipation and expectation. The first lines urge us not to hate people based on the color of their skin, but to focus on the behavior instead. When we get hurt by someone's actions, we should not blame the whole group they belong to, but instead hold them accountable for what they did. The next lines seem to be asking us to check our own physical and emotional state. Is our spine strong and our vision clear? Can we feel the beat of our own heart? The song then shifts to a more musical focus, with a call to add some bottom to the rhythm, presumably to make it more powerful and infectious. The last lines are a direct address to the listener, asking how they are doing and dedicating the music to them.
Line by Line Meaning
Are you ready (are you ready)?
Are you prepared for what's to come?
Don't hate the black
Don't discriminate against people of color.
Don't hate the white
Don't discriminate against white people either.
If you get bit
If someone wrongs you or hurts you in some way.
Just hate the bite
Don't hold a grudge against the offender, just the action that they took.
Make sure your heart is beatin' right
Make sure you're living with kindness and compassion towards others.
How's your backbone
How's your willpower and strength to stand up for what's right?
How's your eye?
How's your perception of the world? Are you seeing things clearly?
Add some bottom on mighty tight
Make sure your attitude is confident and strong.
Groovy people how do you do?
Addressing the cool, like-minded people in the audience.
Let me dedicate my fuzz to you
Sharing appreciation and love with the audience.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: SYLVESTER STEWART
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind