Zappa's earliest influences were 1950s pop and rock (such as doo-wop and rhythm and blues), and 20th-century classical composers including Igor Stravinsky and Edgard Varèse. His output was divided between adventurous instrumental compositions and succinct, catchy rock songs with ribald, satirical, or comically absurd lyrics. On stage he demanded virtuosity and spontaneity from his musicians, and employed many performers who would later go on to achieve fame in their own rights. He directed and released a number of films featuring himself, his musicians and entourage, including 200 Motels and Baby Snakes.
His career started in 1955. His earliest recordings date from the mid-1960s, and include collaborations with his school friend Captain Beefheart. In 1965 he joined a bar-band called The Soul Giants, quickly dominating its musical direction and rechristening it The Mothers. Their first release (as The Mothers of Invention; the name alteration requested by their record company) was the 1966 double album Freak Out!. The line-up of the Mothers gradually expanded to accommodate Zappa's increasingly ambitious and avant-garde music, but by 1969 he decided to work outside the band structure, focusing on his solo career, and effectively disbanding the Mothers in 1971.
The beginnings of his solo career in the late sixties and early seventies was characterised by a strong free jazz influence, with albums containing little, if any, lyrical content, such as Hot Rats, Waka/Jawaka and The Grand Wazoo. Towards the mid-seventies his albums became more rock-orientated, with a combination of Jazz Fusion instrumentation and Rock song structures. This more accessible sound bore reasonable mainstream appeal, especially with the release of the well-advertised albums Over-Nite Sensation and Apostrophe (') (which both went Gold), but Zappa's unpredictably eclectic output never led to solid mainstream recognition. He received uniformly lukewarm reviews from popular music publications such as Rolling Stone throughout his career. In his late seventies' output, the gulf between his humorous songs and more lengthy, complex instrumental music widened, and albums, such as Zappa in New York, Joe's Garage: Acts I, II & III, and Sleep Dirt displayed, by track, both sides firmly segregated.
Zappa saw a second run of success in the early eighties with the release of many albums with predominantly comedic rock songs, but later continued to experiment with virtually every style of music through the eighties, and was productive as ever until his death. His output in this later-career period included two albums of strikingly original classical music with the London Symphony Orchestra, an electronic take on 18th-century chamber music (written by the obscure Italian composer 'Francesco Zappa', no relation), an album of Synclavier compositions (misleadingly titled Jazz From Hell which garnered a Grammy award), a double-CD release of electric guitar instrumental music (the laconically titled Guitar) and a plenitude of official live releases, revisiting fan-favourites as well as showcasing Zappa's talent for reinventing the music of others; his version of Stairway to Heaven becoming a word-of-mouth favourite.
Zappa produced almost all of his own albums, spending many hours in the studio recording and manipulating tracks, and was always at the forefront of emerging technologies; from tape editing, collage, multitrack and overdubbing in the sixties to digital recording, electronic instruments and sampling in the eighties. Conversely, Zappa was also a obsessive self-archivist, recording virtually every one of his live performances, and often using live recordings of new material without needing to enter the studio. The archive of tapes at his family home in Los Angeles continues to be a source of posthumous releases for the Zappa Family Trust. He was also noted as a spotter of talent and his shifting line-up of musicians included Lowell George, Jean-Luc Ponty, Terry Bozzio, Chad Wackerman, George Duke, Mike Keneally, Adrian Belew and Steve Vai, as well as giving Alice Cooper his first break in music and working again with his old collaborator Captain Beefheart when his career was in decline.
In the late 1980s he became active in politics, campaigning against the PMRC's music censorship scheme and acting as culture and trade representative for Czechoslovakia in 1989; and considered running as an independent candidate for president of the US.
His death in Los Angeles, California, on 4th December 1993 came three years after he was diagnosed with prostate cancer.
Absolutely Free
Frank Zappa Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
FZ: The first word in this song is discorporate. It means to leave your body
Discorporate & come with me
Shifting; drifting
Cloudless; starless
VELVET VALLEYS & A SAPPHIRE
Unbind your mind
There is no time
To lick your stamps
And paste them in
DISCORPORATE
And we will begin . . .WAH WAH!
(Flower Power Sucks)
Diamonds on velvets on goldens on vixen
On comet & cupid on donner & blitzen
On up & away & afar & a go-go
Escape from the weight of your corporate logo!
UNBIND YOUR MIND
THERE IS NO TIME
Boin-n-n-n-n-n-g
TO LICK YOUR STAMPS
AND PASTE THEM IN
DISCORPORATE
AND WE'LL BEGIN
FREEDOM! FREEDOM!
KINDLY LOVING!
YOU'LL BE ABSOLUTELY FREE
ONLY IF YOU WANT TO BE
Dreaming on cushions of velvet & satin
To music by magic by people that happen
To enter the world of a strange purple Jello
The dreams as they live them are all mellow yellow
UNBIND YOUR MIND
THERE IS NO TIME
Boin-n-n-n-n-n-g
TO LICK YOUR STAMPS
AND PASTE THEM IN
DISCORPORATE
AND WE'LL BEGIN
FREEDOM! FREEDOM!
KINDLY LOVING!
YOU'LL BE ABSOLUTELY FREE
ONLY IF YOU WANT TO BE
YOU'LL BE ABSOLUTELY FREE
ONLY IF YOU WANT TO BE
The song "Absolutely Free" by Frank Zappa is a satirical commentary on the counter-culture movement of the 1960s. The lyrics directly address the flower power generation's pursuit of freedom from societal norms and expectations. The opening line, "Discorporate and come with me," suggests an escape from the physical world through disassociation with the body. This line, along with the later repetition of "unbind your mind," indicates a desire for transcendence.
The chorus, "Freedom! Freedom! Kindly loving! You'll be absolutely free, only if you want to be," highlights the paradox of seeking freedom as a necessary condition for achieving liberty. Zappa suggests that being free depends on whether one wants to be or not, and that true freedom is not easily obtained but requires a conscious effort.
The references to diamonds, velvet, and satin contrast with the hippy culture's embrace of simplicity and naturalness. The song's message is that individuals must discard societal norms and corporate logos to achieve true freedom, which comes not from external possessions but from understanding and acceptance of oneself.
Line by Line Meaning
Suzy: I don't do publicity balling for you anymore
A statement from Suzy that she will no longer participate in promoting or endorsing something for someone else.
Discorporate & come with me
Leave your physical body and join me in a spiritual journey.
Shifting; drifting
Moving or changing in a gradual, unnoticeable way.
Cloudless; starless
Without clouds or stars in the sky.
VELVET VALLEYS & A SAPPHIRE SEA: Wah Wah
A surrealistic image of a beautiful landscape. The 'wah wah' sound may signify either a musical interjection or an expression of disappointment/mockery towards the idealistic image.
Unbind your mind
Free your thoughts from any restrictions or limitations.
There is no time
There is no particular moment or deadline for you to do something.
To lick your stamps
To do trivial, mundane tasks such as affixing stamps to envelopes.
And paste them in DISCORPORATE
Detach yourself from your physical body, and we'll start a journey together.
And we will begin . . .WAH WAH!
The journey is about to commence, with the 'wah wah' sound either indicating musical transition or a sarcastic/negative tone.
(Flower Power Sucks)
A sudden interruption to the flow of the song, expressing the artist's opposition to the counterculture movement known as 'Flower Power.'
Diamonds on velvets on goldens on vixen
A surrealistic image of luxury items and animals, possibly a critique of consumerism and materialism.
On comet & cupid on donner & blitzen
More surrealistic imagery referencing celestial and mythological figures.
On up & away & afar & a go-go
More extravagant and fantastical phrasing, once again possibly a criticism of excess and superficiality.
Escape from the weight of your corporate logo!
Break free from the burden and conformity imposed by corporate culture and consumerism.
FREEDOM! FREEDOM!
An exclamation of liberation and empowerment.
KINDLY LOVING!
An urging for people to be compassionate and caring towards each other.
YOU'LL BE ABSOLUTELY FREE
You will experience complete freedom in a spiritual and psychological aspect.
ONLY IF YOU WANT TO BE
However, this freedom is only attainable if you choose to embrace it yourself.
Dreaming on cushions of velvet & satin
A vivid and luxurious image that reflects a state of mind rather than a physical setting.
To music by magic by people that happen
The music that accompanies the dream is created by chance or serendipity, rather than a premeditated composition.
To enter the world of a strange purple Jello
A surrealistic portrayal of a bizarre and unfamiliar space or experience.
The dreams as they live them are all mellow yellow
The dreams exist in a state of calmness, warmth, and contentment.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Frank Zappa
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
SirLord Master Saver Kang Dr. Paul Ash MCcRuby PhD
TrackList
1. Plastic People 00:00
2. The Duke Of Prunes 03:42
3. Amnesia Vivace 05:55
4. The Duke Regains His Chops 06:56
5. Call Any Vegetable 08:49
6. Invocation And Ritual Dance Of The Young Pumpkin 11:04
7. Soft-Sell Conclusion 18:05
8. Big Leg Emma 19:45
9. Why Don't You Do Me Right 22:17
10. America Drinks 24:53
11. Status Back Baby 26:45
12. Uncle Bernie's Farm 29:40
13. Son Of Suzy Creamcheese 31:52
14. Brown Shoes Don't Make It 33:25
15. America Drinks And Goes Home 40:56
DENNIS CARNEY
To All The Plastic People on Frank Vincent Zappa 's (December 21, 1940 – December 4, 1993) 82nd. Birthday
Side One: Absolutely Free
"Plastic People" [3:41]
"The Duke of Prunes" [2:13]
"Amnesia Vivace" [1:01]
"The Duke Regains His Chops" [1:53]
"Call Any Vegetable" [2:15]
"Invocation & Ritual Dance of the Young Pumpkin" [6:59]
"Soft-Sell Conclusion" [1:41]
"Big Leg Emma" [2:32] Bonus track on CD
"Why Don'tcha Do Me Right? [2:39] Bonus track on CD
Side Two: The M.O.I. American Pageant
"America Drinks" [1:53]
"Status Back Baby" [2:54]
"Uncle Bernie's Farm" [2:10]
"Son of Suzy Creamcheese" [1:34]
"Brown Shoes Don't Make It" [7:29]
"America Drinks & Goes Home" [2:48]
mario7frankielee
i know every single word, chord, tone of this!
it saved my life!!!!!
grow up in the fifties in rural mountain switzerland
my mother put me in a christian school to prevent me from being influenced by the beatles and stones
but the main teacher in this school was a real mothers of invention fan😂
clairet bruno
goodhistory
Dr. Mikey Bee
The best laid plans . . .
Whiskey City Diggers
Hey fellow Bobcat!
- Drift
AlbertoVO5
I’d like to hear all about growing up in a rural mountain town in HE in the 50s. A Norwegian guy who posted a video about the rural town he grew up in there told me it has practically died because all the young people have moved to cities.
Dennis Anthony Ferry
Hey man! Nice to meet you. I was a Zappa fan from 1968 till now and beyond. Lived in Geneva from 1977 till 2009. Switzerland was and is a bit retro. Can't imagine what it was like in the '50s. Wow. Glad you survived. Thanks to Zappa, I'm sure. Cheers!
SirLord Master Saver Kang Dr. Paul Ash MCcRuby PhD
TrackList
1. Plastic People 00:00
2. The Duke Of Prunes 03:42
3. Amnesia Vivace 05:55
4. The Duke Regains His Chops 06:56
5. Call Any Vegetable 08:49
6. Invocation And Ritual Dance Of The Young Pumpkin 11:04
7. Soft-Sell Conclusion 18:05
8. Big Leg Emma 19:45
9. Why Don't You Do Me Right 22:17
10. America Drinks 24:53
11. Status Back Baby 26:45
12. Uncle Bernie's Farm 29:40
13. Son Of Suzy Creamcheese 31:52
14. Brown Shoes Don't Make It 33:25
15. America Drinks And Goes Home 40:56
BOD
thank you🤗
ana jonda
Holst, Varese, Schillinger, Stravinsky... All extremely talented 20th century composers who neverthesless lagged by Zappa's output. Still the greatest creator of music offered by that century.
perryneum
@Steve Davis I take it you're referring to Roy Estrada, whose status as a sex offender came long after his being a member of the MOI. Not sure who else you're talking about, though Frank played with so many different musicians, it's entirely possible there could have been someone who fit that description. There is Jim Gordon, who did some work with FZ and a few years later was convicted of murdering his mother, but I don't think that counts.