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.
Amnerika
Frank Zappa Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Spider: Yeah, it's trying to say something . . .
Monica: D-a-a-a-a-a-r-r-r-k-k-k W-a-a-a-t-e-r-r-r
Spider: I know . . . It's not trying to say something to us at all . . . It's trying to say something to the pig
John: Dark water . . .
Spider: I forget . . . It's . . .
John: Dark water on top of the muck
The lyrics of Frank Zappa's song "Amnerika" are filled with irony as they critique American culture and its idealized view of itself. The above excerpt from the song is particularly interesting in that it depicts a group of characters trying to decipher a message from the environment they find themselves in. Monica and Spider try to interpret the message of the "dark water" but John reminds them that it is just "dark water on top of the muck."
This exchange can be interpreted in many ways, but one of the most interesting aspects is the idea that people often try to interpret messages that are not meant for them. Monica and Spider are trying to understand the "dark water" when in reality, it is not meant for them. Similarly, American culture often tries to interpret the messages of other cultures and societies without fully understanding them. This can lead to misunderstandings and perpetuate harmful stereotypes and prejudices.
The use of the pig in the lyrics is also significant, as it is often seen as a symbol of greed and excess. The idea that the message is meant for the pig suggests that it is a critique of American capitalism and its focus on material excess at the expense of the environment and other people.
Line by Line Meaning
Monica: D-a-a-a-a-a-r-r-r-k W-a-a-a-t-e-r-r-r
Monica is expressing that the water is dark and possibly contaminated with pollutants.
Spider: Yeah, it's trying to say something . . .
Spider believes that the dark water has a message to convey.
Monica: D-a-a-a-a-a-r-r-r-k-k-k W-a-a-a-t-e-r-r-r
Monica repeats her earlier statement about the water, emphasizing the severity of the situation.
Spider: I know . . . It's not trying to say something to us at all . . . It's trying to say something to the pig
Spider realizes that the polluted water is not a message to humans, but rather a result of human actions that harm animals.
John: Dark water . . .
John confirms his understanding of the condition of the water.
Spider: I forget . . . It's . . .
Spider pauses as he tries to remember the context of the conversation.
John: Dark water on top of the muck
John elaborates on the state of the water, emphasizing that it is sitting on top of debris and waste.
Contributed by Kaylee A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
panchamkauns
This is the new
Amnerika now
Amnesia/America
Better, somehow
What cannot be fixed
By a favor or bribe
Will be dead and forgotten
It must not survive!
Those dreadful creatives
Those uprising natives
They make us remember
They cause us such grief
My holy disease
Is the only relief!
I looked into the Bible
Yes, and so I’m not liable
For guilt to apply
Those dreadful creatives
Have all got to die
Tony DC
An absolute flow of seamless, perfectly placed music notes, uniquely illustrating an abstract piece that is mathematically joined together with another-level precision. The Zapp Miesta.
Adrian Zarate
This piece changed my life... another one from Frank's repertoire.
PoetryHound
This final album of Frank's is a masterpiece. There's no one alive that even comes close to his creativity, talent and iconoclast attitude. I get kind of sad when I hear Dweezil's Zappa Plays Zappa stuff. Dweezil does a great job, but it reminds me of what a giant talent we lost.
FryingWithTheAntidote
He just kept getting better and better as time went on! He would've been so absurdly amazing by now were he still around...
killercrabman
first time I've heard this and am blown away..zappa's discography is the gift that keeps giving.
Erik Borzage
Agreed. This melody is so painfully beautiful.
Edgar Pozo
Masterpiece
John Appleseed
Out of the many Zappa tunes that I find myself humming, this is the most haunting!
SLONA MU
By far one of the most amazing pieces of music my ears have send to the brain. I am not sure the bran handled it thought...
Chris Hicks
To people saying this song relates to Frank's death: This piece of music debuted in 1984 on the Thing-Fish album, which was 9 years before his death. And in the end it doesn't matter what it's about. It speaks for itself.