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.
Anything
Frank Zappa Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
For your love, my heart cries
Take me heard, my love my everything
For so long I have needed your love
Oh, when, when you first came to me
I-I-I-I-I doubted your love
But now you mean everything to me
For you, I could do anything
For your love, my heart cries
Take me heart, my love, my everything
For so love, I've needed your love
Take my heart, take my heart
Take my heart
Frank Zappa's song "Anything" tells a tale of longing and devotion. The singer is willing to do anything for the person they love, as their heart is filled with emotion and desire for them. The song expresses the idea that love can be all-consuming, and that the object of our affection can become the center of our universe.
The opening line, "For you, I could do anything," sets the tone for the entire song, as the singer lays out their devotion to the person they love. The repetition of the phrase "Take me heart, my love, my everything" further emphasizes the idea that the singer's heart belongs to their beloved, and that they are willing to give themselves entirely to them. The lyrics are simple and heartfelt, conveying a sense of vulnerability and sincerity.
Overall, "Anything" is a tender love song that captures the intensity of romantic feelings. It's a track that showcases the more sentimental side of Zappa's songwriting, showcasing his versatility as a musician and songwriter.
Line by Line Meaning
For you, I could do anything
I am willing to do anything for you, my love
For your love, my heart cries
Your love affects me so deeply that it brings me to tears
Take me heart, my love my everything
You are the center of my world and I surrender all of myself to you
For so long I have needed your love
My life has felt incomplete without your love
Oh, when, when you first came to me
I was hesitant when you first showed up in my life
I-I-I-I-I doubted your love
I wasn't sure if your love was genuine
But now you mean everything to me
Now I can't imagine my life without you, you mean everything to me
And each day I love you more
My love for you grows stronger with each passing day
Take my heart, take my heart
I offer my heart to you, please take it
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: RAY COLLINS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind