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.
Baby Love
Frank Zappa Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But all you do is treat me bad
Break my heart and leave me sad
Tell me what did I do wrong to make you stay away so long
'Cause baby love, my baby love, been missing ya, miss kissing ya
Instead of breaking up
Let's start some kissing and making up
Don't throw our love away
Need ya, need ya, baby love, my baby love
Baby love, my baby love, why must we separate my love?
All of my whole life through
I never love no one but you
Why you do me like you do, I guess it's me
Ooh, need to hold you once again my love, feel your warm embrace my love
Don't throw our love away, please don't do me this way
Not happy like I used to be, loneliness has got the best of me my love
My baby love, I need ya oh how I need ya
Why you do me like you do
After I've been true to you
So deep in love with you
Baby, baby ooh
'Til it hurt me, 'til it hurt me
Ooh baby love
Don't throw our love away
Don't throw our love away
The song “Baby Love” by Frank Zappa is a soulful ballad about the yearning and pain of a lovestruck narrator whose partner treats them poorly. The song opens up with the singer expressing their deep need for their partner and their disappointment in their treatment. The singer asks why their partner treats them badly and left them alone for so long. The singer suggests that they should work on their relationship instead of breaking up, which is followed by the chorus repeating the need for the partner's love.
The second verse continues with the singer expressing confusion and sadness over the separation. They admit that they have never loved anyone else but their partner, and they cannot understand why their partner treats them the way they do. The singer longs to hold their partner again and pleads with them not to throw their love away. The song repeats the chorus expressing the singer's love and their desperate need for their partner to reciprocate and not end their relationship.
Overall, the lyrics of the song portray the universal themes of love, heartbreak, and the human need for connection, making it a relatable ballad that highlights the complexities of romantic relationships, the pain of separation, and the desire to reconcile.
Line by Line Meaning
Baby love, my baby love, I need you oh how I need you
The singer expresses his strong desire for the love of his partner.
But all you do is treat me bad
The singer accuses his partner of mistreating him.
Break my heart and leave me sad
The singer feels sad and hurt because of his partner's actions leading to the end of the relationship.
Tell me what did I do wrong to make you stay away so long
The artist questions what he did to make his partner stay away from him for a long time.
'Cause baby love, my baby love, been missing ya, miss kissing ya
The artist confesses that he has missed his partner and craves their intimacy.
Instead of breaking up
The singer suggests they try to reconcile instead of separating.
Let's start some kissing and making up
The singer asks for physical intimacy to reconcile the relationship.
Don't throw our love away
The artist pleads with his partner not to end their relationship.
In my arms why don't you stay?
The artist invites his partner to stay in his arms and give their love another chance.
Baby love, my baby love, why must we separate my love?
The artist questions why they have to end their relationship.
All of my whole life through
The singer implies that he has only loved his partner for his entire life.
I never love no one but you
The artist states his exclusivity towards his partner.
Why you do me like you do, I guess it's me
The singer acknowledges that his partner's behavior towards him may be caused by something he has done.
Ooh, need to hold you once again my love, feel your warm embrace my love
The singer longs for the physical intimacy of his partner's embrace.
Don't throw our love away, please don't do me this way
The singer begs his partner not to end their relationship or hurt him anymore.
Not happy like I used to be, loneliness has got the best of me my love
The artist confesses that he is not as happy as he used to be after his partner left him, and he feels lonely.
My baby love, I need ya oh how I need ya
The artist reiterates his strong desire for his partner's love and presence.
Why you do me like you do
The singer still questions why his partner is mistreating him.
After I've been true to you
The singer suggests that he has been loyal and faithful to his partner, making his mistreatment confusing.
So deep in love with you
The artist is deeply in love with his partner.
Baby, baby ooh
The artist expresses his affection and love for his partner.
'Til it hurt me, 'til it hurt me
The artist loved his partner so much that his mistreatment hurt him deeply.
Ooh baby love
The singer expresses his desire and love for his partner once again.
Don't throw our love away
The artist pleads with his partner not to end their relationship.
Don't throw our love away
The singer repeats his plea to his partner not to end their relationship.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Brian Holland, Edward Holland, Lamont Dozier
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind