Frank Vincent Zappa (born December 21, 1940 in Baltimore, Maryland, United … Read Full Bio ↴Frank Vincent Zappa (born December 21, 1940 in Baltimore, Maryland, United States – December 4, 1993 in Los Angeles, California, United States) was an American composer, guitarist, singer, bandleader and producer. He was one of the most prolific musicians of his time, releasing over fifty albums of original material spanning over a thirty-five year career.

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 Snakes
Frank Zappa Lyrics

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Baby Snakes
Late at night is when they come out
Baby Snakes
Sure you know what I'm talkin' about
Pink 'n' wet
They make the best kinda pet
Baby
Baby

Snakes

Looked around
An' there's a couple right near me
Baby Snakes
Maybe I think they can probably hear me
Pink 'n' wet
I'll take all I can get
Baby
Baby
Sna-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-kes, Yeah

They live in a ho-ho-hole
(Tiny hole)
That is usually empty
(usually empty, tiny too)
They live by a code
(Dit dit dit dit)
That is usually SMPTE
Which stands for
*Society of Motion Picture & Television Engineers*
Maybe I think
That is what keeps them in sync
They're wet 'n' they're pink
I think I'll give 'em a, give 'em a,
Give 'em a drink

Baby Sna-a-a-a-a-akesss

Overall Meaning

The song "Baby Snakes" by Frank Zappa is a humorous take on small, harmless creatures of the same name. He describes how baby snakes come out at night and make great pets, with their pink and wet appearance. The lyrics portray the idea that baby snakes are cute and harmless creatures that are always around but not easily noticeable. The playful nature of the song is reflected in the repetition of the lyrics "baby snakes" and its catchy melody, making it an enjoyable tune to listen to.

Zappa uses the lyrics to explain how baby snakes live in small holes and are in sync with the Society of Motion Picture & Television Engineers (SMPTE) code. He then goes on to humorously suggest that giving them something to drink might be a good idea. The song highlights the quirky and idiosyncratic nature of Zappa's music, highlighting his unique sensibility and quirky sense of humor.

Line by Line Meaning

Baby Snakes
Small, innocent-looking and terrifying creatures that emerge in the dark

Late at night is when they come out
Baby snakes come out in the dark of the night

Sure you know what I'm talkin' about
It is clear that the person listening knows what the singer is referring to

Pink 'n' wet
The baby snakes have a pink and moist appearance

They make the best kinda pet
To some people, baby snakes make excellent pets

Baby
A term of endearment to refer to the baby snakes

Looked around
The singer is scanning the area around him

An' there's a couple right near me
The artist has spotted a couple of baby snakes near him

Maybe I think they can probably hear me
There is a possibility that the snakes may be able to hear the artist

I'll take all I can get
The artist is willing to take on as many baby snakes as he can find

Sna-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-kes, Yeah
Echoing the word 'snakes', expressing fascination with these creatures

They live in a ho-ho-hole
Baby snakes live in tiny holes

(Tiny hole)
The snake holes are very small

That is usually empty
The tiny holes are usually empty

(usually empty, tiny too)
The holes are not only small, but they are also typically unoccupied

They live by a code
Baby snakes follow a particular way of life

(Dit dit dit dit)
Referring to the sound of Morse code or some other coded transmission

That is usually SMPTE
The code they follow might be the code used by the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers

Maybe I think
The singer is unsure, but has a theory

That is what keeps them in sync
Perhaps following SMPTE keeps the snakes in sync with each other

They're wet 'n' they're pink
Repeating an earlier line, describing the appearance of the snakes

I think I'll give 'em a, give 'em a, Give 'em a drink
The artist decides to offer the snakes some water

Baby Sna-a-a-a-a-akesss
Repeating the title of the song, expressing ongoing fascination with these creatures

Contributed by Elena T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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Forrest George

45w↑4

Baby Snakes
Late at night is when they come out
Baby Snakes
Sure you know what I'm talkin' about
Pink 'n' wet
They make the best kinda pet
Baby
Baby
Snakes
Looked around
An' there's a couple right near me
Baby Snakes
Maybe I think they can probably hear me
Pink 'n' wet
I'll take all I can get
Baby
Baby
Baby Sna-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-kes, Yeah
They live in a ho-ho-hole
(Tiny hole)
That is usually empty
(Usually empty; tiny too)
They live by a code
(Ditditditdit)
That is usually SMPTE
Which stands for
Society of Motion Picture & Television Engineers
Maybe I think
That is what keeps them in sync
They're wet 'n' they're pink
I think I'll give'em a, give'em a,
Give 'em a drink
Baby Sna-a-a-a-a-akesss