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.
Beauty Knows No Pain
Frank Zappa Lyrics
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Ike willis (rhythm guitar, vocals)
Ray white (rhythm guitar, vocals)
Bob harris (boy soprano, trumpet)
Steve vai (guitar)
Tommy mars (keyboards)
Arthur barrow (bass)
Ed mann (percussion)
Motorhead sherwood (tenor saxophone, vocals)
Denny walley (slide guitar, vocals)
David logeman (drums)
Craig steward (harmonica)
Jimmy carl black (vocals)
Ahmet zappa (vocals)
Moon zappa (vocals)
Beauty knows no pain
So what you cryin' about
Girl
Beauty knows no pain
So what you cryin' about
Girl
Beauty knows no
Beauty knows no
Beauty knows no
Even if yer plain
You could be tryin' it out
Girl
Even if yer plain
You could be tryin' it out
Girl
Beauty is no
Beauty is no
Beauty is no
Beauty is a bikini wax 'n waitin' for yer nails to dry
Beauty is colored pencil, scribbled all around yer eye
Beauty is a pair of shoes that makes you wanna die
Beauty is a
Beauty is a
Beauty is a
Lie
But you don't care if it's a lie
'cause you are such a beautiful guy
Your head is north, your feet is south
And you save the rest for charlie's
Mouth
Your head is north
Your feet is south
And you save the rest for
Charlie's enormous mouth...
In the song "Beauty Knows No Pain," Frank Zappa explores the societal obsession with beauty and perfection. The lyrics suggest that people go to great lengths, such as bikini waxes and colored pencils around their eyes, to fit into society's narrow beauty standards. The chorus, "Beauty knows no pain, so what you crying about, girl," challenges the notion that beauty is worth the pain that people go through to achieve it.
The song seems to be a critique of the beauty industry's messages that people need to look a certain way to be valuable, and how those messages lead to people feeling insecure and inadequate. Zappa suggests that even if someone is plain, they could still trying it out, thus encouraging people to embrace individuality rather than conforming to society's standards. The final lines of the song, "Your head is north, your feet is south, and you save the rest for Charlie's mouth," may be a nod to sexuality and the idea that people are judged by their physical appearance rather than their character.
Overall, "Beauty Knows No Pain" is a sarcastic commentary on the pressure to conform to beauty standards and the societal impact of that pressure. It encourages listeners to embrace their unique qualities and reject the idea that physical appearance determines their worth.
Line by Line Meaning
Beauty knows no pain
The concept of beauty requires no pain, therefore there is no reason to complain about it.
So what you cryin' about Girl
Therefore, there is no reason for the girl to be crying.
Even if yer plain
Even if you are not conventionally attractive,
You could be tryin' it out Girl
you can still try to enhance your appearance.
Beauty is no
Beauty does not warrant judgment or criticism.
Beauty is a bikini wax 'n waitin' for yer nails to dry
Beauty is often associated with uncomfortable grooming and waiting rituals.
Beauty is colored pencil, scribbled all around yer eye
Beauty is something artificially applied and may not necessarily reflect reality.
Beauty is a pair of shoes that makes you wanna die
Beauty is something that may be painful, as displayed in the idiom ‘dying for fashion’.
Beauty is a
Beauty can be a
Lie
deception.
But you don't care if it's a lie
However, individuals don’t mind the deception.
'Cause you are such a beautiful guy
As a highly attractive person, the individual may already benefit greatly from society's beauty standards.
Your head is north, your feet is south
Using the directional metaphor to indicate that the individual is disoriented.
And you save the rest for Charlie's mouth
The individual strives to sexually satisfy a partner referred to as Charlie.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Frank Zappa
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind