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.

Bow Tie Daddy
Frank Zappa Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Bow tie daddy dontcha blow your top
Everything's under control
Bow tie daddy dontcha blow your top
'Cause you think you're gettin' too old

Don't try to do no thinkin'
Just go on with your drinkin'
Just have your fun, you old son of a gun

Then drive home in your Lincoln

Overall Meaning

The song Bow Tie Daddy by Frank Zappa is a lighthearted yet insightful commentary on the male ego and the societal pressures that can come with age. The repetitive lyrics of "Bow tie daddy don'tcha blow your top" are a nod to the idea that older men should not get too emotional or worked up over things, as they are expected to have everything under control. This pressure to remain composed and in control can cause a lot of stress and anxiety, which is why Zappa urges the titular "Bow Tie Daddy" to relax, enjoy himself, and not worry about getting too old.

The lines "Don't try to do no thinking / Just go on with your drinking" highlight the idea that sometimes it's easier to just tune out the world and enjoy yourself, rather than dealing with the complicated issues that come with aging. This can be seen in the final line, "Then drive home in your Lincoln", which is a nod to the idea that older men are expected to have achieved a certain level of financial success and stability, but also that they have the freedom to do whatever they want, even if it's not entirely responsible or safe.

Overall, the song can be interpreted as a warning to men not to let their egos get the best of them and to embrace life as it is, rather than striving for an ideal that may not be attainable.

Line by Line Meaning

Bow tie daddy dontcha blow your top
Don't get agitated and lose your temper, bow tie daddy

Everything's under control
The situation is being managed properly and there's no need to worry

Bow tie daddy dontcha blow your top
I'm telling you again not to lose your temper, bow tie daddy

'Cause you think you're gettin' too old
You're losing your cool because you feel like you're getting too old for this

Don't try to do no thinkin'
Don't bother trying to use your brain

Just go on with your drinkin'
Just focus on drinking and enjoying yourself

Just have your fun, you old son of a gun
Just enjoy yourself, you're still a lively old man

Then drive home in your Lincoln
After you've had your fun, go home in your luxurious Lincoln car

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