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.
Carol
Frank Zappa Lyrics
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Ike willis (rhythm guitar, vocals)
Ray white (rhythm guitar, vocals)
Bobby martin (keyboards, vocals)
Alan zavod (keyboards)
Scott thunes (bass)
Chad wackerman (drums)
Oh carol!
Oh carol!
You was a fool
Carol, you fool
You was a fool
Carol, you fool
Carol, you fool
Don't you know you're crazy
He won't be true
But your mind's a little hazy
He'll break your heart
Don't let it start
But if you think it's better
Go ahead and buy 'm a sweater
Carol, you fool
You think you got it so bad
(thank you!)
Tryin' to steel some money
Just to get some more of what you had
And he's got the dog
And he has no log
No, he won't come back
So put away your black-jack
You wanna try
(you wanna try)
To rob some mexican guy
(to rob a mexican guy)
Beat him on the head
(oh, you beat him on his head)
Maybe make him dead
(you just might make him dead)
Just so you can fly
(oh, you wanna fly)
From pittsburgh out to see him
(you said you really gotta see him)
Carol, you're a foolish fool
(carol, oh-oh, girl!)
You don't really need him
Carol carol
Carol carol
Fool fool
Fool
Carol, you fool
You wanna try
(you say that you wanna try)
(to rob some mexican guy)
To rob some mexican guy
(to rob a mexican guy)
(you wanna beat him on his head)
Beat him on the head
(please, don't beat him on his head, girl)
(but they wanna make him dead
And he wants me to ...)
Maybe make him dead
(you just might make him dead)
Just so you can fly
(you say you gotta gotta fly)
From pittsburgh out to see him
(ooh, you really gotta see him)
Carol, you're a foolish fool
(carol, oh-oh, girl!)
You don't really need him
Carol, you fool
I think you better try again
Carol, you fool
Don't wanna see you cry again
He's gone away
What can you say?
Carol, you fool
You'll meet another engineer
You was a fool
(car, carol, you fool)
Carol, you fool
(carol, you foolish girl)
You was a fool
(oh carol, you ah ah ah...)
Carol, you fool
(carol, you foolish, foolish girl)
You was a fool
(oh carol, you fool)
Carol, you fool
You!
The song "Carol You Fool" by Frank Zappa is a warning to a woman named Carol. The song starts with the repetitive chorus of "Oh, Carol! Oh Carol!" The lyrics caution Carol about an engineer with whom she is infatuated. Frank warns Carol that the man she is interested in will never be true to her, but Carol's mind is hazy, and she does not seem to understand that the man is not worth the heartbreak. Frank urges Carol not to try and steal money to make him happy, and he warns her that the engineer has no intention of coming back to her.
In the lyrics, Frank suggests that Carol is willing to do foolish things for this engineer, even rob a Mexican guy, which is a dangerous act. He emphasizes that Carol doesn't need the engineer and that she must try again and move on. The song ends with Frank telling Carol that she will meet another engineer, and she should not cry over this one.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh carol!
Frank Zappa begins the song by addressing the subject of the song, Carol.
You was a fool
Carol, you fool
You was a fool
Carol, you fool
Zappa repeats the line four times to emphasize that Carol was foolish.
Carol, you fool
Don't you know you're crazy
He won't be true
But your mind's a little hazy
He'll break your heart
Don't let it start
But if you think it's better
Go ahead and buy 'm a sweater
Zappa warns Carol that her behavior is unwise and her mind is clouded with infatuation. He suggests that instead of wasting money on her partner, she should reconsider the relationship and not let it hurt her in the end.
Carol, you fool
You think you got it so bad
(thank you!)
Tryin' to steel some money
Just to get some more of what you had
And he's got the dog
And he has no log
No, he won't come back
So put away your black-jack
Zappa observes that Carol's desperation is leading her to make risky decisions and steal money to buy her partner's affection. However, it is clear to Zappa that Carol's significant other won't be coming back, so there is no point in her violent behavior.
You wanna try
(you wanna try)
To rob some mexican guy
(to rob a mexican guy)
Beat him on the head
(oh, you beat him on his head)
Maybe make him dead
(you just might make him dead)
Just so you can fly
(oh, you wanna fly)
From pittsburgh out to see him
(you said you really gotta see him)
Carol, you're a foolish fool
(carol, oh-oh, girl!)
You don't really need him
Zappa goes on to note that Carol is willing to resort to violence for the sake of seeing her partner in person when it is clear that he does not care for her. Carol's desperation is clouding her judgement and she is behaving rather foolishly.
Carol carol
Carol carol
Fool fool
Fool
Carol, you fool
Zappa returns to repeating the phrase 'Carol, you fool' as a way to emphasize how foolish Carol is being.
You wanna try
(you say that you wanna try)
(to rob some mexican guy)
To rob some mexican guy
(to rob a mexican guy)
(you wanna beat him on his head)
Beat him on the head
(please, don't beat him on his head, girl)
(but they wanna make him dead
And he wants me to ...)
Maybe make him dead
(you just might make him dead)
Just so you can fly
(you say you gotta gotta fly)
From pittsburgh out to see him
(ooh, you really gotta see him)
Carol, you're a foolish fool
(carol, oh-oh, girl!)
You don't really need him
Zappa further emphasizes Carol's foolishness as she persists in her violent and risky behavior to see her partner. Despite this, Carol will not find a happy ending with him.
Carol, you fool
I think you better try again
Carol, you fool
Don't wanna see you cry again
He's gone away
What can you say?
Carol, you fool
You'll meet another engineer
Zappa concludes the song by advising Carol to give up her fruitless pursuit of her engineer partner and warns her that her potential heartbreak is not worth the risks she is taking. Zappa encourages her to move on and find someone else.
You was a fool
(car, carol, you fool)
Carol, you fool
(carol, you foolish girl)
You was a fool
(oh carol, you ah ah ah...)
Carol, you fool
(carol, you foolish, foolish girl)
You was a fool
(oh carol, you fool)
Carol, you fool
You!
The final lines of the song circle back to the initial theme that Carol was foolish in her pursuit of the engineer. Zappa seems to suggest that Carol should take personal responsibility for her foolishness and learn from her mistakes.
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