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.
Dark Water!
Frank Zappa Lyrics
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Spider: Yeah, it's trying to say something . . .
Monica: D-a-a-a-a-a-are-are-are-k-k-k W-a-a-a-t-e-are-are-are
Spider: I know . . . It's not trying to say something to us at all . . . It's trying to say something to the pig
John: Dark water . . .
Spider: I forget . . . It's . . .
John: Dark water on top of the muck
The lyrics in Frank Zappa's "Dark Water" describe a dialogue between three individuals: Monica, Spider, and John. Monica and Spider are trying to decipher a message being conveyed by an unknown source, which they realize is not meant for humans but for a pig. John interjects with the phrase "dark water" and Spider seems to lose his train of thought. The imagery presented in the lyrics suggests a sense of confusion and lack of clarity, as the characters struggle to understand the message being conveyed.
The phrase "dark water" can be interpreted in several ways, but it could refer to the murky or contaminated water that is often present in areas impacted by pollution or environmental damage. The mention of a pig, which is known to be a resilient animal but also associated with dirt and filth, could suggest a commentary on the state of our environment and the consequences of our actions. The disjointed and fragmented nature of the lyrics could also be seen as a reflection of a world that is hard to comprehend and navigate.
Line by Line Meaning
Monica: D-a-a-a-a-a-are-are-are-k W-a-a-a-t-e-are-are-are
Monica is spelling out 'dark water' and 'what are' in a sing-song voice
Spider: Yeah, it's trying to say something . . .
Spider acknowledges Monica's singing and suggests that the words are trying to communicate something
Monica: D-a-a-a-a-a-are-are-are-k-k-k W-a-a-a-t-e-are-are-are
Monica repeats the same sing-song spelling of 'dark water' and 'what are', adding extra 'k's to the end of 'dark' each time
Spider: I know . . . It's not trying to say something to us at all . . . It's trying to say something to the pig
Spider realizes that the words are not directed at them, but rather at a pig who may be nearby
John: Dark water . . .
John affirms the presence of dark water in their environment
Spider: I forget . . . It's . . .
Spider forgets what exactly he was going to say about the dark water
John: Dark water on top of the muck
John elaborates on the previous statement, saying that the dark water is resting on top of the muck, adding a layer of depth to their environment
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Best album I ever heard!