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.
Deathless Horsie
Frank Zappa Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
February 19, 1979
Engineer: Mick Glossop
FZ lead guitar
Warren Cuccurullo rhythm guitar
Denny Walley rhythm guitar
Ike Willis rhythm guitar
Peter Wolf keyboards
Ed Mann percussion
Arthur Barrow bass
Vinnie Colaiuta drums]
In Frank Zappa's song The Deathless Horsie, he paints a vivid figurative picture of the world in which we live in by describing it as a circus, where humans are like clowns who wear masks and perform for the entertainment of others. He talks about how we are so consumed by our daily routines that we forget to question the world around us and the power structures that control it. The line "they'll be happy to loan you back your balls" seems to suggest that we have given up our agency and are left powerless in the face of these systems.
The song then goes on to talk about the deathless horsie, a mythical creature that represents the endurance and resilience of humanity. It is said that this horse can never die and always comes back stronger, symbolizing the human spirit's ability to persevere through hardships. However, even the deathless horsie may not be enough to save us from the troubles we face if we do not learn to take control of our own lives and challenge the systems that oppress us.
Overall, The Deathless Horsie serves as a critique of modern society and encourages listeners to think critically about the world around them and take action to create change.
Line by Line Meaning
The horses are brighter
The sudden brightness of the stage lights gave the impression that the horses were more vivid and distinct.
You can tell by their mane
The distinguishing feature of these horses is their long, flowing hair cascading down their necks.
And you can tell by the reins
The reins, used to control these horses, demonstrate the riders' mastery over these magnificent creatures.
You can see that they're not ordinary horses
These horses possess an extraordinary quality that sets them apart from others, even amongst their own kind.
By the way they managed to remain alive
These horses have managed to survive and persevere despite harsh conditions and obstacles that may have otherwise led to their demise.
There's a little cowboy in the jungle
An allusion to the idea that one can muddle one's way through a foreign and harsh environment without losing oneself or one's identity.
Trying to save the day
This cowboy is attempting to rescue or remedy a negative situation that has arisen.
Wearin' the same six-shooter he used on the range
The cowboy still carries the same weapon that was once used in a different time and place. This suggests that his identity as a cowboy has been preserved despite being in a new, unfamiliar setting.
Ridin' around in a Ferrari
A contrast to the cowboy's classic six-shooter, a Ferrari represents a modern and exotic luxury car that is typically associated with wealth and success.
With his radio blaring
Amidst this luxurious and foreign atmosphere, the cowboy is still able to enjoy his classic country music through his loud radio.
He's heading for the west
The cowboy is oriented towards a Western attitude and/or geographical location that is associated with cowboys in American culture.
Turned to the concrete
The cowboy, who embodies a sense of free-spiritedness and a way of life that is grounded in tradition, has turned his attention and interest towards the cold and industrial world of concrete.
And he's driving himself right into the ground
His unquenchable thirst for novelty experiences and an inability to reconcile with the new way of living that he is exposed to, has led to his physical and emotional downfall.
He's just an old-fashioned cowboy
Despite his current state, the cowboy still represents a preservation of traditional values and an unbreakable spirit that continues to resonate with people.
His talk is lazy
The cowboy speaks with a slow demeanour that is typical of the cowboy accent, reflecting the relaxed and laid-back way of life associated with the cowboy image.
But his legs are crazy
Though his speech may be perceived as slow or simple, his actions and way of life are often unpredictable and assertive.
When he's shot, you know you'll be grazin'
An allusion to the scenario where, when the cowboy eventually passes away, it will be as if he has been put out to pasture himself.
By a dead man's gun
An implication that the cowboy will die in a shootout, where his aggressor has already died, with the dead man's gun being the instrument of the cowboy's death.
The smell of burnt flesh
A gruesome and vivid image of the aftermath of a violent, fatal encounter.
Just an accidental slash
Despite the vivid, harrowing imagery being presented, the artist still insists that the cowboy's death will happen unexpectedly and without forethought or malice.
You know the dead man's still alive
Even though the cowboy has died from the gunshot wound, there is still an enduring legacy of the cowboy's way of life and a reminder of his existence.
And that's the story of the Deathless Horsie
The song culminates with the introduction of the Deathless Horsie, a legendary horse that managed to survive and persist, embodying the characteristics of the classic cowboy mythos.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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