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.
Drop Dead
Frank Zappa Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Steve vai (guitar)
Ray white (guitar, vocals)
Tommy mars (keyboards)
Chuck wild (piano)
Arthur barrow (bass)
Scott thunes (bass)
Jay anderson (string bass)
Chad wackerman (drums)
Ike willis (vocals)
Terry bozzio (vocals)
Dale bozzio (vocals)
Napoleon murphy brock (vocals)
Bob harris (vocals)
Johnny "guitar" watson (vocals)
Harry:
Jesus, that was terrific! I've never experienced anything quite like that in a theater before! how 'bout you, rhonda?
Rhonda:
You're a worm, harry. drop dead. god, you're disgusting! don't touch me! yuck! what is this scum on your chest? did that little rubber mammy 'do something' on you?
Thing-fish: (alarmed)
Ob'dewlla! you lil' vagrant! what you been up to wit de chump over deahh? lemme see yo' draw's! uh-huhhhh! jes' couldn't hep why'seff, could ya! pheww! you best be washin' dat thang off, dahlin'!
Ws we's sposed ta be un-destructable, but what you got ripenin' down dere be puttin' us all to de test! yow!
The evil prince tap-dances over to thing-fish, harry & rhonda.
Evil prince: (fake broadway singing)
Pers'nally, dahlin', I found de pre-formnence wit de brief-case to be un-creedably stim-you-lat-nin'!
Rhonda:
Eat shit, you overbearing male chauvinist member of the scientific community!
Thing-fish:
What a sweet lil' hunk o' heaven she growed up t'be! when she were deflateable, she dint say nothin'...jes kept her face open like dis... waitin' fo de salami dat never 'rived! now she fuckin' d
Efcase, dumpin' de paper all over de flo', hair up in a ugly ol' bun, fountain pen danglin' out her asshole, an' talkin' dirty to a member o' de royal fam'ly!
Girl! dis cocksucker mights be evil, but he am a prince! now he be talkin' de vernak-luh, I's findin' it consid'rubly mo' cornvemient to in- demnify wit his 'point-o-view!
Evil prince:
Sho' nuff! um-hmm! yeah! you a wise ol' mammy! where you fum, 'rijnlyy?
Thing-fish:
Why...uh...saint loomis!
Evil prince:
Goddam! I knew it! I knew it! I could jes' make it out from yo' renunciation! sho' get hot down deahh in de summer time!
Thing-fish:
Dat no lie...people be croakin' all over de fuckin' place! I sees y'all like dat sort o' thang...jedgin' fum yo' wa'd-robe, y'all be well into death 'n pestilence 'n shit! prob'ly got yo-seff qu
Ome 'spensive educashnin' goin' fo ya!
Evil prince:
Oh yeah! oh yeah! heh-heh! saint loomis! damn! some de zomby-folk up de lab-mo-tory got kin deah!
Thing-fish:
Naw! really? cain't be!
Evil prince:
Oh hell yeah! de ugly dead muthafucker on de string deahh...he related to a buncha other ugly dead muthafuckers fum de east side...'n de curly-headed sho't lil' ugly dead muthafucker wit de dead
Been fuckin' de police commissioner!
Thing-fish:
How you know so much 'bouts what gwine on down deahh, you evil cocksucker! y'all been stayin' quite well un-formed fum bein' in de lab-mo-tory most yo' time!
Evil prince:
Jes' might distress yo ass to loin dat on de way home fum de san quentim 'tater mashin' 'speri- ment, me 'n de country westin muzishnins' drop by de college to receive an honorary degree!
Thing-fish:
You lyin', boy! dey givin' degrees in 'tater husbandry' back de ol' alma-motta!
Evil prince:
Dat all dey givin' any mo'! muthafuckin' 'tater husbandry' be de wave o' de futchum in saint loomis! graduatin' class were over 700, 'n evvy one of 'em dealin' wit dem 'taters like de shrimp-mur
S down at benny-hanny's!
Thing-fish: (looking down at ob'dewlla)
What? huh? you wanna what? ob'dewlla, de prince jes' be shootin' de home-town shit heahh! he ain't gwine give us no mo' provlem! what you mean, girl? okay, okay! go 'head 'n fuck de lil' crab-gr
Aby wit de enormous white pompadour! go on deah. git down wit yo' nasty lil' ol' degenerate seff!
Thing-fish puts the crab-grass baby on the floor and positions ob'dewlla over it. he places his foot on ob'dewlla's back and pumps both of them up and down. as the computer- speech drones on, th
Ish watches the spectacle, commenting...
Thing-fish: (contd.)
Twist 'n shout! work it on out ('n in)! hmmm! get down! go on! give him a little shoe! dat's what denny be doin'...work on jumbo evvy time! go on! get de lil' pompadour up in de air again! I lik
Part! hmmm! jes' like de olympics!
Harry:
It's-it's fascinating the way things are resolving themselves around here! I-I never would have sus- pected anything like this when we came in!
Rhonda:
Where are your real clothes, harry? are you going back to long island like that?
Harry:
I have nothing to be ashamed of! I have a lovely body. everyone will understand! I've-I've accom- plished something tonight! I really believe that! I've found a sort of fulfilment other men only
M about!
Rhonda: (naked, re-stuffing the briefcase)
You've accomplished nothing! nothing at all! you're a mere worm...less than that...you're a useless all-american 'man-worm'! the most disgusting creature on the face of the earth. phooey on you!
S like you would be nothing without me and my kind! we are the future, harry! not you! we don't need you and your kind, because our kind is the best kind!
Man-kind is shit, harry! our kind will get rid of your kind, just like wiping off this fountain pen, harry! smell it quick, you submissive little cocksucker, 'cause I'm wiping it off... any minu
W!
This is symbolism, harry! really deep, intense, thought-provoking broadway symbolism! this isn't 'dream girls', harry! this is the way it really is...i'm talking to you, harry! we hate you! we a
Dern, harry! you are not 'modern'! worms are not modern!
While you became lawyers and accountants, and read playboy and bought a pipe, we planned and dreamed and fucked our briefcases while you weren't looking! yes, harry! that's right! and we've actu
Been able to reproduce ourselves that way...for years, harry, but you never knew! did you? you worm.
We had special atomic glasses made...by women optometrists who promised never to tell!
We learned how to hide secret stuff, wrapped up in the middle of those severe terminal buns we wear! little transmitters, harry! little receivers! oh...don't pretend to be surprised, harry! we e
Ad room left over in there for all of our most favorite little embroidered delicate secretly feminine child-like helpless pathetic sentimental totally useless personal 'girl-things' that smell l
He stuff they put in the toilet paper. you played golf! you watched football! you drank beer! we evolved! we only look like wandas and rhondas! we are superb, harry! we are sublime! we are perfe
Every way! and you? what are you? you are the all-american cocksucker...jizzing all over your leather cocksucker costume after beating the snot out of yourself with a rubber mammy!
I simply can't respect you, harry! you are no good. go ahead! smell the pen! go on...i'm wip- ing it harry...there you go...
The lyrics of Frank Zappa's song "Drop Dead" contain a dialogue between several characters that satirize the superficiality, sexism, and ignorance of popular culture. The dialogue begins with Harry and Rhonda, who just watched a theater performance and have different reactions to it: Harry finds it terrific, while Rhonda insults him and accuses him of being disgusting. Thing-Fish, an African-American transvestite, defends Harry and engages in a conversation with the Evil Prince, who tap-dances and sings in a fake Broadway style. The characters talk over each other, interrupt, insult each other, and reveal their prejudices and stereotypes about gender, race, education, and social class.
Thing-Fish's dialogue is full of slang, wordplay, and irony, and he often shifts between different accents and register. He is a complex and ambiguous character who defies categorization and challenges the audience's assumptions about identity, sexuality, and morality. The Evil Prince represents the elitism, hypocrisy, and narcissism of the ruling class, while Harry and Rhonda are stereotypes of the conformist and the rebel, respectively. The lyrics of "Drop Dead" expose the absurdity and emptiness of contemporary culture and suggest that true fulfillment can only come from questioning and subverting the dominant ideology.
In conclusion, Frank Zappa's song "Drop Dead" is a witty and provocative critique of the social and cultural norms of his time. The lyrics use humor, irony, and satire to expose the flaws and contradictions of human behavior and language. The dialogue between the characters shows how communication can be a source of misunderstanding and conflict, but also of creativity and diversity. The song challenges the listener to examine their own beliefs and values and to resist the pressure to conform to an arbitrary and oppressive system.
Line by Line Meaning
Jesus, that was terrific! I've never experienced anything quite like that in a theater before! how 'bout you, rhonda?
Harry is impressed with the performance and asks Rhonda if she feels the same about it
You're a worm, harry. drop dead. god, you're disgusting! don't touch me! yuck! what is this scum on your chest? did that little rubber mammy 'do something' on you?
Rhonda insults Harry, finds him repulsive, and asks him if he had sexual contact with the rubber mammy on his chest
Ob'dewlla! you lil' vagrant! what you been up to wit de chump over deahh? lemme see yo' draw's! uh-huhhhh! jes' couldn't hep why'seff, could ya! pheww! you best be washin' dat thang off, dahlin'! Ws we's sposed ta be un-destructable, but what you got ripenin' down dere be puttin' us all to de test! yow!
Thing-Fish scolds Ob'dewlla for having sexual encounters with Harry and advises her to wash herself as they are supposed to be indestructible, but Ob'dewlla's sexual activity is putting them to the test
Pers'nally, dahlin', I found de pre-formnence wit de brief-case to be un-creedably stim-you-lat-nin'!
The Evil Prince comments on the performance with the briefcase, finding it stimulating
Eat shit, you overbearing male chauvinist member of the scientific community!
Rhonda insults the Evil Prince
What a sweet lil' hunk o' heaven she growed up t'be! when she were deflateable, she dint say nothin'...jes kept her face open like dis... waitin' fo de salami dat never 'rived! now she fuckin' d Efcase, dumpin' de paper all over de flo', hair up in a ugly ol' bun, fountain pen danglin' out her asshole, an' talkin' dirty to a member o' de royal fam'ly! Girl! dis cocksucker mights be evil, but he am a prince! now he be talkin' de vernak-luh, I's findin' it consid'rubly mo' cornvemient to in- demnify wit his 'point-o-view!
Thing-Fish comments on Rhonda's change in attitude from being deflatable and waiting for something that never came, to being crude and dirt talking to the Evil Prince. He advises her to be careful with her words as the Prince may be useful for them later
Sho' nuff! um-hmm! yeah! you a wise ol' mammy! where you fum, 'rijnlyy?
The Evil Prince talks 'vernacular' with Thing-Fish and asks where he's from
Goddam! I knew it! I knew it! I could jes' make it out from yo' renunciation! sho' get hot down deahh in de summer time! Dat no lie...people be croakin' all over de fuckin' place! I sees y'all like dat sort o' thang...jedgin' fum yo' wa'd-robe, y'all be well into death 'n pestilence 'n shit! prob'ly got yo-seff qu Ome 'spensive educashnin' goin' fo ya!
The Evil Prince talks about how hot it gets in Thing-Fish's hometown and how everyone is dying from death and pestilence. He judges Thing-Fish's fashion style and assumes he has an expensive education
Oh yeah! oh yeah! heh-heh! saint loomis! damn! some de zomby-folk up de lab-mo-tory got kin deah!
The Evil Prince talks about some zombie-folk and lab-mo-tory in Saint Loomis
How you know so much 'bouts what gwine on down deahh, you evil cocksucker! y'all been stayin' quite well un-formed fum bein' in de lab-mo-tory most yo' time!
Thing-Fish questions how the Evil Prince knows so much about the lab-mo-tory and his activities there
Jes' might distress yo ass to loin dat on de way home fum de san quentim 'tater mashin' 'speri- ment, me 'n de country westin muzishnins' drop by de college to receive an honorary degree!
The Evil Prince tells Thing-Fish that he will be receiving an honorary degree from college after working at a potato-mashing experiment in San Quentin
Dat all dey givin' any mo'! muthafuckin' 'tater husbandry' be de wave o' de futchum in saint loomis! graduatin' class were over 700, 'n evvy one of 'em dealin' wit dem 'taters like de shrimp-mur S down at benny-hanny's!
The Evil Prince talks about how 'Tater husbandry' is the future in Saint Loomis and the graduating class of 700 deals with them like the shrimp-mur-S at Benny-Hanny's
What? huh? you wanna what? Ob'dewlla, de prince jes' be shootin' de home-town shit heahh! he ain't gwine give us no mo' provlem! what you mean, girl? okay, okay! go 'head 'n fuck de lil' crab-gr Aby wit de enormous white pompadour! go on deah. git down wit yo' nasty lil' ol' degenerate seff! Thing-fish puts the crab-grass baby on the floor and positions ob'dewlla over it. he places his foot on ob'dewlla's back and pumps both of them up and down. as the computer- speech drones on, th Ish watches the spectacle
Thing-Fish tells Ob'dewlla to relieve herself with the crab-grass baby and help her clean herself
It's-it's fascinating the way things are resolving themselves around here! I-I never would have sus- pected anything like this when we came in!
Someone comments on how things are turning out unexpectedly
I have nothing to be ashamed of! I have a lovely body. everyone will understand! I've-I've accom- plished something tonight! I really believe that! I've found a sort of fulfilment other men only M about!
Harry defends himself, saying that he has a lovely body and feels fulfilled, unlike other men who don't understand
You've accomplished nothing! nothing at all! you're a mere worm...less than that...you're a useless all-american 'man-worm'! the most disgusting creature on the face of the earth. phooey on you!
Rhonda insults Harry, calling him a useless man-worm and the most disgusting creature on earth
Man-kind is shit, harry! our kind will get rid of your kind, just like wiping off this fountain pen, harry! smell it quick, you submissive little cocksucker, 'cause I'm wiping it off... any minu W!
Rhonda talks about how their kind plans on getting rid of mankind and calls Harry a submissive little cocksucker
We had special atomic glasses made...by women optometrists who promised never to tell!
Their kind had special atomic glasses made by women optometrists who promised never to tell
We learned how to hide secret stuff, wrapped up in the middle of those severe terminal buns we wear! little transmitters, harry! little receivers! oh...don't pretend to be surprised, harry! we e Ad room left over in there for all of our most favorite little embroidered delicate secretly feminine child-like helpless pathetic sentimental totally useless personal 'girl-things' that smell l He stuff they put in the toilet paper. you played golf! you watched football! you drank beer! we evolved! we only look like wandas and rhondas! we are superb, harry! we are sublime! we are perishable and you are not!
Their kind learned to hide secret gadgets in their buns, with extra space for their personal belongings. They evolved into looking like Wandas and Rhondas and considers themselves to be superb and evolved while Harry is not
I simply can't respect you, harry! you are no good. go ahead! smell the pen! go on...i'm wip- ing it harry...there you go...
Rhonda says she cannot respect Harry and makes him smell the pen while she wipes it off
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Frank Vincent Zappa
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind