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.
Easy Meat
Frank Zappa Lyrics
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Ike willis (rhythm guitar, vocals)
Ray white (rhythm guitar, vocals)
Steve vai (rhythm guitar, vocals)
Warren cucurullo (rhythm guitar, vocals)
Denny walley (slide guitar, vocals)
Tommy mars (keyboards, vocals)
Peter wolf (keyboards)
Ed mann (percussion)
Arthur barrow (bass, vocals)
Vinnie colaiuta (drums)
This girl is easy meat
I seen her on the street
See-through blouse an' a tiny little dress
Her manner indiscreet...i knew she was
Easy, easy, easy meat
Easy, easy, easy meat
Easy, easy, easy, easy
Easy meat, easy meat, easy meat, easy meat
She wanna take me home
Make me sweat and moan
Rub my head and beat me off
With a copy of rollin' stone
Easy, easy, easy meat
Easy, easy, easy meat
Easy, easy, easy, easy
Easy meat, easy meat, easy meat, easy meat
...they're just not gonna stand for it...
I told her I was late
I had another date
I can't get off on the rollin' stone
But the robots think it's great...i knew she was
Easy, easy, easy meat
Easy, easy, easy meat
Easy, easy, easy, easy
Easy meat, easy meat, easy meat, easy meat
Easy
She was so easy
Easy
Saw her tiny titties
Through her see-through blouse
I just had to take the girl to my house
Easy
Meat
The lyrics to Frank Zappa's 'Easy Meat' are about a man's encounter with an easy woman. The man describes seeing the woman on the street, wearing a see-through blouse and a tiny little dress. He describes her manner as indiscreet, which lets him know that she is easy. The woman pursues the man and invites him to her home, where she intends to have sex with him. The man declines the offer, telling her that he has another date. Despite his rejection, the man finds the woman physically attractive and confesses to wanting her.
The lyrics are a commentary on the objectification of women and the power dynamics between men and women. The woman is reduced to an object of sexual desire, and the man feels entitled to her because she is "easy." However, even though the woman is willing to have sex with him, the man decides against it, revealing that he values his autonomy and self-respect over momentary pleasure. Zappa is highlighting the societal pressures that young men face to pursue sexual conquests while also questioning the ethics of objectifying women.
Line by Line Meaning
This girl is easy meat
I saw a girl on the street and I could tell from her clothing and behavior that she is sexually promiscuous and therefore easy to have sex with.
I seen her on the street
I spotted her while walking down the street.
See-through blouse an' a tiny little dress
She was wearing a revealing and tight outfit.
Her manner indiscreet...i knew she was
Her behavior was suggestive and made it clear that she would be willing to have sex.
Easy, easy, easy meat
She is very easy to have sex with.
...they're just not gonna stand for it...
Others may disapprove of my behavior or actions as they relate to this girl.
She wanna take me home
She expressed a desire to have sex with me at her home.
Make me sweat and moan
She wanted to engage in sexual activity that would result in physical exertion and vocalization or groaning.
Rub my head and beat me off
She wanted to both provide physical stimulation and perform a sexual act on me.
With a copy of rollin' stone
She was using the magazine as a tool to facilitate the sexual act.
I told her I was late
I lied to her by telling her that I was running behind schedule.
I had another date
I was seeing somebody else later.
I can't get off on the rollin' stone
I am not aroused by the idea of using a magazine during sexual activity.
But the robots think it's great...i knew she was
Others who engage in such behavior may be into it, but I am not and I could tell that this girl was willing to do it anyway.
Easy
She is easy to have sex with.
She was so easy
She was very willing to have sex.
Saw her tiny titties
I noticed her small breasts.
I just had to take the girl to my house
I brought her home to engage in sexual activity.
Easy
Having sex with her was easy due to her willingness.
Meat
She is a sexual object, to be used for pleasure.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Frank Zappa
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind