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.
Eddie Are You Kidding?
Frank Zappa Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I've seen you on my TV
Eddie, are you kidding?
The people always ask me
I saw your double knits
I thought they were the pits
You threw it in a bag
And then you sent me home--
Eddie, are you kidding?
No, no!
Eddie, are you kidding?
No, no!
Eddie, are you teasing
About your rancid garments?
Eddie, are you teasing
About your sixty tailors?
I'm coming over shortly
Because I am a portly
You promised you could fit me
In a fifty dollar suit--
Oh
Eddie, are you kidding?
No, no!
Eddie, are you kidding?
No, no!
Howard: Eddie, my friends ask me, Eddie, Eddie, are you kidding? I wanna tell you something, my friends: I am not kidding. Here at Zachary All we have sixty tailors in the back room. We have the west's largest selections of portly's, regulars, longs, extra longs, and cadets. And my friends say to me: Eddie, Eddie, what do you think of the new Double Knits?
Mark: Eddie, what do you think of the new Double Knits?
Howard: And I tell them: I'll tell you something frankly, my friends-- When the new double knits first came out, I was not impressed. But as you can see, these pants I'm wearing are double knit. They stretch in all the right places. They're the most comfortable. Our model Twiggy here will demonstrate. I have this lovely little
Seersucker... wait a minute
WHERE CAN I GO IN GARDENA?
AND WHERE CAN I GO IN L.A.?
AND WHERE CAN I GO IN ROSEMONT?
I NEED SOME THREADS TODAY
I need the knits
The double knits
I need the knits
They are the pits
I need the knits
The double knits
I'm coming over shortly
Because I am a portly
You promised you could fit me
In a fifty dollar suit--
Whew!
Eddie, are you kidding?
No, no!
Eddie, are you kidding?
No, no!
Eddie, are you kidding?
No, no!
Eddie, are you kidding me?
Eddie, are you kidding me?
Eddie, are you kidding me?
Howard: No, my friends, I'm not kidding, right here on the miracle mile we have the west's largest selections of...
Portly,
Regular,
Cadet,
Tall,
And long
Howard: And not only that-- My brother Jake and Little Emil, and...
Sixty tailors!
The lyrics to Frank Zappa's song "Are You Upset?" are a humorous commentary on the fashion industry and consumerism. Eddie, presumably a fashion designer or retailer, is being questioned by the singer about the quality of his products, specifically his double-knit clothing line. The singer is also questioning whether Eddie is serious about his claims to be able to fit the singer in a $50 suit. The repetition of the question "Eddie, are you kidding?" throughout the song highlights the absurdity of the situation.
The second half of the song takes a turn as Howard, presumably another fashion retailer or employee, takes over and boasts about his store's selection of clothing for different body types. The line "I need the knits, they are the pits" is likely a critique of the fashion industry's obsession with trendy and expensive clothing that may not necessarily be comfortable or practical for everyday wear.
Overall, "Are You Upset?" is a satirical take on consumerism and the fashion industry's tendency to prioritize style and image over substance and comfort.
Line by Line Meaning
Eddie, are you kidding?
Asking Eddie if he's joking
I've seen you on my TV
Acknowledging that the singer has seen Eddie on television
The people always ask me
Saying that people frequently ask the singer about Eddie
I saw your double knits
Referring to a specific piece of clothing Eddie owns
I thought they were the pits
Disliking Eddie's clothing
You threw it in a bag
Describing Eddie's behavior with his own clothing
And then you sent me home--
Finishing the description of Eddie's treatment of the clothing
Eddie, are you teasing
Asking if Eddie is joking or lying
About your rancid garments?
Asking if Eddie is joking or lying about the quality of his clothing
About your sixty tailors?
Asking if Eddie is joking or lying about the number of tailors he has access to
I'm coming over shortly
Indicating that the singer is planning a visit to Eddie
Because I am a portly
Describing a feature of the artist's body that requires a certain type of clothing
You promised you could fit me
Reminding Eddie that he has promised to be able to provide clothing that fits the singer
In a fifty dollar suit--
Referencing a specific piece of clothing that Eddie has promised to provide
Oh
Exclamation of surprise or disappointment
WHERE CAN I GO IN GARDENA?
Wondering where to shop for clothing in a specific location
AND WHERE CAN I GO IN L.A.?
Wondering where to shop for clothing in a different specific location
AND WHERE CAN I GO IN ROSEMONT?
Wondering where to shop for clothing in yet another specific location
I NEED SOME THREADS TODAY
Expressing an urgent need for clothing
I need the knits
Desiring a specific type of clothing
They are the pits
Acknowledging that the artist doesn't actually like the clothing
I'm coming over shortly
Repeating the earlier statement about the artist's visit to Eddie
Because I am a portly
Repeating the earlier statement about the singer's body type
You promised you could fit me
Repeating the earlier statement about Eddie's promise to provide clothing that fits
In a fifty dollar suit--
Repeating the earlier reference to a specific piece of clothing
Whew!
Exclamation of relief or excitement
Eddie, are you kidding?
Repeating the earlier question about whether Eddie is joking or lying
Eddie, are you kidding me?
Repeating the earlier question in a more confrontational tone
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Frank Vincent Zappa, Howard L Kaylan, John George Seiter, Mark R Volman
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind