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.
Electric Aunt Jemima
Frank Zappa Lyrics
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Rundee rundee rundee
Dinny wop wop
Ow ow ow ow
Rundee rundee rundee
Dinny wop wop
Electric Aunt Jemima
Khaki Maple Buckwheats
Frizzle on the stove
Queen of my heart
Please hear my plea
Electric Aunt Jemima
Cook a bunch for me
Tried to find a reason
Not to quit my job
Beat me till I'm hungry
Found a punk to rob
Love me Aunt Jemima
Love me now & ever more
(Love me Aunt Jemima)
Dit-dit-dit-dit dit-dit-dit-dit
Dit-dit-dit-dit ditty-ditty
Dit-dit-dit-dit dit-dit-dit-dit
Dit-dit-dit-dit ditty-ditty
Dit-dit-dit-dit dit-dit-dit-dit
Dit-dit-dit-dit ditty-ditty
Dit-dit-dit-dit dit-dit-dit-dit dit...
Tried to find a raisin
Brownies in the basin
Monza by the street light
Aunt Jemima all night
Holiday & salad days
And days of mouldy mayonnaise
Caress me (ah!)
Caress me (ah!)
Caress me Aunt Jemima
Caress me (ah!)
Caress me Aunt Jemima
Caress me (ah!)
Caress me Aunt Jemima
Caress me (ah!)
Caress me Aunt Jemima
Caress me (ah!)
Caress me Aunt Jemima
Mmm, boy, my lips are gettin' heavy
I can't tell when you're telling the truth...
I'm not.
How do I know anything you've said to me is...
You don't.
The lyrics of "Electric Aunt Jemima" by Frank Zappa are bizarre and unfathomable, showcasing Zappa's love for enigmatic and unconventional poetry. The song opens with peculiar noises that sound like exclamations of excitement and anticipation, followed by nonsensical words such as "diddy-wop" and "rundee rundee." Soon after, the title character is introduced, "Electric Aunt Jemima," who is a "Goddess of Love" that cooks delicious "Khaki Maple Buckwheats" and holds the singer's heart. The request is straightforward - the singer implores Electric Aunt Jemima to cook plenty of pancakes for him.
As the song progresses, the lyrics become even more inexplicable as the singer muses about trying to find a reason for quitting his job, getting beaten to the point of hunger, and robbing a punk. The refrain becomes more intense, with the singer repeatedly asking Electric Aunt Jemima to caress him. The song ends with a conversation between two people, with one asking how to know if the other person is telling the truth.
Overall, "Electric Aunt Jemima" seems to be a strange and surrealist ode to the joys of food, love, and indulgence, backed by Frank Zappa's signature experimental rock sound.
Line by Line Meaning
Ow ow ow ow
Expressing agony or discomfort.
Rundee rundee rundee
Nonsensical and meaningless expression.
Dinny wop wop
Nonsensical and meaningless expression.
Electric Aunt Jemima
Aunt Jemima is associated with the stereotype of a maid who cooks and serves food, and in this context, she represents an appliance that cooks food quickly.
Goddess of Love
Metaphorical reference to Aunt Jemima's ability to satisfy cravings and needs associated with food.
Khaki Maple Buckwheats
Referring to the ingredients of the pancake batter that Aunt Jemima is expected to cook.
Frizzle on the stove
Describing the cooking process and the expectation to cook pancakes to perfection.
Queen of my heart
Metaphorical reference to Aunt Jemima's importance in the singer's life, comparable to a royal consort.
Please hear my plea
The singer is making an earnest request to Aunt Jemima to cook pancakes for him.
Tried to find a reason
The singer was deliberating to quit his job, but he could not find a compelling reason to do it.
Not to quit my job
The singer decides not to quit his job, citing lack of motivation.
Beat me till I'm hungry
The singer is willing to go hungry until he earns his next paycheck, implying how much he needs his job.
Found a punk to rob
The singer is contemplating some form of easy money-making, despite his attempts to avoid quitting his job.
Love me Aunt Jemima
The singer desires Aunt Jemima's love and attention, emphasizing her importance in his life.
Love me now & ever more
The singer is professing his love for Aunt Jemima, hoping she will continue to cook pancakes for him.
Dit-dit-dit-dit dit-dit-dit-dit
Nonsensical and meaningless expression.
Dit-dit-dit-dit ditty-ditty
Nonsensical and meaningless expression.
Tried to find a raisin
The singer is searching for something valuable amidst his life's complications.
Brownies in the basin
Describing the setting of the singer's life, including home cooking and the everyday chore of washing dishes.
Monza by the street light
Alluding to Italian sports cars with exceptional speed and style, next to the lighting in a suburban street.
Aunt Jemima all night
Staying up late doing something. Here, Aunt Jemima could be cooking pancakes or possibly a euphemism for indulging in food cravings.
Holiday & salad days
Alluding to youthful and carefree days of pleasure and indulgence.
And days of mouldy mayonnaise
Alluding to disappointing and stale experiences that one seeks to move beyond.
Caress me (ah!)
The singer desires Aunt Jemima's touch, possibly in a romantic sense while consumed with desire.
Mmm, boy, my lips are gettin' heavy
Reiterating the singer's desire for Aunt Jemima's pancakes, perhaps alluding to a sense of fullness and satisfaction.
I can't tell when you're telling the truth...
The singer is confused and finds it challenging to discern what is factual from Aunt Jemima's talk, perhaps indicating her reluctance to express her truths.
I'm not.
Aunt Jemima confirms she is not telling the truth, implying she may be hiding something.
How do I know anything you've said to me is...
The singer is questioning the veracity of all of Aunt Jemima's statements, reflecting mistrust in the character's relationship.
You don't.
Aunt Jemima confirms the essential existential truth that one can never be certain of anything, thus reinforcing the theme of uncertainty and mistrust in the lyrics.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Frank Zappa
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind