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.
Flambay
Frank Zappa Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He wasn't always like I wanted him to be
He wasn't smart, he wasn't handsome either
But he thrilled me when he drilled me
And I never loved a monster quite like he...
Because his love was so flambay
His kisses burned me so, his kisses turned me
Here I stand all alone, a spider's fool
When it's me he needs to fondle his tool
I guess some bugs are just that way
He don't really need your love
He don't really need you
To be there when his hair gets matted and grey
With a broom cleaning his room from the mess he made that day
All those earthling worms he nibbled away
Oh hunchentoot my love, how could you desert me now?
Oh hunchentoot you brute, can't you see I want you?
Stay with me flagrantly
And we'll have ecstasy for all eternity
Because your love is so flambay
You kisses burn me so, your kisses turn me
From a queen on a throne to a shriveling spool
I don't mind if you're unkind 'cause spiders rule
Yes you are real cool
With those little webs you spool
And all your spider drool
Oh let me float in your pool
The lyrics to Frank Zappa’s song, Flambay, are complex and unconventional. At first, the song seems to describe a previous lover who was kind in his own way, but who was also crude and not what the singer wanted. She describes him as a monster but insists that she loved him like no one else. The refrain is where the song takes a bizarre twist. The singer describes her former lover's love as being so "flambay" that it burned her and turned her from a queen on a throne to a "shriveling spool". Through this, the singer uses the idea of a spider to reflect on her ex-lover. She claims to be a fool to his spider and explains how he doesn't need love, he just needs her to be there for him when he needs it. She seems to describe a wildly passionate and dangerous love that left her feeling powerless, represented by the idea of a sneaky spider.
The song's lyrics reflect a complicated and unusual love story, much like much of Zappa's work. The spider is a fantastic metaphor, and when taken in combination with the refrain, it shows the powerful and sometimes destructive nature of love. Zappa's tune is eccentric and shambolic, with the occasional playful flourish. The music blends together jazz, orchestral rock, and art music into a liberating potpourri of noise. The end result is something entirely unique.
Line by Line Meaning
He used to be very kind in his own crude way
He wasn't the type of person I had hoped for, but he had his own way of showing kindness.
He wasn't always like I wanted him to be
I had expectations of him that weren't always met.
He wasn't smart, he wasn't handsome either
He didn't have the typical qualities of someone that society deems 'desirable.'
But he thrilled me when he drilled me
Despite his shortcomings, he still excited and pleased me in his own way.
And I never loved a monster quite like he...
He wasn't perfect, but our love was unique and special.
Because his love was so flambay
His love was intense and passionate.
His kisses burned me so, his kisses turned me
His physical affections were so fiery and overwhelming that they transformed me.
From a queen on a throne to a shriveling spool
I went from feeling powerful and in control to small and insignificant.
Here I stand all alone, a spider's fool
I am left alone and vulnerable, like prey caught in a spider's web.
When it's me he needs to fondle his tool
I am willing to engage in sexual acts with him for his own pleasure.
I guess some bugs are just that way
People (or bugs) have their own unique preferences and desires.
He don't really need your love
He doesn't require my love to fulfill his own needs.
He don't really need you
He doesn't need me in order to be happy or satisfied.
To be there when his hair gets matted and grey
He doesn't need me for emotional support or caregiving later in life.
With a broom cleaning his room from the mess he made that day
He doesn't require me to clean up after him or take care of his living space.
All those earthling worms he nibbled away
He is content with unconventional and peculiar dietary habits.
Oh hunchentoot my love, how could you desert me now?
I feel abandoned and let down by the one I loved.
Oh hunchentoot you brute, can't you see I want you?
I am still attracted to and desirous of his presence and affection.
Stay with me flagrantly
Stay with me openly and shamelessly.
And we'll have ecstasy for all eternity
Together we can experience limitless and intense pleasure.
You kisses burn me so, your kisses turn me
Your physical affections impact and alter me.
From a queen on a throne to a shriveling spool
I am again reduced to feeling insignificant and powerless.
I don't mind if you're unkind 'cause spiders rule
Even if he mistreats me or is unkind, I still submit to him because I feel he is superior.
Yes you are real cool
You are impressive and admirable.
With those little webs you spool
Your display of skill and craftsmanship is impressive.
And all your spider drool
Even your bodily processes are fascinating and appealing to me.
Oh let me float in your pool
Allow me to indulge in your unique and alluring characteristics and pleasures.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Frank Vincent Zappa
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind