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.
Goblin Girl
Frank Zappa Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Wit de goblin
De Goblin Girl
From da mystery world
Hob-noblin
Wit de goblin
She's black 'n green
Raggedy black
Is the way she dress
Little green shoes
'N her hair's a mess
On Halloween night
At de costume ball
She's a Goblin Girl
An' she can gobble it all
She's a goblin
She's a Goblin Girl
She's a goblin
She's a Goblin Girl
I been hobblin'
'Cause of the Goblin
Goblin Girl ...Goblin Girl
Some girls like
To dress like a witch
Some girls like to dress like a queen
Best way a girl
Can dress for me
Is in a Goblin suit
(They look so cute...)
When they're a goblin
There ain't a problin
When they're a goblin
I start a-wobblin'
Pink all over
Some is tan
Goblin Girls
From every land
They look good
From any which-a-way
Every Halloween
You can hear me say:
*"Goblin Girl, take it away..."*
Hob-noblin
Wit de goblin
De Goblin Girl
From da mystery world
*(TRICK OR TREAT NOW...etc)*
Talkin' 'bout the bad girls
All the Goblin Girls
Talkin' 'bout the bad, bad girls
The little Goblin Girls
Some are called Doreen
Some are dressed in green
They're tricking your treat
But they're bad girls
They're very bad girls
*(LEPRECHAUN LIGHT...etc.)*
They make your face look like
You got scales on it
But that's okay...
When the green light shines down
On the black guys in the band
Everybody in the audience
Thinks they're seeing something
That looks like it's made out of
Fish skin
But Coy leaves the green gels in the truss
Because he knows the guys in the front
Really enjoy looking like they've got
Scales all over their body...
The song "Goblin Girl" by Frank Zappa seems to be a playful and eccentric tribute to the idea of dressing up and letting loose on Halloween night with goblin suits. The lyrics describe a hob-noblin and a goblin girl, who are dressed in black and green, respectively. The goblin girl is characterized as a mischievous and fun-loving creature who can "gobble it all" at a costume ball. Zappa's fascination with goblin suits is evident, as he revels in the way that every girl can look good as a goblin – there ain't a problin.
The song seems to celebrate the power of costumes to transform people into something entirely different, with the aid of imagination and a playful spirit. This is further emphasized when Zappa sings that "When the green light shines down on the black guys in the band, everybody in the audience thinks they're seeing something that looks like it's made out of fish skin". The song is thus a playful mash-up of ideas about goblins, costumes, and role-playing that come together to create a joyful celebration of Halloween.
Overall, "Goblin Girl" is a fun and eccentric tribute to the power of costumes and imagination on Halloween. The song's lyrics celebrate the freedom of dressing up and letting loose, and the power of fantasy to transform people into something entirely different. This theme is further emphasized through the song's playful and upbeat melody and rhythm, which encourages listeners to let their own hair down and embrace the spirit of the holiday.
Line by Line Meaning
Hob-noblin
Acknowledgement of hobgoblins
Wit de goblin
Refers to the presence of goblins
De Goblin Girl
Introduction of Goblin Girl
From da mystery world
Suggesting that Goblin Girl comes from a mysterious world
She's black 'n green
Describing the appearance of Goblin Girl
'Cause it's Halloween
The reason why she is dressed black and green
Raggedy black
Describing the style of clothing worn by Goblin Girl
Is the way she dress
Elaborating on the earlier point
Little green shoes
Describing the footwear of Goblin Girl
'N her hair's a mess
Suggesting her hair is unkempt or dishevelled
On Halloween night
Referring to the specific occasion when Goblin Girl is spotted
At de costume ball
Describing the setting of the Halloween event
She's a Goblin Girl
Reiterating Goblin Girl's identity
An' she can gobble it all
A play on words, suggesting that she can 'eat' it all
She's a goblin
Back to asserting Goblin Girl's identity
I been hobblin'
Personal experience of hobbling (walking awkwardly)
'Cause of the Goblin
Due to the presence of goblins
Goblin Girl ...Goblin Girl
Reiterating the earlier statement
Some girls like
Referring to other girls that dress like something else
To dress like a witch
Description of a popular Halloween costume for girls
Some girls like to dress like a queen
Description of a popular Halloween costume for girls
Best way a girl
Personal preference stated
Can dress for me
Personal preference elaborated
Is in a Goblin suit
The specific costume that the singer prefers
(They look so cute...)
The aesthetic appeal of Goblin Girls for the singer
When they're a goblin
Reiterating their identity and behaviour
There ain't a problin
No problems associated with goblins
I start a-wobblin'
Response to the presence of goblins
Pink all over
Describing the Goblin Girls' skin color
Some is tan
Variation of skin color among Goblin Girls
Goblin Girls
Referring to all Goblin Girls
From every land
Highlighting the universality of Goblin Girls
They look good
The singer's admiration for Goblin Girls
From any which-a-way
Their looks are attractive from any angle
Every Halloween
Highlighting the timing of Goblin Girls' appearances
You can hear me say:
Acknowledging a repeated statement or a catchphrase
"Goblin Girl, take it away..."
The repeated statement, often spoken by the singer
Talkin' 'bout the bad girls
A lead-in for discussing a different kind of Goblin Girl
All the Goblin Girls
Reference to goblin-like behaviour or appearance
The little Goblin Girls
Personal adjectives added to describe them
Some are called Doreen
Giving them individual names
Some are dressed in green
Description of the goblin-like features
They're tricking your treat
Playing on the phrase 'trick or treat'
But they're bad girls
The implication that Goblin Girls are mischievous or naughty
They're very bad girls
Emphasising their mischievous side
They make your face look like
Their actions have an effect on the appearance of others
You got scales on it
Picturing an appearance akin to scales
But that's okay...
Asserting that the goblins can be excused
When the green light shines down
It refers to an event or environment change
On the black guys in the band
Referencing the people that the light is shining on
Everybody in the audience
Highlighting the reaction of the viewers
Thinks they're seeing something
Suggesting that people are deluded in some way
That looks like it's made out of
An imaginative comparison to something else
Fish skin
Something akin to scales
But Coy leaves the green gels in the truss
Possible reference to a performer named Coy
Because he knows the guys in the front
Detailing Coy's intentions
Really enjoy looking like they've got
Highlighting the pleasure that the guys derive
Scales all over their body...
Imagining the appearance of the effects of the light
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Frank Zappa
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind