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.
Have You Ever Heard Their Band
Frank Zappa Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I don't understand it though their band
I don't understand
I i don't think they understand it either
What? The smoke? The band!
The band doesn't understand what?
Did you know that? The smoke stands still
There's some kind of thing that's
Yeah, well that's the
It's it's it's this funny voice and he keeps
Telling us all these things and I
It i just thought that before we just
Thought of these things ya know
Like just off the wall and out of our heads
No, that's religious superstition
In Frank Zappa's song "Have You Ever Heard Their Band," the lyrics seem to touch upon the confusion and lack of understanding surrounding a particular band. The singer begins by asking if you have ever heard this band, implying that they are aware of its existence. However, they quickly state that they don't understand the band, emphasizing their confusion. The repetition of "I don't understand" reinforces their inability to grasp what the band represents.
The singer then mentions that they believe the band itself doesn't understand either, raising the question of what exactly the band does not comprehend. The mention of smoke and its stillness introduces a surreal element to the lyrics, suggesting that there is something unusual or supernatural about this band. It appears that the smoke represents an entity or force that provides revelations to the listener. This entity speaks with a funny voice and shares various information, leading the singer to contemplate the origin and validity of these thoughts.
The final line, "No, that's religious superstition," implies that the singer considers the revelations or ideas prompted by the band's smoke and voice as mere superstition rather than genuine spiritual or deep insights. This could suggest a skeptical or cynical perspective towards religious or supernatural beliefs.
Overall, the lyrics of "Have You Ever Heard Their Band" highlight the confusion, misunderstanding, and skepticism surrounding an enigmatic band and the revelations they supposedly provide.
Line by Line Meaning
Have you ever heard their band?
Have you ever listened to the music created by their musical group?
I don't understand it though their band
I am unable to comprehend the essence of their music despite their musical group's efforts.
I don't understand
I lack understanding or comprehension.
I don't think they understand it either
I believe that even the members of their band do not fully grasp the meaning behind their own music.
What? The smoke? The band!
What is the connection between the smoke and their band? Please elaborate.
The band doesn't understand what?
Are you suggesting that the band itself lacks understanding about something specific?
Did you know that? The smoke stands still
Were you aware that the smoke remains motionless?
There's some kind of thing that's giving us all these revelations
There exists a mysterious entity or phenomenon that is bestowing upon us numerous enlightening insights.
Yeah, well that's the
Indeed, that is the situation or circumstance.
It's it's it's this funny voice and he keeps
It is a peculiar voice, and it continues to...
Telling us all these things and I
Relaying various pieces of information to us, and I...
It i just thought that before we just
I simply pondered that in the past, we merely...
Thought of these things ya know
Engaged in contemplation about such matters, you know.
Like just off the wall and out of our heads
Similar to unconventional or bizarre ideas originating from our minds.
No, that's religious superstition
No, that notion is rooted in irrational beliefs and practices associated with religion.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Frank Vincent Zappa
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind