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.
He
Frank Zappa Lyrics
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Steve vai (guitar)
Ray white (guitar, vocals)
Tommy mars (keyboards)
Chuck wild (piano)
Arthur barrow (bass)
Scott thunes (bass)
Jay anderson (string bass)
Chad wackerman (drums)
Ike willis (vocals)
Terry bozzio (vocals)
Dale bozzio (vocals)
Napoleon murphy brock (vocals)
Bob harris (vocals)
Johnny "guitar" watson (vocals)
Ensemble: (singing)
He's so gay
He's so gay
He's very very gay
He's so gay
He's so gay
And he likes to be that way
With his keys all on the right
He's into rubber every night
He's so gay
He's so gay
He's almost everyone today
He's okay
He's okay
He's got a role he wants to play
He's okay
He's okay
He's just a cowboy for a day
Of course, his evening's not complete
Without some meat in the seat;
Let's skate away
Down santa monica today
Maybe he wants a little spanking
Maybe he'll eat a little chain
Maybe his lover should be thanking him
For the way he makes it sprinkle
Into drops of golden rain
He's so gay
He's so gay
He rules the city in a way
You could say
You could say
It's sorta different today
All the taffeta and chintz
And every leather boy's a prince
Hey hey hey!
Please don't look the other way
You could be just like him
Tomorrow!
Maybe you'll get a chance
To borrow
(borrow)
His bouquet
And maybe later...maybe later
We'll all be
Gay-why-why-why-why-why-why-why-why!
Do you really wanna hurt me?
The song "He's So Gay" by Frank Zappa is a satirical commentary on the gay culture of the time. The lyrics depict the lifestyle of a gay man who is comfortable with his sexuality and enjoys it to the fullest. The first verse describes his love for music and his preference for having his keys on the right side, implying that he is gay. The line, "He's into rubber every night," suggests that he is into BDSM culture, and the line, "He's almost everyone today," implies that he is not alone in his preferences.
The second verse describes the gay man's desire to play different roles, and his fascination with cowboy culture for a day. The mention of "meat in the seat" and "elastic surprises" is a reference to gay sexual practices. The third verse further explores these practices, with the mention of "spanking," "eating chains," and "dropping golden rain." These lines describe BDSM practices and golden showers, both of which were taboo topics in popular culture at the time.
The chorus of the song is a call for acceptance of the gay lifestyle, with lines such as "He rules the city in a way" and "every leather boy's a prince." The last line, "Do you really wanna hurt me?" is a tongue-in-cheek reference to the popular song by Culture Club, which became an anthem for the gay community.
Overall, the song is a bold commentary on the gay culture at a time when it was not openly accepted in society. It challenges traditional notions of sexuality and gender roles, and encourages listeners to embrace their own desires and preferences.
Line by Line Meaning
He's so gay
He is homosexual
He's very very gay
He is extremely homosexual
He's so gay
He is homosexual
And he likes to be that way
He enjoys being homosexual
With his keys all on the right
He might be referring to a piano where the white and black keys are to the right in relation to where the musician sits, hinting at some sexual innuendo
He's into rubber every night
He might be into BDSM activities
He's so gay
He is homosexual
He's almost everyone today
Homosexuality is common and widely accepted
He's okay
He is doing fine
He's got a role he wants to play
He is living his life the way he wants to, despite societal expectations
He's okay
He is doing fine
He's just a cowboy for a day
He is experimenting with different identities, perhaps dressing up like a cowboy
Of course, his evening's not complete
He has certain activities that he likes to engage in
Without some meat in the seat;
His evening is incomplete without anal sex
Let's skate away
Let's leave this topic behind and move on to something else
Down santa monica today
This might be a reference to the gay community that was active on Santa Monica Boulevard at that time
Maybe he wants a little spanking
He might be into BDSM activities
Maybe he'll eat a little chain
He might enjoy bondage and sado-masochism
Maybe his lover should be thanking him
His partner might enjoy the activities they engage in together
For the way he makes it sprinkle
This might be a reference to ejaculation
Into drops of golden rain
This also might be a reference to ejaculation
He's so gay
He is homosexual
He rules the city in a way
Homosexuals are a visible and influential part of society
You could say
It is possible to argue
It's sorta different today
Society has become more accepting of homosexuality
All the taffeta and chintz
These are fabrics traditionally associated with femininity, possibly referencing the flamboyant mannerisms of some homosexuals
And every leather boy's a prince
Leather culture is present within the homosexual community
Hey hey hey!
An exclamation to emphasize the previous statements
Please don't look the other way
Don't ignore the fact that homosexuality exists
You could be just like him
It's possible for someone to realize they are homosexual
Tomorrow!
It might take some time for someone to understand their own sexuality
Maybe you'll get a chance
It's possible that someone might realize their sexuality
To borrow
To experience something that is not usually a part of their identity
His bouquet
This might be a metaphor for the homosexual identity
And maybe later...maybe later
In the future
We'll all be
There might come a time when all people, regardless of sexual identity, will be united
Gay-why-why-why-why-why-why-why-why!
An exclamation to emphasize the cultural prominence of homosexuality and to emphasize the acceptance of society towards it
Do you really wanna hurt me?
This might be seen as a sarcastic question, considering that homosexuals have often been the subject of discrimination, harassment and violence
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@theocoxd
[Ensemble: (singing)]
He's so gay
(He's so gay)
He's very very gay
He's so gay
(He's gay)
[Brown Moses:]
Yes, he is
I guess he likes it
Yeah
[Ensemble:]
And he likes to be that way
With his keys on the right
[Brown Moses:]
Uh-huh
[Ensemble:]
He's into rubber every night
[Brown Moses:]
Into . . . into rubber?
Wha . . . the boy's into rubber every night!
[Ensemble:]
He's so gay
He's so gay
[Brown Moses:]
Oh, my goodness
Whoo . . .
[Ensemble:]
He's ALMOST EVERYONE TODAY
He's okay
He's okay
[Brown Moses:]
Yeah, that's what they say
[Ensemble:]
He's got a role he wants to play
[Brown Moses:]
Aww . . . look, have you ever SMELLED rubber?
[Ensemble:]
He's okay
He's okay
[Brown Moses:]
I guess it's okay, l-look at his woman, yeah . . .
I-I guess it's all right
[Ensemble:]
He's just a cowboy for a day
[Brown Moses:]
Mm-hmm
[Ensemble:]
Of course, his evening's not complete
[Brown Moses:]
Uh-huh
[Ensemble:]
Without some meat in the seat;
[Brown Moses:]
Don't tell me that
[Ensemble:]
Let's skate away
Down Santa Monica today
(Well well well)
Maybe he wants a little spanking
[Brown Moses:]
Uh . . . a spanking?
[Ensemble:]
Maybe he'll eat a little chain
[Brown Moses:]
Uh . . . well, eat the chain
[Ensemble:]
Maybe his lover should be thanking him
[Brown Moses:]
Uh-huh
[Ensemble:]
For the way he makes it sprinkle
[Brown Moses:]
Wait a minute . . .
Wh . . .
[Ensemble:]
Into drops of GOLDEN RAIN
[Brown Moses:]
M . . . makin' into rai . . . ?
Oh no!
What is the problem?
Uh-oh
UHH-OHh
[Ensemble:]
He's so gay
He's so gay
[Brown Moses:]
Yeah, that's what it is
[Ensemble:]
He rules the city in a way
[Brown Moses:]
Ohh boy . . .
[Ensemble:]
You could say
(You could say)
[Brown Moses:]
Wha . . . what could ya say?
[Ensemble:]
It's sorta different today
[Brown Moses:]
I agree
[Ensemble:]
All the taffeta and chintz
[Brown Moses:]
Uh . . . 'least the boy ain't gonna reproduce hisself again
[Ensemble:]
And every Leather Boy's a PRINCE
[Brown Moses:]
Uh-huh
[Ensemble:]
Hey hey hey!
[Brown Moses:]
Hey hey hey . . .
[Ensemble:]
Please don't look the other way
You could be just like him
TOMORROW!
[Brown Moses:]
Hoooo, that's shockin'!
[Ensemble:]
Mah-mah-mah-mah-mah-mah
[Brown Moses:]
Muh-muh-muh-muh-muh-muh
Ooof!
[Ensemble:]
Maybe you'll get a chance
[Brown Moses:]
I'm telling ya
[Ensemble:]
To borrow
(Borrow)
[Brown Moses:]
What I'm a borrow?
[Ensemble:]
His bouquet
[Brown Moses:]
No way!
[Ensemble:]
And maybe later . . .
[Brown Moses:]
Don't you tell me this
[Ensemble:]
MAYBE LATER
[Brown Moses:]
I said don't you tell me this!
[Ensemble:]
We'll ALL BE
GAY-Y-Y-Y-Y-Y-Y-Y-Y!
[Brown Moses:]
No! No! No!
Oh, gay . . .
[Ensemble:]
DO YOU REALLY WANNA HURT ME?
[Brown Moses:]
You just did!
[FZ:]
MOO-AHHH
@rileyyoung8525
If I was a UFC fighter, this would be my walk out song.
@nodiggity9472
Brendon? Is that you?
@MercurySwordz
Which song? There is two of them lmao.
@fireatwill7707
Hahahaha
@ostrichcum9369
@@MercurySwordz both
@nimbo2622
@@MercurySwordz Probably He’s so gay lmao
@TheAskTrixieChannel
I like that the bassist seems to go from denial to acceptance in seconds. XD
@raphaelbiazotto
He's Like "Not at all...well, perhaps a little..."
@craigharmon9494
I'm gay. You ever wonder what a gay person thinks, who happens to see this at 6am on a Sunday morning, alone in the house? I smiled, and thought Frank Zappa was incredibly handsome.
@LaylaWolfe
I would marry him in a heartbeat.