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.
I Left My Heart in San Francisco
Frank Zappa Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
High on a hill it calls to me
to be where little cable cars
climb halfway to the stars!
The morning fog may chill the air,
I don't care!
My love waits there in San Francisco,
above the blue and windy sea.
your golden sun will shine for me!
I left my heart in San Francisco.
High on a hill it calls to me
to be where little cable cars
climb halfway to the stars!
The morning fog may chill the air,
I don't care!
My love waits there in San Francisco,
above the blue and windy sea.
When I come home to you, San Francisco,
your golden sun will shine for me!
The lyrics to Frank Zappa's song, "I Left My Heart In San Francisco" are an ode to the beautiful city of San Francisco, which Zappa considers his second home. The song starts with the singer proclaiming that he has left his heart in San Francisco. He refers to the city as being high on a hill that calls to him, and it's where little cable cars climb halfway to the stars! The singer then acknowledges the morning fog, which can chill the air, but he doesn't care because his love waits for him there in San Francisco, above the blue and windy sea. Finally, he notes that when he comes home to San Francisco, the city's golden sun will shine for him.
The lyrics are meaningful because they capture the essence of San Francisco - its beauty, its charm, and its allure. The mention of the cable car, which is an iconic part of San Francisco's transportation system, makes the song even more special. The cable car symbolizes the city's uniqueness and its spirit of adventure.
Overall, Zappa's song is a tribute to San Francisco, and it resonates with anyone who has ever fallen in love with the city's charm and beauty.
Line by Line Meaning
I left my heart in San Francisco.
My deepest emotions and affections are rooted in the city of San Francisco.
High on a hill it calls to me
The scenic beauty and unique features of the city fascinates me and attracts me.
to be where little cable cars climb halfway to the stars!
I yearn to be in San Francisco where even the transportation is a unique experience, climbing up steep hills.
The morning fog may chill the air, I don't care!
I am willing to overlook any discomforts or challenges, such as the chilly morning fog, in order to be in San Francisco.
My love waits there in San Francisco, above the blue and windy sea.
The person I love resides in San Francisco, overlooking the sea with its ever-changing blue and windy beauty.
When I come home to you, San Francisco, your golden sun will shine for me!
Whenever I return to San Francisco, I know that the city and its people will welcome me back and make me feel at home with their bright and sunny disposition.
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Douglas Cross, George Cory
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind