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.
In the Sky
Frank Zappa Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oh in the sky oh in the sky
Oh in the sky oh in the sky
In the sky in the sky
Aaaaa
Oh in the sky oh in the sky
Aaaaaa oh in the sky
All night long all night long
All night long all night long
All night long all night long
In the sky yeaaeaeae
O-o-o-ooooh oh in the sky
The skieiey
The lyrics to Frank Zappa's song "In the Sky" are quite abstract and open to interpretation. The repetition of the phrase "Oh in the sky" suggests a longing for something intangible and unreachable. The recurring line "In the sky in the sky" may symbolize a yearning for transcendence or a desire to escape earthly concerns and elevate oneself to a higher plane.
The repetition of "all night long" creates a sense of duration and immerses the listener in this yearning state. The elongated "Aaaaa" and "yeaaeaeae" emphasize the emotional intensity and possibly the frustration of the desire expressed in the song.
Overall, the lyrics evoke a dreamlike and otherworldly atmosphere, inviting listeners to explore their own interpretation and emotional connection to the abstract imagery presented.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh in the sky oh in the sky
Expressing the presence of something significant or extraordinary happening in the celestial realm.
In the sky in the sky
Emphasizing the location of the remarkable event, highlighting its exclusivity to the sky.
Aaaaa
A vocalization indicating awe or astonishment towards the celestial phenomenon.
Aaaaaa oh in the sky
Further accentuating the amazement and wonderment experienced upon witnessing the extraordinary occurrence in the sky.
All night long all night long
Portraying the enduring duration of the phenomenon, suggesting its continuous and uninterrupted presence throughout the night.
In the sky yeaaeaeae
Reiterating the significance and breathtaking nature of the event happening exclusively in the sky.
O-o-o-ooooh oh in the sky
An exclamation of fascination and captivation directed towards the extraordinary celestial happening.
The skieiey
An abstract, enigmatic phrase, possibly reflecting the ineffable and indescribable nature of the celestial event.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Frank Zappa
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Joyalai
When a true lover of doowop listen to this (and other songs from Zappa), the he or she knows that Frank truly loved this wonderful style and thatit couldn't be other way for doing it so perfectly and laugh of it so hilariously... Thanks Frank for all your Talent.
Neil
❤ Frank-wop. It's like a jellyroll gumdrop!
spzm3
Memories of El Monte by Zappa ⭐️
Gab A-R
I want this song to be on my funeral
Howard Mendelsohn
Not a bad idea. Works for me and my non religion.
Lewi Pacheco
me too
Parax
You are SO right dude
the F.R.E.E. J.
Why wait? Have it in your wedding!
Capt Larry -
why not have a Solar Tombstone that plays it continuosly ?
Kooka Munga
Just bought my 13 Zappa album "we are only in it for the money ." Frank was a genius and the rest of the band had to play to very high standard of musicianship. Even the mastering and mixing supreme . One happy customer ?