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.
It Can't Happen Here
Frank Zappa Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It can't happen here
I'm telling you, my dear
That it can't happen here
Because I been checkin' it out, baby
I checked it out a couple a times
But I'm telling you
Oh darling, it's important that you believe me
(Bop bop bop bop)
That it can't happen here
Who could imagine that they would freak out somewhere
in Kansas,
(Kansas, Kansas, Kansas, Kansas,)
(Kansas, Kansas, do-do-dun to-to
Kansas, Kansas, la la la)
(Kansas, Kansas, do-do-dun to-to
Kansas, Kansas)
Who could imagine that they would freak out in Minnesota,
(Mi-mi-mi-mi-mi-mi-mi-mi-mi-mi-mi-mi-mi
Mi-mi-mi-mi-mi-mi-mi-mi-mi-mi-mi-mi)
(Mama Minnesota, Mama Minnesota, Mama Minnesota,
Ma-ma-ma-ma-ma-ma-ma-ma Mama Minnesota,
Mama Minnesota, Mama Minnesota,
Ma-ma-ma-ma-ma-ma-ma-ma-ma-ma-ma-ma Mama Minnesota)
Who could imagine
That they would freak out in Washington, D.C.
(AC/DC bop-bop-bop)
(AC/DC do-do-do-dun, AC/DC
Ma-ma-ma-ma-ma-ma-ma, AC/DC)
But it can't happen here
Oh baby, it can't happen here
(AC/DC bop-bop-bop)
Oh baby, it can't happen here
(AC/DC bop-bop-bop)
It can't happen here
Everybody's safe and it can't happen here
(AC/DC bop-bop-bop)
No freaks for us
(AC/DC bop-bop-bop)
It can't happen here
(AC/DC bop-bop-bop)
Everybody's clean and it can't happen here
No, no, it won't happen here
(No, no, it won't happen here)
(AC/DC bop-bop-bop)
I'm telling you it can't
(AC/DC bop-bop-bop)
It won't happen here
Bop-bop-ditty-bop
(I'm not worried at all, I'm not worried at all)
Ditty-bop-bop-bop
Plastic folks, you know
It won't happen here
You're safe, mama
(No no no)
You're safe, baby
(No no no)
You just cook a TV dinner
(No no no)
And you make it
Bop bop bop
(No no no)
Oh, we're gonna get a TV dinner and cook it up
(No no no no no no no!)
Oh, get a TV dinner and cook it up
Cook it up
Oh, and it won't happen here
Who could imagine
That they would freak out in the suburbs!
(No no no no no no no no no no
Man you guys are really safe
Everything's cool)
I remember (tu-tu)
I remember (tu-tu)
I remember (tu-tu)
They had a swimming pool
I remember (tu-tu)
I remember (tu-tu)
They had a swimming pool
I remember (tu-tu)
I remember (tu-tu)
They had a swimming pool
And they thought it couldn't happen here
(duh duh duh)
They knew it couldn't happen here
They were so sure it couldn't happen here
But,
Suzy,
Yes yes, oh yes, I've always felt that
Yes, I agree man, it really makes it, yeah,
Psychedelic!
It's a real thing, man, it really makes it
FZ: Suzy, you just got to town, and we've been,
we've been very interested in your development, since you first took the shots
Suzy: Forget it!
Hmmmmmmmmm
(It can't happen here)
(Can't happen here)
(Can't happen here)
The song "It Can't Happen Here" by Frank Zappa is a social commentary on the complacency and blindness of the American people to the potential for political upheaval and societal collapse. The repetition of the chorus "It can't happen here" is a critique of the widespread belief that America is immune to political extremism and social unrest. The song's three verses use the names of states, Kansas, Minnesota, and Washington, D.C., to suggest that extremism can happen anywhere, from the rural heartland to the nation's capital.
Zappa uses humor and satire to emphasize the absurdity of the idea that America is immune to political extremism. The song's lyrics suggest that people are more concerned with cooking TV dinners and swimming pools than the political dangers around them. The final verse features a conversation between Zappa and a female character named Suzy, who is dismissive of the danger posed by political extremism, suggesting that the American people are complacent and not taking the threat seriously.
Overall, "It Can't Happen Here" is a cautionary tale, warning of the danger of complacency and complacency in politics. The song suggests that it is essential to remain vigilant and aware of the potential for societal collapse, even in seemingly safe and stable societies like America.
Line by Line Meaning
It can't happen here
Frank Zappa is asserting that whatever 'it' is, it cannot happen in the place he is referring to.
It can't happen here
He repeats that it absolutely cannot happen in this particular location.
I'm telling you, my dear
Frank Zappa is speaking to someone he cares about, and he is trying to convince them that something is impossible to occur.
That it can't happen here
He reiterates that it is completely impossible for 'it' to occur in the area he is referring to.
Because I been checkin' it out, baby
Frank Zappa has investigated and checked the situation thoroughly to confirm that 'it' cannot happen in the location he is referring to.
I checked it out a couple a times
He has checked and double-checked the situation for reassurance.
Oh darling, it's important that you believe me
Frank Zappa is asking someone important to him to trust and believe him on this matter.
(Bop bop bop bop)
This is just a nonsensical adlibbed phrase that doesn't add any significant meaning to the song.
Who could imagine that they would freak out somewhere
Frank Zappa is asking rhetorically about where the worst possible thing could happen, implying that people assume it wouldn't happen outside their specific location.
(Kansas, Kansas, Kansas, Kansas,)
(Kansas, Kansas, do-do-dun to-to
Kansas, Kansas, la la la)
(Kansas, Kansas, do-do-dun to-to
Kansas, Kansas)
He then lists different places (Kansas, Minnesota, and Washington DC), and repeats their names in a sing-song fashion, using onomatopoeic sounds to suggest the humor and absurdity of the situation.
Who could imagine
That they would freak out in Minnesota,
Frank Zappa sarcastically asks who could imagine about a potential freakout happening in Minnesota, considering it a ridiculous notion.
(Mi-mi-mi-mi-mi-mi-mi-mi-mi-mi-mi-mi-mi
Mi-mi-mi-mi-mi-mi-mi-mi-mi-mi-mi-mi)
He repeats the name of the state twice, again in a sing-song melody, to emphasize the absurdity of it happening in that particular location.
(Mama Minnesota, Mama Minnesota, Mama Minnesota,
Ma-ma-ma-ma-ma-ma-ma-ma Mama Minnesota,
Mama Minnesota, Mama Minnesota,
Ma-ma-ma-ma-ma-ma-ma-ma-ma-ma-ma-ma Mama Minnesota)
Frank Zappa continues to utilize a sing-song melody repetition to emphasize the ridiculous idea that something major would happen in Minnesota.
Who could imagine
That they would freak out in Washington, D.C.
He continues his rhetorical questioning, this time sarcastically posing Washington, D.C. as an unlikely location for anything extreme to happen.
(AC/DC bop-bop-bop)
(AC/DC do-do-do-dun, AC/DC
Ma-ma-ma-ma-ma-ma-ma, AC/DC)
Frank Zappa uses onomatopoeic sounds again to create the sense that he is making a joke. It's the sound of the band AC/DC, an Australian rock band known for their loud performances.
But it can't happen here
Oh baby, it can't happen here
Despite listing various locations where a freakout might seem more plausible, he is still confident it won't happen in the area he is referring to.
Everybody's safe and it can't happen here
No freaks for us
Frank Zappa is assuring the listener that the area he is talking about is completely safe and free from the unpredictability of freakouts, firmly stating that there are no weird or unusual people around them.
It can't happen here
He reiterates that the place he is talking about is completely invulnerable to any strange happenings.
Everybody's clean and it can't happen here
No, no, it won't happen here
Frank Zappa is emphasizing that the reason why there can not be any freak out here is because everyone is 'clean', meaning that they all agree on good and normal behavior.
(AC/DC bop-bop-bop)
I'm telling you it can't
(AC/DC bop-bop-bop)
He continues to use the repetition of 'AC/DC bop-bop-bop' and confidently assures the listener that a freak-out can and will not happen in the location he is talking about.
It won't happen here
Bop-bop-ditty-bop
Frank Zappa reiterates that there is no chance of any weirdness happening in this place he is referring to, and the 'bop-bop-ditty-bop' is simply a nonsensical phrase.
(I'm not worried at all, I'm not worried at all)
Ditty-bop-bop-bop
Frank Zappa doesn't seem to worry about freak out at all and uses 'ditty-bop-bop-bop' as a sound-effect to emphasis his reassurance.
Plastic folks, you know
It won't happen here
Frank Zappa implies that the people in this place he is referring to are 'plastic' in a way that they are ideally, normal, and immune to abnormal situations.
You're safe, mama
(No no no)
He addresses someone comfortable to him, possibly his mother or someone close, and he reassures them that nothing will happen in the area he is talking about.
You're safe, baby
(No no no)
Frank Zappa also reassures a woman that she is completely safe in this location.
You just cook a TV dinner
(No no no)
He suggests that all the listener needs to do is relax and make dinner as there is no chance of a freak-out in the near future.
And you make it
Bop bop bop
(No no no)
He reassures his listener to just make a TV dinner as this place is totally safe and the 'bop bop bop' is a nonsensical filler phrase.
Oh, we're gonna get a TV dinner and cook it up
(No no no no no no no!)
Oh, get a TV dinner and cook it up
Cook it up
Oh, and it won't happen here
He's excited for making TV dinner with someone who he talks to and emphasizes that it's all safe and normal 'it won't happen here'.
Who could imagine
That they would freak out in the suburbs!
He uses sarcasm once more to assert that the suburbs, the most ordinary of all places, are immune to any unusual situations.
(No no no no no no no no no no
Man you guys are really safe
Everything's cool)
He emphasizes just how safe everybody is in this location he is talking about.
I remember (tu-tu)
I remember (tu-tu)
I remember (tu-tu)
They had a swimming pool
I remember (tu-tu)
I remember (tu-tu)
They had a swimming pool
I remember (tu-tu)
I remember (tu-tu)
They had a swimming pool
He reminisces how things were before when they had a swimming pool, before all those crazy things happened or didn't happen.
And they thought it couldn't happen here
(duh duh duh)
They knew it couldn't happen here
They were so sure it couldn't happen here
But,
He sings about how the people in that safe place he is talking about refused to believe that something abnormal or unpredictable could happen there. But still...
Suzy,
Frank Zappa addresses someone named Suzy here - perhaps the same one mentioned earlier.
Yes yes, oh yes, I've always felt that
Yes, I agree man, it really makes it, yeah,
Psychedelic!
Two people - presumably Frank and Suzy - are having a conversation that is addressed through the lyrics. They are agreeing that something else about the topic is psychedelic or strangely interesting in some way.
It's a real thing, man, it really makes it
The two characters are continuing with the topic of psychedelic experiences, arguing that it is a genuine, tangible thing.
FZ: Suzy, you just got to town, and we've been,
we've been very interested in your development, since you first took the shots
Suzy: Forget it!
Frank Zappa and Suzy are still having a conversation, and Frank mentions that they have been watching Suzy's 'development' or changes since she came to the town. Suzy, however, doesn't seem to want to continue that conversation, as she tells him to 'forget it'.
(Hmmmmmmmmm)
(It can't happen here)
(Can't happen here)
(Can't happen here)
The song ends with a final confirmation that a freak-out cannot and will not happen in the area he is referring to.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Frank Zappa
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Robert Schmitt
Very inflential in my early development. After listening to my newly aquired album for about three min. My parents began to question me about my philosophical and moralistic principals and the ensuing argument ended with me being thrown out of the house at age 15. I have since found other philosiphers and visionaries but Frank and the mothers were the light that guided a very early path to question and doubt political, religious, and social athourity. Thanx Frank, I'm glad it happened here.
Nick J
Woah. Dang, what a story!
James K
We’ve been...we’ve been very interested in your development.
Grok Effer
Thank You for Your Service, Sir.
Matthew
I well remember the first time I heard this. It was the late 70s and I was about seventeen and it was pretty much my first experience of Zappa. After the Minni-minni-minnesota episode we were all rolling on the floor laughing and shouted "play that again!..." The guy who put the record on said "don't worry, it comes back..." Zappa has been my musical hero ever since.
L Copywriter
This song has a whole new meaning in these times, as do the words "freak out." Frank we miss you.
Theresa Brown
My father used to play this for us when we were kids. We thought he was nuts. What did we know, we were kids.
drummer4hire12
...I swear just listening to Zappa expands the perceptions of reality. If I had children, his work and outlook would be part of their personal curriculum.....I know it helped me to survive high school. ;)
flatonia
After all those years it officially did Happen Here. Frank was a half century ahead of his time.
medicinemountain
Sinclair Lewis