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.
Jelly Roll Gum Drop
Frank Zappa Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Baby don't you know now
Jelly Roll Gum Drop, got my eyes on you
The way you do the bop
Like a spinnin' top
The Pachuco Hop
And the L.A. Slop
You make a street car stop
And my eye-balls pop
When I see my
Jelly Roll Gum Drop, got my eyes on you
Mama don't you know now
Jelly Roll Gum Drop, got my eyes on you
The way you boogie all night
You're my heart's delight
You know I wish I might
Get a tiny bite of your
Jelly Roll Gum Drop, I wanna, I wanna
Jelly Roll Gum Drop, I wanna, I wanna
Jelly Roll Gum Drop, I wanna, I wanna Jelly Roll
Bop bop bah, Bop bop bah
Bop bop bah, Bop bop bah
Sha-la-la-la, Sha-la-la-la
(Cough, cough, cough)
Jelly Roll Gum Drop, got my eyes on you
Baby don't you know now
Jelly Roll Gum Drop, got my eyes on you
The way you do the bop
Like a spinnin' top
The Pachuco Hop
And the L.A. Slop
You make a street car stop
At the soda shop
And my eye-balls pop
When I see my
Jelly Roll Gum Drop, got my eyes on you
Mama don't you know now
Jelly Roll Gum Drop, got my eyes on you
The way you boogie all night
You're my heart's delight
You know I wish I might
Get a tiny bite of your
Jelly Roll Gum Drop, I wanna, I wanna
Jelly Roll Gum Drop, I wanna, I wanna
Jelly Roll Gum Drop
"Jelly Roll Gum Drop" is a song by Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention, released in 1968. The song is a fun and upbeat track, with a catchy melody and lyrics that celebrate the joys of dancing and having a good time. The lyrics are playful and filled with allusions to various dance styles, including the Pachuco Hop and the L.A. Slop. The song is essentially a love song, with the singer expressing his desire for the titular "Jelly Roll Gum Drop."
The song is thematically similar to many other songs of the era, which celebrated youth culture and the joys of dancing. However, Zappa's unique musicianship and playful lyrics set this song apart from the rest of the genre. Zappa's music often featured complex arrangements and intricate instrumentation, and "Jelly Roll Gum Drop" is no exception. Despite its lightheartedness, the song features a driving rhythm section and intricate harmonies.
Overall, "Jelly Roll Gum Drop" is a fun and charming example of Zappa's unique approach to music-making. The song celebrates the joy of dancing and having a good time, while showcasing Zappa's musical mastery and playful sense of humor.
Line by Line Meaning
Jelly Roll Gum Drop, got my eyes on you
I am very interested in you, Jelly Roll Gum Drop
Baby don't you know now
Do you not realize this?
The way you do the bop
I love the way you dance the bop
Like a spinnin' top
You dance with such energy and enthusiasm
The Pachuco Hop
I love the way you dance the Pachuco Hop
And the L.A. Slop
You're a great dancer, whether it's the Pachuco Hop or the L.A. Slop
You make a street car stop
You are so captivating that even a street car would stop to watch you dance
At the soda shop
You're the kind of person who would make a soda shop a fun and lively place to be
And my eye-balls pop
You're so amazing that my eyes nearly pop out of my head when I see you
When I see my Jelly Roll Gum Drop, got my eyes on you
I am still fixated on you, Jelly Roll Gum Drop
Mama don't you know now
Do you not realize how amazing you are?
The way you boogie all night
Your dancing is so captivating that I could watch it all night
You're my heart's delight
I am completely enamored with you
You know I wish I might
I desperately wish
Get a tiny bite of your Jelly Roll Gum Drop
To experience just a small taste of what it's like to be with you
I wanna, I wanna
I really want to
Bop bop bah, Bop bop bah
The rhythm of your dance is infectious
Sha-la-la-la, Sha-la-la-la
I am so entranced by you, I can't even find the words to express myself
(Cough, cough, cough)
I am so overwhelmed by your presence that I need to clear my throat before I can continue speaking
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Frank Zappa
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind