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.
Library Card
Frank Zappa Lyrics
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Library bar-code, PE label
Student must carry this card at all times,
And present upon demand for identification
This card are not while currently [enrolled pony]
You may be liable for any unauthorized use of this card prior to notifying the used card office
I agree to comply with all library regulations
And to assume responsability for all use made of this card
(Oh-hoh)
[...]
The lyrics of Frank Zappa's song Library Card make a comment on the bureaucratic and institutional nature of education. The song references the library card, which is a physical representation of the control that educational systems exert over students. The lyrics also mention the consequences of not adhering to the rules - a reminder that institutions are not only concerned with empowering but also with disciplining their members. The lyrics also highlight that the card is only valid while the student is enrolled at the institution, further emphasizing the temporary nature of education.
The song is a tongue-in-cheek commentary on the red tape and formalities associated with educational institutions. Zappa's wry humor is apparent in the lyrics, particularly when he sings "This card are not while currently [enrolled pony]", which is a grammatically incorrect sentence. The lyrics also poke fun at the idea of compliance and responsibility, with the line "I agree to comply with all library regulations, and to assume responsibility for all use made of this card".
Overall, the lyrics to Frank Zappa's Library Card are a humorous and sarcastic take on the bureaucratic nature of education institutions and the way they control and discipline their members.
Line by Line Meaning
Library bar-code, PE label
The library card has a barcode and a PE label.
Student must carry this card at all times,
Students are required to have their library card with them all the time.
And present upon demand for identification
They must show the card when asked for identification.
This card are not while currently [enrolled pony]
The card is only valid while the student is enrolled.
You may be liable for any unauthorized use of this card prior to notifying the used card office
If someone else uses the card without authorization before it's reported missing, the student may be responsible for any damages.
In writing, of possible unauthorized use due to loss or theft
If the card is lost or stolen, the student must report it in writing and mention any unauthorized use that may have occurred.
I agree to comply with all library regulations
The student agrees to follow all library rules.
And to assume responsibility for all use made of this card
The student is held responsible for any use made of the library card.
(Oh-hoh)
This is an expression of agreement or acknowledgement of the rules.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Frank Vincent Zappa
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind