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.
Lonesome Cowboy Burp
Frank Zappa Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I am a redneck
All my friends,
They call me 'Burt'
(Hi, Burt!)
All my family,
From down in Texas
Make their livin'
Come out here to Californy,
Just to find me
Some pretty girls
Ones I seen
Gets me so horny;
Ruby lips,
'N teeth like pearls!
Wanna love 'em all!
Wanna love 'em dearly!
Wanna pretty girl--
I'll even pay!
I'll buy 'em furs!
I'll buy 'em jewelry!
I know they like me;
Here's what I say:
I'm lonesome Cowboy Burt!
(Speakin' atcha!)
Come smell my fringe-y shirt!
(Reekin' atcha!)
My cowboy pants,
My cowboy dance,
My bold advance,
On this here waitress...
Yodel-oh-oo-pee-hey
Yodel-oh-oo-pee!
(He's lonesome Cowboy Burt
Don'tcha get his feelings hurt)
Come on in this place,
'N I'll buy you a taste,
You can sit on my face--
Where's my waitress?
Burtram, Burtram redneck
Burtram, Burtram redneck
I'm an awful nice guy!
Sweat all day in the sun!
Roofer by trade,
Quite a bundle I've made,
I'm unionized roofin' old
Son-of-a-gun!
(He's a unionized roofin' old
Son-of-a-gun!)
When I get off, I get plastered
Drink till I fall onna floor,
Find me some Communist bastard,
'N stomp on his face till he don't
Move no more!
(He stomps on his face till he don't
Move no more!)
I fuss, an' I cuss an' I keep on drinkin',
Till my eyes puff up an' turn red!
I drool on m'shirt,
I see if he's hurt,
Kick him again in the head, yes!
Kick him again in the head, boys!
Kick him again in the head, now!
KICK HIM AGAIN IN THE HEAD!
Lonesome Cowboy Burt!
(Speakin' atcha!)
Come smell my fringe-y shirt!
(Reekin' atcha!)
My cowboy pants,
My cowboy dance,
My bold advance,
On this here waitress...
Yodel-oh-oo-pee-yeh
Yodel-oh-oo-pee!
(HE'S LONESOME COWBOY BURT,
A--don'tcha get his feelin's hurt)
Yeah... but come on in this place,
An' I'll buy you a taste,
'N you can sit on my face--
Where's my waitress?
OPAL, YOU HOT LITTLE BITCH!
The lyrics of Frank Zappa's "Lonesome Cowboy Burt" tell the story of Burtram, a redneck from Texas who has come to California in search of pretty girls to love. Despite being willing to pay for their affections, Burt is portrayed as a lovable character with a boisterous personality. He exclaims that he loves pretty girls and would buy them jewelry and furs to show his affection. He speaks in a Western dialect, using phrases such as "cowboy pants" and "cowboy dance," and makes sexual remarks towards a waitress named Opal. The lyrics also touch on Burt's unionized roofing job, his heavy drinking, and his desire to physically harm communist individuals. The chorus of the song repeats the line "Lonesome Cowboy Burt" multiple times, reinforcing the identity and personality of the main character.
The song can be interpreted in different ways, with some seeing it as a critique of the stereotypical over-the-top masculinity and misogyny present in Western culture, while others may see it as a celebration of the cowboy archetype. Zappa's lyrics are insightful in portraying the character of Burtram, showcasing his idiosyncrasies and personality traits in a humorous and exaggerated manner.
Line by Line Meaning
My name is Burtram
Introducing myself as Burtram
I am a redneck
I am a rural, working-class, white American
All my friends,
They call me 'Burt'
My friends nickname me 'Burt'
(Hi, Burt!)
A greeting to me
All my family,
From down in Texas
Make their livin'
Diggin' dirt
My family are farmers in Texas
Come out here to Californy,
Just to find me
Some pretty girls
Ones I seen
I came to California to meet pretty girls
Gets me so horny;
Ruby lips,
'N teeth like pearls!
Pretty girls excite me, especially their lips and teeth
Wanna love 'em all!
Wanna love 'em dearly!
Wanna pretty girl--
I'll even pay!
I'll buy 'em furs!
I'll buy 'em jewelry!
I know they like me;
Here's what I say:
I want to love all the pretty girls and will even pay for them. I will buy them furs and jewelry because I know they like me
I'm lonesome Cowboy Burt!
(Speakin' atcha!)
Come smell my fringe-y shirt!
(Reekin' atcha!)
My cowboy pants,
My cowboy dance,
My bold advance,
On this here waitress...
Yodel-oh-oo-pee-hey
Yodel-oh-oo-pee!
I introduce myself as 'Lonesome Cowboy Burt' and try attract the attention of a waitress with my cowboy-ish looks and dance, expressing myself imitating a yodeling sound
(He's lonesome Cowboy Burt
Don'tcha get his feelings hurt)
As an aside, someone reminds the listener not to hurt my feelings
Come on in this place,
'N I'll buy you a taste,
You can sit on my face--
Where's my waitress?
If they come inside, I will buy them something to eat and they can sit on my face while I ask for the whereabouts of the waitress
Burtram, Burtram redneck
Burtram, Burtram redneck
Reiterate that my name is Burtram, and I am a southern white American
I'm an awful nice guy!
Sweat all day in the sun!
Roofer by trade,
Quite a bundle I've made,
I'm unionized roofin' old
Son-of-a-gun!
(He's a unionized roofin' old
Son-of-a-gun!)
I consider myself a nice guy, even though I work hard in the hot sun as a roofer. I have made some money, and I am proud to be part of a roofing union.
When I get off, I get plastered
Drink till I fall onna floor,
Find me some Communist bastard,
'N stomp on his face till he don't
Move no more!
(He stomps on his face till he don't
Move no more!)
When I finish work, I get drunk and look for someone who disagrees with my political beliefs. I then physically attack them until they stop moving
I fuss, an' I cuss an' I keep on drinkin',
Till my eyes puff up an' turn red!
I drool on m'shirt,
I see if he's hurt,
Kick him again in the head, yes!
Kick him again in the head, boys!
Kick him again in the head, now!
KICK HIM AGAIN IN THE HEAD!
When drunk, I continue to curse and drink until my eyes swell up. I drool on my shirt and keep on kicking the person I have attacked in the head
Lonesome Cowboy Burt!
(Speakin' atcha!)
Come smell my fringe-y shirt!
(Reekin' atcha!)
My cowboy pants,
My cowboy dance,
My bold advance,
On this here waitress...
Yodel-oh-oo-pee-yeh
Yodel-oh-oo-pee!
I repeat my introduction to the artist and continue to try to grab the attention of the waitress with my cowboy-themes fashion and dance. I tell the audience that I am yodeling again
(HE'S LONESOME COWBOY BURT,
A--don'tcha get his feelin's hurt)
As an aside, someone reminds the listener not to hurt my feelings due to my current lonesome state
Yeah... but come on in this place,
An' I'll buy you a taste,
'N you can sit on my face--
Where's my waitress?
OPAL, YOU HOT LITTLE BITCH!
I invite the singer to come in and eat, sit on my face and attract the attention of the waitress. I mention the waitress by name, describing her in vulgar terms
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Frank Vincent Zappa
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind