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.
Lumpy Gravy
Frank Zappa Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
This should be a very dynamite show
Bit of nostalgia for the old folks!
I'm advocating dark clothes
If I'm not alone how long have I been asleep?
As long as I have
Did you ever live in a drum? No
I only dreamt I lived in a drum ever
Since it got dark dreaming is hard
Yeah, but with nothing over your head?
No, just light over my
Head and underneath too
I don't think I could take it
Without anything over my head
Mm mmh, I couldn't either
Well why don't you go out
And see what's out there?
Well i don't know if that's what's out there
Now that's a thought if you'd like
Yes but still you can say darker
And darker i don't know
What the outside of this thing
Looks like at all i do it's dark and murky
How do you get your your water so dark?
'Cause I'm paranoid i'm very paranoid
And the water in
My washing machine turns dark out of sympathy
Out of sympathy? Yes
Um where can I get that?
At your local drugstore how much?
It's from Kansas
Bored out 90 over with 3 Stromberg 97's
Almost Chinese, huh? Yeah!
Good bread, 'cause I was making
Uh $271 an hour
I keep switching girls all the time
Because if I'm able to find
A girl with really a groovy car
That ain't built up, man
I'll go steady with her for a while until I'd
Build up her car and blow out the engine!
I worked in a cheesy newspaper company for
A while but that was terrible
I wasn't making enough money
To build anything
Louie, louie
And then I worked in a printing company
And a couple a gas stations oh
At the gas station where I was
Working my brother just got married
And uh he bought a new car and
His wife was having a kid
And all this miserable stuff
And he needed a job so I
Gave him a job at the gas station of
Which I was fired because, you know, he
Was gonna work there and he had his car on
The rack and he was lubing and changing
Tires and everything all the time and so they
Got fired because he was goofing off, man
And he just kept taking parts and
Working on his car
Day and night and so he lost that
Job and he went to work in another gas
Station he took that one, you know
So he could feed the kids and that and
I went to work in an aircraft
Company, and uh i was building these
Planes i worked on the XB-70, i was the
Last welder on there yeah but, it was
Pretty good bread because I was making, uh
$271 an hour i was making a hundred and
A quarter a week, and uh yeah
It was good enough money to be working
On, so I got an Oldsmobile
A groovy Olds but I was going with this
Chick at that time by the time I
Got the Olds running decently
She went out and
Tore up the engine, and the trans
And a – her and a girlfriend
They get in there and
Booze it up and tear up
The seats just ripped the
Seats completely out so uh when
I got a '56 Olds
Which was this one chick's I was going with
And uh we used to drive out all over the
Place and finally she got rid of that
And uh i got another pickup!
Oh man
I don't know if I can go through this again!
The lyrics to Frank Zappa's song "Lumpy Gravy" feature a conversation between two characters, Barry and another individual. The exchange seems to be a stream of consciousness dialogue, filled with random thoughts and disconnected ideas. Barry expresses his desire for a dynamite show, perhaps referring to an upcoming event or performance. The mention of nostalgia for the old folks could suggest a longing for the past or a nod to traditional values.
The lyrics then delve into a discussion about dreams and reality. The line "did you ever live in a drum?" symbolizes a sense of confinement and the notion of being trapped or limited. The characters contemplate the idea of darkness and the unknown, unsure about what lies beyond their current situation.
As the conversation continues, various anecdotes are shared, ranging from working in different jobs to relationships and car troubles. There is a sense of frustration and disappointment underlying these narratives. The refrain of "Louie, louie" serves as a playful interjection, adding an element of absurdity to the lyrics.
Overall, "Lumpy Gravy" can be interpreted as a commentary on the complexities and randomness of life. The lyrics reflect a fragmented and disjointed narrative, mirroring the chaotic nature of human experiences and thoughts.
Line by Line Meaning
The way I see it, Barry
In my perspective, Barry
This should be a very dynamite show
This show is expected to be very exciting
Bit of nostalgia for the old folks!
A bit of sentimental longing for the older generation
I'm advocating dark clothes
I am promoting the use of dark-colored clothing
If I'm not alone how long have I been asleep?
If there are others with me, how long have I been unaware?
As long as I have
For as long as I can remember
Did you ever live in a drum? No
Have you ever experienced living inside a drum? No
Well then you aren't me
In that case, you don't understand what I've been through
I only dreamt I lived in a drum ever
I have only dreamed of living inside a drum
Since it got dark dreaming is hard
Since darkness arrived, dreaming has become difficult
Yeah, but with nothing over your head?
Yes, but without anything covering your head?
No, just light over my
No, just the presence of light over my
Head and underneath too
Head and also underneath me
I don't think I could take it
I don't believe I would be able to handle it
Without anything over my head
Without something to cover my head
Mm mmh, I couldn't either
I couldn't either, mm mmh
Well why don't you go out
Well, why don't you explore the outside
And see what's out there?
And discover what exists beyond this
Well i don't know if that's what's out there
Well, I am uncertain if that is what exists outside
Now that's a thought if you'd like
Now that's a suggestion, if you're interested
Yes but still you can say darker
Yes, but you can still describe it as darker
And darker i don't know
And darker, I'm not sure
What the outside of this thing
What the exterior of this entity
Looks like at all i do it's dark and murky
Looks like, at all, it appears dark and unclear
How do you get your your water so dark?
How do you make your water appear so dark?
'Cause I'm paranoid i'm very paranoid
Because I am extremely paranoid
And the water in
And the water inside
My washing machine turns dark out of sympathy
The water in my washing machine becomes dark as a show of kindness
Out of sympathy? Yes
As an act of sympathy? Yes
Um where can I get that?
Um, where can I obtain that?
At your local drugstore how much?
At your nearby drugstore, how much does it cost?
It's from Kansas
It originates from Kansas
Bored out 90 over with 3 Stromberg 97's
Engine bored out to 90-over with three Stromberg 97 carburetors
Almost Chinese, huh? Yeah!
Nearly resembling something of Chinese origin, right? Yeah!
Good bread, 'cause I was making
Good money, because I was earning
Uh $271 an hour
Well, $271 per hour
I keep switching girls all the time
I constantly change my romantic partners
Because if I'm able to find
Because if I manage to discover
A girl with really a groovy car
A girl with an exceptionally cool car
That ain't built up, man
That is not modified or enhanced, man
I'll go steady with her for a while until I'd
I will have a stable relationship with her for some time until I would
Build up her car and blow out the engine!
Modify her car and cause the engine to fail dramatically!
I worked in a cheesy newspaper company for
I was employed in a low-quality newspaper company for
A while but that was terrible
A period of time, but it was dreadful
I wasn't making enough money
I was not earning an adequate amount of money
To build anything
To create or establish anything
Louie, louie
Louie, louie
And then I worked in a printing company
Afterwards, I was employed in a printing company
And a couple a gas stations oh
Also at a couple of gas stations, oh
At the gas station where I was
At the gas station where I used to work
Working my brother just got married
While I was working there, my brother recently got married
And uh he bought a new car and
And he purchased a new car and
His wife was having a kid
His wife was expecting a baby
And all this miserable stuff
And all these unfortunate circumstances
And he needed a job so I
And he needed employment, so I
Gave him a job at the gas station of
Gave him a job at the same gas station where
Which I was fired because, you know, he
I got fired from that gas station because, you know, he
Was gonna work there and he had his car on
Was going to work there, and he had his car positioned on
The rack and he was lubing and changing
The rack, and he was lubricating and replacing
Tires and everything all the time and so they
Tires and performing other tasks continuously, resulting in
Got fired because he was goofing off, man
He got fired because he was slacking off, man
And he just kept taking parts and
And he simply continued to remove parts and
Working on his car
Repairing his own car
Day and night and so he lost that
Continuously, without rest, so he lost that job
Job and he went to work in another gas
Job, and he found employment in another gas
Station he took that one, you know
Station, he took that opportunity, you know
So he could feed the kids and that and
So he could provide for the children and all
I went to work in an aircraft
I started working in an airplane
Company, and uh i was building these
Company, and I was involved in assembling these
Planes i worked on the XB-70, i was the
Aircrafts, specifically the XB-70, where I served as the
Last welder on there yeah but, it was
Final welder working on that particular project. Yeah, however, it was
Pretty good bread because I was making, uh
Quite good pay because I was earning, uh
$271 an hour i was making a hundred and
$271 per hour, which amounts to a hundred and
A quarter a week, and uh yeah
Twenty-five cents each week, and uh yeah
It was good enough money to be working
It was sufficient pay for the work I was doing
On, so I got an Oldsmobile
On, so I purchased an Oldsmobile
A groovy Olds but I was going with this
A cool Olds, but I was dating this
Chick at that time by the time I
Lady at that time, and by the time I
Got the Olds running decently
Managed to fix up the Olds properly
She went out and
She left and
Tore up the engine, and the trans
Damaged the engine and the transmission
And a – her and a girlfriend
As well as her and one of her female friends
They get in there and
They climb into the car and
Booze it up and tear up
Drink heavily and cause damage to
The seats just ripped the
The seats by tearing them completely
Seats completely out so uh when
Out, so when
I got a '56 Olds
I acquired a 1956 Olds
Which was this one chick's I was going with
Which belonged to this girl I was dating
And uh we used to drive out all over the
And we used to travel to various places in
Place and finally she got rid of that
Area, and finally she got rid of that car
And uh i got another pickup!
And then I acquired another pickup truck!
Oh man
Oh man
I don't know if I can go through this again!
I'm uncertain if I can endure this situation once more!
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
thisguyhasbadtastes
Track Listing:
PART ONE
[00:00] The Way I See It, Barry
[00:06] Duodenum
[01:38] Oh No
[03:41] Bit Of Nostalgia
[05:16] It's From Kansas
[05:46] Bored Out 90
[06:17] Almost Chinese
[06:42] Switching Girls
[07:11] Oh No Again
[08:24] At The Gas Station
[11:05] Another Pickup
[11:59] I Don't Know If I Can Go Through This Again
PART TWO 15:29
[00:00] Very Distraughtening
[01:33] White Ugliness
[03:55] Amen
[05:28] Just One More Time
[06:26] A Vicious Circle
[07:38] King Kong
[08:21] Drums Are Too Noisy
[09:19] Kangaroos
[10:16] Envelops The Bath Tub
[13:58] Take Your Clothes Off
KHEYISSOU
The Way I See It, Barry
Spider: The way I see it, Barry, this should be a very dynamite show
Duodenum
(Instrumental)
Oh No
(Instrumental)
Bit Of Nostalgia
Spider: Bit of nostalgia for the old folks!
Gilly: I'm advocating dark clothes
Becky: If I'm not alone... How long have I been asleep?
Gilly: As long as I have
Maxine: Did you ever live in a drum?
Becky: No
Maxine: Well then you aren't me
Gilly: I only dreamt I lived in a drum. Ever since it got dark. Dreaming is hard
Susan Kelly: Yeah, but with nothing over your head?
Gilly: No, just light over my head. And underneath too
Susan Kelly: I don't think I could take it without anything over my head
Maxine: Mm-mmh, I couldn't either
Becky: Well why don't you go out and see what's out there?
Gilly: Well... I don't know if that's what's out there
Maxine: Now that's a thought. If you'd like...
Gilly: Yes... But still you can say darker and darker. I don't know what the outside of this thing looks like at all
Guy #1: I do. It's dark and murky
John Kilgore: How do you get your... your water so dark?
Guy #1: 'Cause I'm paranoid. I'm very paranoid. And the water in my washing machine turns dark out of sympathy
John: Out of sympathy?
Guy #1: Yes
John: Um... where can I get that?
Guy #1: At your local drugstore
John: How much?
It's From Kansas
Guy #1: It's from Kansas
Bored Out 90 Over
Motorhead: Bored out .90 over with 3 Stromberg 97's...
Almost Chinese
Larry: Almost Chinese, huh?
Girl #1: Yeah!
Motorhead: ...Good bread, 'cause I was making, uh... $2.71 an hour
Switching Girls
Motorhead: I keep switching girls all the time, because if I'm able to find a girl with really a groovy car that ain't built up, man, I'll go steady with her for a while until I'd build up her car and blow out the engine!
Oh No Again
(Instrumental)
At The Gas Station
Motorhead: I worked in a cheesy newspaper company for a while but that was terrible, I wasn't making enough money to build anything...
(LOUIE LOUIE)
Motorhead: ...and then I worked in a printing company and a coupla gas stations. Oh, at the gas station where I was working my brother just got married, and uh... he bought a new car and his wife was having a kid and all this miserable stuff, and he needed a job so I gave him a job at the gas station of which I was fired because, you know, he was gonna work there. And he had his car on the rack and he was lubing and changing tires and everything all the time. And so they got fired because he was goofing off, man, and he just kept taking parts and working on his car day and night. And so he lost that job and he went to work in another gas station. He took that one, you know, so he could feed the kids and that. And I went to work in an aircraft company, and uh... I was building these planes. I worked on the XB-70, I was the last welder on there. Yeah but, it was pretty good bread because I was making, uh... $2.71 an hour. I was making a hundred and a quarter a week, and uh... yeah, it was good enough money to be working on, so I got an Oldsmobile, a groovy Olds. But I was going with this chick at that time. By the time I got the Olds running decently, she went out and tore up the engine, and the trans, and a – her and a girlfriend they get in there and booze it up and tear up the seats. Just ripped the seats completely out. So uh... when, I got a '56 Olds, which was this one chick's I was going with, and uh... we used to drive out all over the place and finally she got rid of that, and uh... I got another pickup!
Another Pickup
(Instrumental)
I Don't Know If I Can Go Through This Again
Member of the Orchestra: Oh man, I don't know if I can go through this again!
KHEYISSOU
"Very Distraughtening"
Ronnie Williams: Buh-bah-bahdn
Spider: Oh!
John: There it went again...
Spider: It's a little pig... with wings
Pig with wings: EE...
Gross Man: I hear you've been having trouble with pigs and ponies!
Left channel:
Calvin: To... just the opposite... going around to the other direction
Right channel:
Calvin: How 'bout us, don't we get any?
Gail: We don't get any...
Calvin: That's very distraughtening
Gail: We don't get any because we're otherwise...
Spider: Everything in the universe is... is... is made of one element, which is a note, a single note. Atoms are really vibrations, you know, which are extensions of THE BIG NOTE. Everything's one note. Everything, even the ponies. The note, however, is the ultimate power, but see, the pigs don't know that, the ponies don't know that. Right?
Monica: You mean just we know that?
Spider: Right!
Spider: "Merry Go Round! Merry Go Round! Do-Do-Do-Do Do-Do-Do Do-Do-Do!" and they called that "doing their thing."
John: Oh yeah, that's what doing your thing is!
Spider: The thing is to put a motor in yourself
"White Ugliness"
Louis: Grrr... Arf arf arf ar-ar-ar-ar-ar! Teeth out there, and ready to attack 'em... I had to fight back and hit 'em, like... you know... hit 'em and hit 'em and hit 'em, and... kick 'em and kick 'em and...
Roy: Did they get on top of you?
Louis: No, I fought so back, hard back, and, it was...
Roy: Hard back?
Louis: White!
Roy: White?
Louis: Yeah, white ugliness
Roy: Did it have teeth?
Louis: And it was two, it was two boogey-men that were on the side and, we were... already blocked the entrance, so I had to... I had to kick, I had to fight to f-four or five boogey-men in front of me...
Roy: Then... but maybe he can turn into... I wonder if he could maybe be [...] PFFFT!
Louis: Yes, extremely vicious!
Roy: I don't know, those po... I heard those ponies are really vicious!
Louis: I know... but, I know they're vicious, but they...
Roy: Their claws!
Louis: He d-d... he doesn't have to be able to do it...
Roy: They get on top of you, and they just tear you apart
Louis: I know... Scars over here, see, scars right here. Yeah...
Roy: Tee... Teeth to limb! Teeth to limb! I mean, toe to tail... man, I hope they don't get him
Louis: Ponies! I-i-if-if, if... is...
Roy: Was it white? Are you sure it wasn't w-white, I mean, uh, black, or...
Louis: Well, I think they're white, but I was too scared to notice their physical...
Roy: Gold or something?
Louis: I was too, I was too scared to no... n-no... uh-no... uh-notice their physical, ahh... appearance, 'cause they... they-they were attackin' me!
Roy: They were?
Louis: Yeah, they were... they were attackin' me!
Roy: What were they doin' to you?
Louis: Well, they were... they were like, they were... comin' and surroundin' me 'n everything else, and they were attackin' me and I had to fight back, fight, fight and fight back and... pick up sticks...
Roy: Pick-up-sticks?
Louis: Yes, pick up sticks, you know?
Roy: I used to play that game, Pick-up-sticks
Louis: Me too, did you ever play that game?
Roy: Yeah!
Louis: Yes! That's funny! HA HA HA!
Roy: Anyway, come back to the horse... back to the horse? To the pony...
Louis: HA HA HA HA! Now...
Roy: Anyway...
Louis: Yes, pony, or...
Roy: President...
Louis: Or Pope, I dunno, ah, I dunno...
Roy: I don't know...
Louis: Something down there is dangerous
Roy: Could be a cigar or somethin'
Louis: Yeah...
Roy: A cigar?
Louis: A cigar? Naw, you're insane, come on!
Roy: Nohhh, no... I remember when I was a... no I don't remember. Those were the days!
Louis: Boy, you must spend all your life down here!
Roy: That was before the days of those horses
Louis: Yes, before the days of the... all the... ow-uh... ponies or boogey-men or somethin', what's out there
Roy: But then there was a... what was it then? No pimples?
Louis: No, I never did
Roy: Sure!
Louis: Positively
Roy: You had to have 'em
Louis: Naw, naw...
Roy: You've got one right in your nose right now!
Louis: HA HA HA HA! Scrtch-ch-ch! Scratchin' them...
Roy: Boy, I'm gettin' tired, man. We should go...
Louis: Oh, yes...
Roy: We should go to sleep
Louis: Oh, yeah...
Roy: I just hope he comes back...
Louis: Yes... Listen!
Roy: I think I'll pray for him
Louis: I think I'll join you
Roy: You do yours and I'll do mine...
Louis: Okay... HA HA HA HA!
Roy: And we'll hope for the best. HEH HEH HEH!
Louis: HA HA HA HA HA! I'll pray for [...] Motorhead
Roy: Now I lay me down to sleep...
Roy: Amen!
Louis: Amen...
"Just One More Time"
Ronnie Williams:
Oh yeah!
That's just fine!
Come on boys!
Just one more time!
Spider: I think I can explain about... about how the pigs' music works
Monica: Well, this should be interesting
Spider: Remember that they make music with a very dense light. And remember about the smoke standing still and how they... they really get uptight when you try to move the smoke, right?
Monica: Right
John: Yeah?
Spider: I think the music in that dense light is probably what makes the smoke stand still. Any sort of motion has this effect on... on the ponies' manes. You know, the thing on their neck
John: Hmm...
Spider: As soon as the pony's mane starts to get good in the back any sort of mo... motion, especially of smoke or gas, begins to make the ends split
John: That's the basis of all their nationalism. Like if they can't salute the smoke every morning when they get up...
Spider: Yeah, it's a vicious circle. You got it
"A Vicious Circle"
Gross Man: Pony!
"Drums Are Too Noisy"
Larry: Drums are too noisy, 'n you've got no corners to hide in!
"Kangaroos"
John: So when she's beating him over the nose with a tire iron, and then we both jump away and disappear, and the pig will turn around and there'll be this pony...
Spider: Oh no, man...
Monica: Oh...
Spider & Monica: Kangaroos!
Monica: And then they eat it when they get home
John: If it's still alive
"Envelops the Bath Tub"
Spider: Envelops the bath tub
Calvin: 'Cause round things are... are boring...
tixximmi1
I remember getting this album when it came out. I would play it over and over. After a week she told me that if I played it one more time that she was going to leave me. Haven't seen her in 50 years.
Maniasrock Joeelindio
Very good, you are unique, the music transforms us, this album was impressive because it was different from the others, thanks for your great comment
Lisa Lamphier
😂😂😂 I played this album a lot too. Drove quite a few people nuts over the years until my turntable finally died.
jiggersotoole
Haha brilliant!
Jord IL
My girlfriends have been pretty tolerant of Zappa. Dirty dishes and bad puns on the other hand… chick repellent
roberto chiang
My recipe is: When "she" gives you a list of things to change in yourself, there is but one thing to change: "she".
Aaron
I started listening to this when I was 60 and now I'm 16 and I still love it. It's changed my life. It's like Im going backwards in time.
Maniasrock Joeelindio
Ha Ha Ha very good friend that only happens with music are the side effects of listening to Frank Zappa Ha Ha Ha please check my playlists thanks
Frankincensed
Frank was the ultimate artist/composer. He loved sound and used whatever was at hand to produce the sound or sounds he desired. He loved found art, or art that just occurs with a prompt (thus the odd speech here), but most of all, he loved composing. And that's what this recording is all about. One of my favorites.
Maniasrock Joeelindio
Thank you friend for your comment it is very good because this recording clearly summarizes one of the best composers of the last century but a great unknown thank you for commenting