Man With The Woman Head
Frank Zappa Lyrics


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Are you with me on this, people?

The man with the woman head
Polynesian wallpaper made the face stand out,
a mixture of Oriental and early vaudeville jazz poofter,
forming a hard, beetle-like, triangular chin much like a praying mantis.
Smoky razor-cut, low on the ear neck profile.
The face the color of a nicotine-stained hand.
Dark circles collected under the wrinkled, folded eyes,
map-like from too much turquoise eyepaint.
He showed his old tongue through ill-fitting wooden teeth,
stained from too much opium, chipped from the years.
The feet, brown wrinkles above straw loafers.
A piece of coconut in a pink seashell caught the tongue and knotted into thin white strings.
Charcoal grey Eisenhower jacket zipped into a loaded green ascot.
A coil of ashes collected on the white-on-yellow daks.
Four slender bones with rings and nails endured the weight of a hard fast black rubber cigarette holder.
I could just make out Ace as he carried the tray and mouthed,
"You cheap son of a bitch" as a straw fell out of a Coke, cartwheeled into the gutter.
So this was a drive-in restaurant in Hollywood,




So this was a drive-in restaurant in Hollywood,
So this was a drive-in restaurant in Hollywood.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Frank Zappa's song "Man with the Woman Head" paint a vivid picture of a strange character. The central figure of the lyrics is a man with a woman's head, described in intricate detail. The description of this man as "a mixture of Oriental and early vaudeville jazz poofter" suggests that he embodies a combination of different cultures and time periods. The description of his face as having a "hard, beetle-like, triangular chin" and "dark circles collected under the wrinkled, folded eyes" creates an unsettling image, adding to the overall sense of weirdness and intrigue in the lyrics.


The man's clothes are also described in great detail, with a description of a "charcoal grey Eisenhower jacket zipped into a loaded green ascot" and "brown wrinkles above straw loafers". The use of color in the description of the man's clothes creates a striking visual imagery, adding to the surreal tone of the song. The line "So this was a drive-in restaurant in Hollywood" suggests that the man is a regular customer at a diner in Los Angeles, further adding to the gritty realism of the lyrics.


Overall, the lyrics of "Man with the Woman Head" describe a strange, otherworldly figure, seemingly out of place in the world of Los Angeles diners and drive-ins. The use of detailed descriptions and vivid imagery creates a sense of unease and wonder, making the song a fascinating piece of surrealist art.


Line by Line Meaning

The man with the woman head
The man had a face that looked like a mixture of a Polynesian wallpaper, Oriental style, and early vaudeville jazz. His face was hard, beetle-like, and triangular in shape, much like a praying mantis. It was also the color of nicotine-stained hand, and had dark circles collected under the wrinkled, folded eyes that had been marked from too much turquoise eyepaint. Furthermore, he had ill-fitting wooden teeth that were stained from years of opium use.


Polynesian wallpaper made the face stand out
The man's face appeared more noticeable because of the Polynesian wallpaper behind him.


forming a hard, beetle-like, triangular chin much like a praying mantis
The man's facial features, specifically his chin, resembled the hard, triangular shape of a beetle, and similar to the chin of a praying mantis.


Smoky razor-cut, low on the ear neck profile
The man had had a smoky, razor-cut neck profile with low ears.


The face the color of a nicotine-stained hand
The man's face looked like it was the same color as a hand that had been stained by nicotine.


Dark circles collected under the wrinkled, folded eyes, map-like from too much turquoise eyepaint
The man had dark circles under his wrinkled, folded eyes that looked like they had been marked by too much turquoise eyepaint.


He showed his old tongue through ill-fitting wooden teeth, stained from too much opium, chipped from the years
The man showed his tongue through ill-fitting wooden teeth that had been stained by years of opium use, and had been chipped over time.


The feet, brown wrinkles above straw loafers
The man had feet that had brown wrinkles on them and were wearing straw loafers.


A piece of coconut in a pink seashell caught the tongue and knotted into thin white strings
There was a piece of coconut in a pink seashell that the man had put in his mouth, which then had tied up into thin white strings.


Charcoal grey Eisenhower jacket zipped into a loaded green ascot
The man was wearing a charcoal grey Eisenhower jacket that was zipped up, and had a loaded green ascot around his neck.


A coil of ashes collected on the white-on-yellow daks
There was a coil of ashes that had collected on the white-on-yellow daks.


Four slender bones with rings and nails endured the weight of a hard fast black rubber cigarette holder
The man's four slender fingers, adorned with rings and nails, held up the weight of a hard fast black rubber cigarette holder.


I could just make out Ace as he carried the tray and mouthed, "You cheap son of a bitch" as a straw fell out of a Coke, cartwheeled into the gutter
The singer could see Ace carrying a tray and mouthing, "You cheap son of a bitch" as a straw fell out of a Coke and rolled into the gutter.


So this was a drive-in restaurant in Hollywood, So this was a drive-in restaurant in Hollywood, So this was a drive-in restaurant in Hollywood.
The singer came to the realization that they were at a drive-in restaurant in Hollywood.




Contributed by Henry H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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