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.
Mystery Roach
Frank Zappa Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ow! Look out!
Ow! Look out!
How long?
How long?
Till that mystery roach be arrivin' soon
Ya-ooo Ya-ooo Ya-ooo Ya-ooo
That mystery roach be approachin'
That mystery roach be approachin' me
La La La La La La La, Oof!
How long?
How long?
Till that mystery roach been gone
Ya-ooo-ooo-oo-ooo
Ya-ooo-ooo-oo-ooo
That mystery roach be approachin'
That mystery roach be approachin' me
La La La La La La La, Oof!
That mystery roach be approachin'
That mystery roach be approachin' me
La La La La La La La, Oof!
Mystery mystery mystery mystery
mystery mystery mystery roach!
Mystery mystery mystery mystery
mystery mystery mystery roach!
Mystery mystery mystery mystery
mystery mystery mystery roach!
Mystery mystery mystery mystery
mystery mystery mystery roach!
...once in a minute...
Mystery mystery mystery mystery
mystery mystery mystery roach!
Mystery mystery mystery mystery
mystery mystery mystery roach!
Mystery mystery mystery mystery
mystery mystery mystery roach!
Mystery mystery mystery mystery
mystery mystery mystery roach!
Mystery mystery mystery mystery
mystery mystery mystery roach!
Mystery mystery mystery mystery
mystery mystery mystery roach!
Mystery mystery mystery mystery
mystery mystery mystery roach!
Mystery mystery mystery mystery
mystery mystery mystery roach!
Howard:
Ah! Hold it!
Wait a minute!
Stop that music!
Please...
Hold it!
Wait a minute!
Ah...
What are we SINGING about?
A mystery roach?
We must be... FLIPPING OUT!
The lyrics of Frank Zappa's song “Mystery Roach” are quite cryptic despite the simple and repetitive nature of their arrangement. The song's chorus revolves around the subject of a ‘mystery roach' that is about to approach the singer. The words “Ow! Look out!” give a sense of warning and urgency, perhaps indicating that the roach in question is dangerous or something to be avoided. The repeated queries of “how long?” further emphasize the suspense and anticipation of the approaching roach, while the chorus repeats the phrase “mystery, mystery, mystery roach!” that highlights the unusual and elusive nature of the being in question.
One interpretation of the song is that the mystery roach represents something that is unknown, unpredictable, and potentially harmful. It could be symbolic of an impending danger or threat that the singer can sense but cannot fully identify, thus causing a sense of anxiety and unease. The reference to “flipping out” at the end of the song suggests that the situation is causing the singer to become mentally unhinged or overwhelmed.
Line by Line Meaning
Ow! Look out!
An expression of surprise or alarm.
How long?
Asking how much time remains before an upcoming event.
Till that mystery roach be arrivin' soon
Asking when an anticipated event, the arrival of a mysterious cockroach, will happen.
Ya-ooo Ya-ooo Ya-ooo Ya-ooo
Vocalizations with no clear meaning, possibly expressive of excitement or anticipation.
That mystery roach be approachin'
Asserting that the anticipated cockroach is drawing near.
That mystery roach be approachin' me
Asserting that the cockroach is headed toward the singer specifically.
La La La La La La La, Oof!
Vocalizations with no clear meaning, possibly expressive of excitement or anticipation.
Till that mystery roach been gone
Asking how much time must pass before the cockroach is no longer present.
That mystery roach be approachin'
Asserting that the cockroach is getting closer.
Ya-ooo-ooo-oo-ooo
Vocalizations with no clear meaning, possibly expressive of excitement, anticipation or alarm.
Mystery mystery mystery mystery
mystery mystery mystery roach!
Chanting the phrase 'mystery roach' multiple times, possibly to build hype or draw attention to the subject.
...once in a minute...
Statement indicating the infrequency of encountering a mysterious roach.
Howard:
Ah! Hold it!
Wait a minute!
Stop that music!
Please...
Hold it!
Wait a minute!
Ah...
Dialogue interrupting the song by a person called Howard, asking for a moment to speak.
What are we SINGING about?
A mystery roach?
We must be... FLIPPING OUT!
Questioning the subject of the song, a mysterious cockroach, and expressing disbelief and outrage that this is the topic.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
CrispyRobot77
These days, THIS one is very appropriate. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aa1JR-TgPfU
Son of Orange County-----------------------
And in your dreams
You can see yourself
As a prophet
Saving the world
The words from your lips
(I AM NOT A CROOK)
I just can't believe you are such
A fool
I just can't believe
You are such a fool
I just can't believe
You…
Trouble Every Day------------------------
Well I'm about to get sick
From watchin' my TV
Been checkin' out the news
Until my eyeballs fail to see
I mean to say that every day
Is just another rotten mess
And when it's gonna change, my friends
Is anybody's guess.
Paul Tarbet
AHH!! Frank. Back when this came out as students we played this album while getting a toke on our own mystery roach. Just love Flow &:Eddy vocals
And as for Cowboy Burt !!!! Thanks for good times Frank.
Filthy Lucre
Thanks for posting the full track, too many vers out there without the closing dialogue!
Glenn Wheatcroft
love it
Winston Smith
What a loss!
Miss Frank!
eruptionmat
I want a copy of the 200 Motels soundtrack, but I'm having an impossible time finding copies of it, as it's out of print..
Rioshae
theres a 50th anniversary boxset coming out november 19th
Winston Smith
I've got it
Elmer Fudd
I have it VHS I got 31 years ago.
RedCloud1967
Sweet find!
SlowSyrup
+eruptionmat Same here, I found one on amazon for between £50-£70. I have the DVD but really want the soundtrack. I just happened to find this copy of Mystery Roach when going through a load of music files on an uncle's old hard drive, it was the only 200 Motels track on there.