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.
Nig Biz
Frank Zappa Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
For seven long years
They said I'd be a big star
They said I'd get a big car
All the coke I could tube
All the dope I could shoot
All the smoke I could smoke
But now I'm bein' off 'n broke
They said I oughta re-record
The tracks of my tears
They said: "hey! this is it!
It's gonna be a big hit"
With my name up in lights
And some custom-made tights
All the girls call my name
(massimo!)
But it was all just a game
Nigger biznis
Nigger biznis
Well, nigger biznis all the time
Well, nigger biznis has brought disaster
On top of this here heart of mine
(well, now's the time to play the blues!)
Well, one day that contract will expire
One day I will be free
From that nig-ger, nig-gig-gig-ger, nigger biznis
All this nigger biznis
All this repressing me nigger biznis
Nigger biznis
Oh, nigger biznis all the time, all along
Well, nigger biznis has brought destruction
Which is why you're here in this song
The lyrics of Frank Zappa's Nig Biz are about the music industry's exploitation of African American talent. The singer signs a seven-year contract, enticed by promises of fame, wealth, drugs, and women. However, the reality is that the industry demands him to forsake his artistic vision and to follow a script that the record companies believe will sell. They demand that he re-records the tracks; the singer is reduced to a product. He is allowed to revel in the spoils of his success but ultimately finds himself broke and disillusioned. The industry believes in the facade of the "black image" of a successful musician and not the person behind the facade.
The line "Nigger biznis; well nigger biznis all the time" is where the song derives its title. The repetition underscores the significance of the phrase for the song's meaning. The last verse describes the emotional toll of the industry on the musician, it has brought destruction on him, and as the lyrics indicate, this is why he authored the song in the first place.
Line by Line Meaning
I signed on the line
I signed a seven-year contract with high hopes and expectations of becoming a famous star.
For seven long years
The contract that I signed bound me to stay in the music industry for seven long years.
They said I'd be a big star
The music industry promised me stardom, but it was just a marketing strategy to keep me in the business.
They said I'd get a big car
The music industry lured me with promises of fame, wealth and luxurious items such as cars.
All the coke I could tube
I was promised an endless supply of cocaine, which made me overlook the harsh reality of the music industry.
All the dope I could shoot
I was promised an unlimited amount of drugs which left me broke and addicted.
All the smoke I could smoke
The music industry promised me an unlimited supply of cigarettes or marijuana which made me overlook the long term effects it could have on my health.
But now I'm bein' off 'n broke
Despite all the promises made to me, I ended up broke and financially insecure.
They said I oughta re-record
The music industry asked me to re-record my previous tracks to make them more marketable.
The tracks of my tears
The songs I wrote became meaningless as I was told to compromise my artistic vision in order to conform to the needs of the industry.
They said: "hey! this is it!
The music industry convinced me that the next song we were working on was going to be a huge success.
It's gonna be a big hit"
Despite their promises, the music industry failed to make me famous and successful.
With my name up in lights
I was promised fame and recognition but the industry failed to deliver.
And some custom-made tights
The music industry tried to sexualize my image by dressing me up in ridiculous outfits to make me more appealing to the audience.
All the girls call my name
Despite being a mediocre artist, the music industry fabricated an image of me that attracted attention from female audience.
(massimo!)
This could be just a reference to any random girl's name that the singer identifies with.
But it was all just a game
The music industry uses artists as a commodity to meet their own interests, providing false promises and promoting propaganda which the artists fail to fulfill.
Nigger biznis
The music industry is referred to with a derogatory term to show how the prejudice of the industry propels them towards taking advantage of artists who are not white.
Nigger biznis
The lyrics reinforce the message of how the music industry takes advantage of black performers.
Well, nigger biznis all the time
The music industry has been biased towards black performers for a long time, and continues to be so to this day.
Well, nigger biznis has brought disaster
The artist feels like the industry has caused a significant amount of damage and ruined his career as he was promised big but delivered small.
On top of this here heart of mine
The industry's actions have left an adverse impact on the artist's well-being and mental state.
(well, now's the time to play the blues!)
This line suggests that the artist is so exhausted and dejected from the experience that the only thing that he can do is play and sing the blues.
Well, one day that contract will expire
The artist remains optimistic that someday he'll be able to get rid of the contract that forces him to participate in the music industry.
One day I will be free
The artist believes that he'll break free from the constraints of the music industry someday.
From that nig-ger, nig-gig-gig-ger, nigger biznis
The distasteful words suggest how the artist feels towards the music industry, using its derogatory terminology to describe it.
All this nigger biznis
The song focuses on how the music industry has exploited and manipulated the artist to achieve their own goals.
All this repressing me nigger biznis
The lyrics depict how the music industry has suppressed the artist's creativity and independence, repressing his ability to write music that reflects his true self.
Nigger biznis
The artist further reflects on his experience and feels that the music industry is inherently racist.
Oh, nigger biznis all the time, all along
The music industry has been conducting their business unfairly and discriminatively from the very beginning.
Well, nigger biznis has brought destruction
The music industry's ways have harmed many artists who were lured into pursuing a music career.
Which is why you're here in this song
The artist is vocal about his feelings towards the music industry and wants to let others know the dangers of pursuing a career in it.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Frank Zappa
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@bwana-ma-coo-bah425
This is the piece Frank Zappa wrote in retaliation to Warner Brothers and how they screwed him over.
They did the same to Prince.
What does that tell you about Warner Brothers.
Frank Zappa!! "the present day composer who refuses to die".
@FooBarr1
this one's for Ahmet and Diva
@dimi3978
savagely, the good kind
@jaimescott3041
I be rockin this n Michoacan 4 the bario 1/31/2018
@DAVINOENTERPRISES
A+
@robpattison6606
interesting how the story goes about the riot that was going on during this and the tear gas . Cosmo the tour guide and Italian translator passing out wet rags for the musicians to wipe their eyes ...
@lisaw3253
But the post isn't that song. Unfortunately it's on another site. It's the beginning of that cd. Bozzios solo. Amazing!!!
@daviddavid5669
George Floyd biz
@steelingcable6350
brujh
@MusicFun-gd1cm
Breathtaking