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.
Not Another One
Frank Zappa Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Got no place to go
(I'm tired of walking
Up and down the street all by myself)
No love left for me to give
(I tried and tried
But no one wants me the way I am)
To roam from door to door
Maybe I'll just kill myself
I just don't care no more
Because
I'm not satisfied
Everything I've tried
I don't like the way
Life has been abusing me
Yeah!
Yeah!
Who would care
If I was gone
(I never met no one
Who'd care if I was dead and gone)
Who needs me
To care for them
(Nobody needs me
Why should I just hang around?)
Why should I just sit and watch
While the others smile
I just wish that someone cared
If I was happy for a while
Because
I'm not satisfied
Everything I've tried
I don't like the way
Life has been abusing me
Yeah!
Frank Zappa's "Not Another One" is a somber lament of a song sung by a lonely, tired, and desperate individual. The lyrics paint a picture of someone who has given up on life and is on the brink of ending it all. As the song begins, the singer expresses his frustration of wandering aimlessly with no place to go. He has no love left to give and has been rejected by everyone he has tried to love. He simply can't pretend anymore. Despite his desperation, he feels that no one would care if he was gone. He sees no value in his life and as he contemplates suicide, he sings with a sense of detachment because he just doesn't care anymore.
The song speaks to how unbearable life can be when you feel like there's no purpose or meaning to it. It's a powerful commentary on the emotional struggles many people face. The sense of alienation and isolation that the singer feels is something that many can relate to. The lyrics are simple yet impactful, and Zappa's delivery perfectly captures the sentiments of the song.
Line by Line Meaning
Got no place to go
I feel lost and aimless, as if my life has no direction or purpose.
(I'm tired of walking Up and down the street all by myself)
I am worn out from wandering around with no company or sense of belonging.
No love left for me to give
I have exhausted all my energy and emotion trying to find love and acceptance, but have been unsuccessful.
(I tried and tried But no one wants me the way I am)
Despite my efforts to fit in with others, I still feel rejected for who I truly am.
Why should I pretend I like To roam from door to door
I can't stand the thought of pretending to enjoy the endless cycle of meaningless social interactions with no genuine connection.
Maybe I'll just kill myself I just don't care no more
I am so consumed by hopelessness and apathy that I am contemplating taking my own life.
Because I'm not satisfied Everything I've tried I don't like the way Life has been abusing me
I am deeply dissatisfied with my life, and feel that despite my efforts, the universe is purposefully treating me badly.
Who would care If I was gone
I do not believe that anyone would be truly affected or mourn my loss if I were to die.
(I never met no one Who'd care if I was dead and gone)
I have never encountered anyone who has shown me enough kindness or caring to make me believe they would miss me if I were gone.
Who needs me To care for them
I do not have any meaningful relationships or responsibilities that make me feel needed or important to others.
(Nobody needs me Why should I just hang around?)
I feel a sense of pointlessness and aimlessness, since I do not feel needed or valued by anyone or anything.
Why should I just sit and watch While the others smile
I cannot bear the thought of being an outsider, looking in while others are happy and fulfilled.
I just wish that someone cared If I was happy for a while
All I crave is some genuine human connection and care, even for brief moments of happiness.
Because I'm not satisfied Everything I've tried I don't like the way Life has been abusing me
I am deeply dissatisfied with my life, and feel that despite my efforts, the universe is purposefully treating me badly.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: LUTHER VANDROSS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
ruben s
i have this record .. i have had for about 40 yrs. i never new it was worth this much .. it was given to my father .. from Brian Lord himself he was a local df San Bernardino ca ...i believe there was only around 200 copies made ....... congrats
curiousnomad
Totally Frank!!!
Leo Yaus
couldn't agree more!
D.A. Elliott Jr.
I had a copy of this on Capitol in 1976. I kick myself for not still having it.
Rho Statton
classic early FZ !!
fresh bleach job as JFK....lol!!
the original troll before the internet was:FZ!!
Miguel Iglesias
Hey! Where did you get my Quetzalcoatl?
Apoadmin
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