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.
Pick Me I'm Clean
Frank Zappa Lyrics
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Ike willis (rhythm guitar, vocals)
Ray white (rhythm guitar, vocals)
Steve vai (rhythm guitar, vocals)
Warren cucurullo (rhythm guitar, vocals)
Denny walley (slide guitar, vocals)
Tommy mars (keyboards, vocals)
Peter wolf (keyboards)
Ed mann (percussion)
Arthur barrow (bass, vocals)
Vinnie colaiuta (drums)
Why not come over?
You'll meet my mother
You'll meet my sister
You'll like my brother
Really you will...
Then she said,
I'm learning english
I can say "thank you"
I think I like you
Do you like my band-aid?
I hope you do...
Oh, oh, oh, oh
I am not busy
I'm free to travel
Where are you going?
Maybe you'll take me
I hope you do...
Oh, oh, she asked me
Do you know vinnie?
He used to like me
I speak good english
I'm bathing with peter
Pick me, I'm clean...
Vinnie goes bare-back
Peter goes wet-back
Denny goes way back
Eddie should get back
Pick me I'm clean...
Oh yeah, pick me I'm clean
Oh yeah, check out my band-aid
Oh yeah, pick me I'm clean
Oh yeah, check out my band-aid
Oh yeah, pick me I'm clean
Oh yeah, check out my band-aid
Oh yeah, pick me I'm clean
Oh yeah...
Why not come over?
You'll meet my mother
You'll meet my sister
You'll like my brother
Really you will...
I'm learning english
I can say "thank you"
I think I like you
Do you like my band-aid?
I hope you do...
I am not busy
I'm free to travel
Where are you going?
Maybe you'll take me
I hope you do...
Do you know vinnie?
He used to like me
I speak good english
I'm bathing with peter
Pick me, I'm clean...
The lyrics to Frank Zappa's song Pick Me I provide a satirical commentary on the superficiality of relationships that are based on physical attraction and personal gain. The female narrator speaks broken English, which suggests that she may be using sexuality and the exoticism of her foreignness to appeal to the male character. She is eager to impress him, showing off her band-aid and mentioning famous men she claims to know, like Vinnie Colaiuta, a well-known drummer who played with Zappa. The male character is non-committal, using vague language about travel plans and avoiding any real connection beyond a physical attraction to the woman.
The repetition of the phrase "pick me I'm clean" throughout the song reinforces the idea that the woman is attempting to prove her worthiness as a sexual partner, appealing to the male character's desire for cleanliness or purity. The use of multiple vocalists and guitarists creates a chaotic and disjointed sound that mirrors the disjointed nature of the relationship portrayed in the lyrics.
Overall, the song offers a scathing critique of objectification, fetishization of cultural difference, and shallow relationships based on superficial attraction.
Line by Line Meaning
Why not come over?
The singer invites someone to come over.
You'll meet my mother
The singer's mother lives with them, and they want to introduce the person to her.
You'll meet my sister
The singer has a sister who also lives with them, and they want to introduce the person to her as well.
You'll like my brother
The artist believes that the person will enjoy meeting their brother.
Really you will...
The artist is confident that the person will like their family members.
I'm learning english
The singer is not a native English speaker and is still improving their language skills.
I can say 'thank you'
The singer is proud of their improvement and wants to show it off.
I think I like you
The artist admits to having feelings for the person they're talking to.
Do you like my band-aid?
The artist is wearing a band-aid and wonders if the person thinks it's cool or interesting.
I hope you do...
The artist wants the person to like them and hopes that the band-aid helps.
Oh, oh, oh, oh
An interjection conveying the singer's excitement.
I am not busy
The artist has a lot of free time and is available to spend time with the person they're talking to.
I'm free to travel
The singer has no obligations and can go on a trip if asked.
Where are you going?
The singer is curious about the person's travel plans.
Maybe you'll take me
The singer is hoping that the person will take them along on their trip.
I hope you do...
The artist wants to go on a trip with the person they're talking to.
She asked me
The artist is now referring to the person as female.
Do you know Vinnie?
The singer is curious if the person knows someone named Vinnie.
He used to like me
The singer has a history with Vinnie and is nostalgic.
I speak good English
The artist is proud of their ability to speak English fluently.
I'm bathing with Peter
The artist is taking a bath with a man named Peter, implying intimacy or familiarity.
Pick me, I'm clean...
The artist is suggesting that they are a good choice, emphasizing their cleanliness as a desirable quality.
Vinnie goes bare-back
The singer makes a pun about Vinnie and his sexual habits.
Peter goes wet-back
The artist makes a pun about Peter and his ethnicity.
Denny goes way back
The singer is referring to Denny Walley, suggesting that they have a long history or connection.
Eddie should get back
The singer is talking about Ed Mann, suggesting that he should rejoin the group.
Oh yeah, pick me I'm clean
Reiterating the singer's earlier suggestion that they are the best choice.
Oh yeah, check out my band-aid
Reiterating the artist's earlier desire for the person to notice their band-aid, as a sign of their uniqueness or coolness.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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