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.
Rudy Wants To Buy Yez A Drink
Frank Zappa Lyrics
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Hi and howdy doody.
I'm a union man
You can call me Rudy.
Any of you boys not paid up on your cards?
You know I'm pleased to meet ya
Been tryin all day to reach ya
The union's here to help everyone of you rock 'n' roll stars.
Rock 'n' Roll stars.
You always know we
care so much
about the way they
treat ya.
They say they got a lot of
reasons every day..
Just to get
A chance to meet you.
To check and see
No wrong been done
That's one good reason
I carry a gun.
I hope the bulge
Don't bum you out.
want to get a good look?
Let me pull it right out!
Let me pull it right out!
Let me pull it right out!
Let me whip it right out!
Hi and howdy doody.
I'm a union man
You can call me Rudy.
Any of you boys not paid up on your cards?
You know I'm pleased to meet ya
Been tryin all day to reach ya
The union's here to help everyone of you rock 'n' roll stars.
Hahahaha!
Welcome to Chicago
Welcome to L.A.
Welcome to our local here
You'll always hear me say
The work is here; It's a couple a bucks.
I'm sure you're glad to pay.
Whip it out, here is your receipt
Now I'll go away, now I'll go away...
Now I'll go away, now I'll go away...
Away-why-why! Away-why-why! Away-why-why!
Doowah
The lyrics to Frank Zappa's "Rudy Wants To Buy Yez A Drink" are a satirical commentary on the music industry and the American working class. The song is sung from the perspective of a union representative, "Rudy," who is trying to collect union dues from the rock 'n' roll stars. The lyrics are comedic in nature, but they also touch on the exploitation and mistreatment of musicians in the music industry.
Rudy begins by introducing himself as a "union man" and asking if any of the musicians are not paid up on their union dues. He then goes on to say that the union is there to help and cares about the way the musicians are treated. However, he also warns that he carries a gun and is not afraid to use it if necessary.
The chorus of the song is a repetition of Rudy's introduction, with him repeating that he is a union man and is there to help the musicians. The final verse again mentions the need for union dues and concludes with Rudy asking the musicians to whip out their money and pay him, before he goes away.
Overall, the song is a commentary on the power dynamics within the music industry, specifically the exploitation and mistreatment of musicians by record labels and managers. Zappa uses humor and satire to call attention to this issue, while also mocking the union representative, Rudy, and his tactics.
Line by Line Meaning
Hi and howdy doody.
Greetings.
I'm a union man
I'm a representative of a union.
You can call me Rudy.
You can address me as Rudy.
Any of you boys not paid up on your cards?
Have any of you not paid your dues?
You know I'm pleased to meet ya
It's nice to make your acquaintance.
Been tryin all day to reach ya
I've been attempting to talk to you all day long.
The union's here to help everyone of you rock 'n' roll stars.
The union is here to assist each and every one of you rock musicians.
You always know we care so much about the way they treat ya.
We deeply care about how you're treated.
They say they got a lot of reasons every day..
They claim they have countless reasons every day..
Just to get A chance to meet you.
Just to have a meeting with you.
To check and see. No wrong been done.
To verify that no injustice was committed.
That's one good reason I carry a gun.
That's one of the reasons why I possess a firearm.
I hope the bulge. Don't bum you out. Want to get a good look?
I hope the visible shape of my firearm doesn't make you uncomfortable. Do you want to inspect it?
Let me pull it right out! Let me whip it right out!
Allow me to take it out and reveal it to you! Allow me to retrieve it!
Welcome to Chicago. Welcome to L.A. Welcome to our local here. You'll always hear me say
Greetings from Chicago and Los Angeles. Welcome to our union here. You'll frequently hear me state
The work is here; It's a couple a bucks. I'm sure you're glad to pay. Whip it out, here is your receipt. Now I'll go away, now I'll go away... Now I'll go away, now I'll go away... Away-why-why! Away-why-why! Away-why-why! Doowah
There is work available here for a few dollars. You must be pleased to pay. Here is your proof of payment. Now, I'll leave. Now, I'll depart. Now, I'll leave. Now, I'll depart. Far-well! Far-well! Far-well! Doowah
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind