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.
St. Alphonzo's Pancake Breakfast
Frank Zappa Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
At Saint Alfonzo's Pancake Breakfast
Where I stole the mar-juh-reen
An' widdled on the Bingo Cards in lieu of the latrine
I saw a handsome parish lady
Make her entrance like a queen
Why, she was totally chenille
And her old man was a Marine
And said why don't you treat me mean?
(Hurt me, hurt me, hurt me, oooooh!)
At Saint Alfonzo's Pancake Breakfast
(Hah! Good God! Get off the bus!)
Where I stole the mar-juh-reen
Saint Alfonzo
Saint Alfonzo
Saint Alfonzo
Saint Alfonzo
Ooh, wah
The lyrics of "St. Alfonzo's Pancake Breakfast" by Frank Zappa take the listener to a religious event, the titular pancake breakfast, where the singer confesses to stealing margarine and using bingo cards for a restroom, instead of the actual latrine. The singer then witnesses the appearance of an elegant woman, who catches everyone's attention with her gorgeous chenille dress. Her husband, described as a Marine, does not treat her right and she requests to be hurt, as the singer continues to demonstrate his mischievousness. The chorus repeatedly emphasizes the name "Saint Alfonzo" with an added vocal riff at the end, possibly implying that Saint Alfonzo is a patron saint of this event.
Through the irreverent lyrics, Frank Zappa mocks the hypocrisy that can be found in religious gatherings, as well as the absurdity of some social customs. The theft of margarine and the use of bingo cards to relieve oneself add a sense of comedic vulgarity to the scene. Moreover, the way the beautiful woman requests to be treated mean underlines the reality of domestic violence, while the singer's indifferent attitude points out the nonchalant treatment of such cases. Overall, Zappa combines humor, satire, and criticism to create a thought-provoking commentary on social norms and human behavior.
Line by Line Meaning
Yes indeed, here we are!
The singer acknowledges the event's occurrence.
At Saint Alfonzo's Pancake Breakfast
The event is occurring at Saint Alfonzo's Pancake Breakfast.
Where I stole the mar-juh-reen
The singer did not pay for margarine at the breakfast.
An' widdled on the Bingo Cards in lieu of the latrine
The artist urinated on bingo cards as he did not use the bathroom.
I saw a handsome parish lady
The artist observed an attractive woman from the church.
Make her entrance like a queen
The woman entered with confidence and grace.
Why, she was totally chenille
The woman was wearing a fabric with a unique texture.
And her old man was a Marine
The woman's husband was a former member of the US Marine Corps.
As she abused a sausage pattie
The woman roughly handled a sausage patty.
And said why don't you treat me mean?
The woman playfully requested that her partner treat her poorly.
(Hurt me, hurt me, hurt me, oooooh!)
The woman expressed her desire for rough treatment in a sexual context.
At Saint Alfonzo's Pancake Breakfast
The event is still occurring at Saint Alfonzo's Pancake Breakfast.
(Hah! Good God! Get off the bus!)
The singer expresses his amusement at the absurdity of the situation.
Where I stole the mar-juh-reen
Reiteration of the fact that the singer did not pay for his margarine.
Saint Alfonzo
Repetition of the event's location.
Saint Alfonzo
Repetition of the event's location.
Saint Alfonzo
Repetition of the event's location.
Saint Alfonzo
Repetition of the event's location.
Ooh, wah
Vocalization expressing enjoyment or excitement.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: FRANK ZAPPA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@websdaleandrew
@@zombywoof1015 I am the tool of the government
And industry too
For I am destined to rule
And regulate you
I may be vile and pernicious
But you can't look away
I make you think Im delicious
With the stuff that I say
I am the best you can get
Have you guessed me yet?
I am the slime oozin out
From your tv set
@rayinpau.s.a.6351
Yes indeed, here we are!
At Saint Alfonzo's Pancake Breakfast
Where I stole the mar-juh-reen
An' widdled on the Bingo Cards in lieu of the latrine
I saw a handsome parish lady
Make her entrance like a queen
Why, she was totally chenille
And her old man was a Marine
As she abused a sausage pattie
And said why don't you treat me mean?
(Hurt me, hurt me, hurt me, oooooh!)
At Saint Alfonzo's Pancake Breakfast
(Hah! Good God! Get off the bus!)
Where I stole the mar-juh-reen
Saint Alfonzo
Saint Alfonzo
Saint Alfonzo
Saint Alfonzo
Ooh, wah
@NathanNathanNathan
monki monday haha
@crunchu2361
I think Frank Zappas music is just him entertaining himself and letting us hear.
@merlinosgood1978
Yes.
@spoonibus2602
Hahaha I really like this way of putting it
@Zappafantrust
that's exactly what he did
@AlicedeTocqueville
Can't get better than that!
@snatcherofpeachs
Probably the purest form of musical expression.
@christianugolini8493
I was 17 when I listened to this for the first time...I am now 61 old... Zappa Music is the music of my life ! ;-)
@grahamdempsey7458
Loved to have known what he thought about trump
@s.e.wagger3888
@@grahamdempsey7458 - more interesting to know what he would of thought of Hilary and Oh-bumma.