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.
Status Back Baby
Frank Zappa Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I used to think that it was my school
Wah wah wah wah
I was the king of every school activity
But that's no more
Oh mama, what will come of me?
We played some records by the coasters
Wah wah wah wah
A bunch of pom-pom girls
Looked down their nose at me
They had painted tons of posters, I had painted three
I hear the secret whispers everywhere I go
My school spirit is at an all time low
I'm losing status at the high school
I used to think that it was my school
Wah wah wah wah
Everyone in town knows I'm a handsome football star
I sing and dance and spray my hair and drive a shiny car
I'm friendly and I'm charming I belong to de molay
I'm gonna try like mad to get my status back today
Status back, baby, status back, baby
Status back, baby, status back, baby
The lyrics to Frank Zappa's song "Status Back Baby" are a commentary on the social hierarchy and status symbols that exist in high school. The singer is losing his status and feels the pressure to maintain his popularity. He used to believe that the school belonged to him but now he sees that things have changed. He feels like his standing in the community is slipping away and wonders what will become of him.
The singer goes on to describe a recent experience where he and his friends were painting posters for a school event. However, he was looked down upon by the pom-pom girls who had painted more posters than he did. He hears secret whispers everywhere he goes, which suggests that rumors and gossip are spreading about him. The singer's school spirit is at an all-time low and he is struggling to regain his status.
The song is a satirical look at the culture of popularity and power that exists in high school. Zappa is pointing out how this world is often superficial and insignificant, but can have a profound impact on teenagers who are trying to find their place and fit in. The repetition of "wah wah wah wah" throughout the song adds to the sense of frustration and helplessness that the singer is feeling.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm losing status at the high school
I'm no longer the most praised student in the high school, and my reputation is taking a hit.
I used to think that it was my school
I always believed that I was the heart of the school and without me, there would be no fuss.
Wah wah wah wah
Expressing disappointment and frustration with the current state of affairs.
I was the king of every school activity
I was the leader and the most popular among my peers in every extracurricular activity.
But that's no more
Unfortunately, that's no longer the case, as I don't enjoy the same level of authority over my peers.
Oh mama, what will come of me?
Asking for guidance from his mother since his world is upside down, and he doesn't know what to do.
The other night we painted posters
Recently engaged in painting posters for the school campaign.
We played some records by the coasters
Listened to records by the Coasters, a popular R&B group in the '50s and '60s.
A bunch of pom-pom girls
A group of cheerleaders.
Looked down their nose at me
They judged him and his work, feeling superior and giving him the sense of being lower than them.
They had painted tons of posters, I had painted three
The cheerleaders had painted many more posters than him, putting his work into perspective.
I hear the secret whispers everywhere I go
Every conversation taking place around him is about his downfall and sounding critical.
My school spirit is at an all-time low
I feel uninspired and unmotivated about school and all school-related activities.
Everyone in town knows I'm a handsome football star
Everyone knows I'm good-looking and successful on the field.
I sing and dance and spray my hair and drive a shiny car
I have a lot going my way, so I'm using my popularity and gifts in various ways to boost my image further.
I'm friendly and I'm charming I belong to de Molay
I'm an affable, sociable person and a member of DeMolay - a fraternal organization designed for young men.
I'm gonna try like mad to get my status back today
I'm going to put in all my efforts to regain my lost reputation and popularity.
Status back, baby, status back, baby
The repetition of the line shows his desperation to get back his lost status.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Frank Zappa
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Bane S.
Najbolji opis Zappine muzike dao je čuveni finski basista Peka Pohjola, koga je Zapa, impresioniran nakon neke svirke, pozvao telefonom da se pridruži njegovom bendu. Razgovor je bio vrlo kratak:
-No.
-And why?
-It's Your music.
-What's wrong with it?
-Too much bullshit.
Ali ništa više nije potrebno, ni reč. Ne znam otkud Dragojeviću ideja da top gradski šmeker i opasan baja sluša jebenog Zapu.
Marko Marković
Pa ja najvise cenim naprimer... Zappu!
Vladimir Janjanin
marina, sta cekas, predji na latinske poslovice
Evan Codsworth
Who else was making music like this? The Mothers were pioneers and nobody talks about them nowadays. It’s always Beatles, Beatles, Beatles.
Marija Milosavljevic
Mi nismo andjeli ❤
lenchy bb
znaš onu stvar i'm losing status at the high school 😈
Janet Fullwood
My hippie high school anthem in 1971...Saw in person at the Armadillo in Austin.. What a place...
Janet Fullwood
Of course the official graduation song was Color My World by Chicago. Slow dancing at the prom I didn't go to....That said I saw Chicago with the Eagles a few years ago at a Northern California winery. Both really good!
Andrija Terza
uglavnom zappu slusam :D
COSMIC Lust
Oh fucking yes!! I forgot all about this album til now. My friend played this while I was tripping. Laughed so hard I thought I was goinga suffocate cause I couldn't inhale. Really and truely it's still the day, we're the ones that changed. "Like a baby that burps and pees.hahaha- shittttt
eli10az
Outstanding