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.
Stinkfoot
Frank Zappa Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Where all the fevers grow
Under the water
Where the shark bubbles blow
In the morning
By your radio
Do the walls close in to suffocate, yah
You ain't got no friends
Does the life you been leading gotta go? (Hmm?)
(Well let me straighten you out)
About a place I know
(Get your shoes and socks on people, it's right around the corner)
Out through the night and the whispering breezes
To the place where they keep the imaginary diseases
Out through the night and the whispering breezes
To the place where they keep the imaginary diseases
This has got to be the disease for you
Now scientists call this disease, Brohm-a-drosis
But us regular folks, who might wear tennis shoes
or an occasional python boot,
know this exquisite little inconvenience by the name of
STINK-FOOT
You know
My python boot is too tight
I couldn't get it off last night
A week went by
And now it's July
I finally got it off
And my girlfriend cried, YOU GOT STINK-FOOT!
Stink-foot, darlin'
Your Stink-foot
Puts a hurt on my nose
Stink-foot, stink-foot, I ain't lyin'
Can you rinse it off, do you suppose?
(Here Fido, Fido, mpt, mpt, mpt, come here little puppy
Bring the slippers
Arf, arf, arf
(C-R-A-S-H)
Huhm, HAH, HAH, HAH...hmhmhm)
STINK!
Well then Fido got up off the floor, and he rolled over
and he looked me straight in the eye
And you know what he said?
"Once upon a time, somebody say to me"
This is the dog talkin' now
"What is your, conceptual, continuity?"
"Well I told 'em right then", Fido said
"It should be easy to see
"The crux of the biscuit
is the apostrophe"
Well you know, the man that was talking to the dog
looked at the dog, and he said
Sort of staring in disbelief
"You can't say that"
he said
"It doesn't, and you can't, I won't, and it don't
it hasn't, it isn't, it even ain't, and it shouldn't
it couldn't"
He told him, "No, no, no"
I told him, "Yes, yes, yes"
I said, "I do it all the time
Ain't this boogie a mess"?
The poodle bites, the poodle chews it
The lyrics to Frank Zappa's song "Stink-Foot" are open to interpretation, but they seem to convey a sense of unease and discontent with one's current situation. The singer speaks of being trapped in a dark, suffocating environment where he has no friends and is hated by others. He then invites the listener to seek out a place where imaginary diseases are kept. The disease that he recommends is called "Brohm-a-drosis," which is also known to the singer and his friends as "Stink-Foot."
The singer's personal experience with Stink-Foot is conveyed through a humorous anecdote involving tight python boots that resulted in a strong odor emanating from his feet. The chorus of the song reiterates the problem of Stink-Foot and asks whether it can be rinsed off. The final part of the song takes a surreal turn as the singer introduces a talking dog who discusses the concept of "conceptual continuity" and the importance of the apostrophe in the phrase "the crux of the biscuit." The song ends with the declaration that "the poodle bites, the poodle chews it."
Line by Line Meaning
In the dark
At a time when you feel uncertain or lost
Where all the fevers grow
When everything seems out of control
Under the water
In an unknown or unseen place
Where the shark bubbles blow
In a dangerous place where you feel uneasy
In the morning
At a time when you feel refreshed and ready to take on the day
By your radio
When you're listening to the world around you for guidance
Do the walls close in to suffocate, yah
When you feel trapped and unable to break free
You ain't got no friends
Feeling alone and unsupported
And all the others they hate, yah
Unliked or unappreciated
Does the life you been leading gotta go? (Hmm?)
Feeling like a change is necessary
(Well let me straighten you out)
Turning to a trusted friend or confidant for advice
About a place I know
Suggesting an alternative or escape from current situation
(Get your shoes and socks on people, it's right around the corner)
Urging action to be taken to find a better situation
Out through the night and the whispering breezes
Embarking on a journey to find peace or resolution
To the place where they keep the imaginary diseases
Going to a place where one can find understanding for problems that may seem mysterious or hard to solve
This has got to be the disease for you
Implicating that the person suffering from the problems being described may benefit from coming to this place
Now scientists call this disease, Brohm-a-drosis
Using scientific terminology to describe the problems people are experiencing
But us regular folks, who might wear tennis shoes
Not everyone experiences problems from the same perspective or with the same severity
or an occasional python boot,
Our differences shouldn't define us or exclude us from experiencing empathy for others
know this exquisite little inconvenience by the name of
This suffering is experienced in a unique and personal way
STINK-FOOT
A name attributed to the specific ailment
You know
Sharing a personal anecdote
My python boot is too tight
Experiencing physical discomfort
I couldn't get it off last night
Struggling to find relief from discomfort
A week went by
Feeling like relief from suffering is taking too long
And now it's July
Time seems to be moving slowly
I finally got it off
Finding relief and feeling hopeful
And my girlfriend cried, YOU GOT STINK-FOOT!
Being made to feel worse about an already embarrassing or undesirable problem
Stink-foot, darlin'
Using humor to cope with an uncomfortable situation
Your Stink-foot
Addressing the person who is experiencing the problem
Puts a hurt on my nose
The person addressing is impacted by and concerned by the suffering of the other person
Can you rinse it off, do you suppose?
Suggesting a solution to an embarrassing problem
(Here Fido, Fido, mpt, mpt, mpt, come here little puppy
Calling a dog as if to give it a command
Bring the slippers
The artist is using humor to demonstrate a casual, everyday approach to dealing with problems
Arf, arf, arf
Pretending to be a dog
(C-R-A-S-H)
Huhm, HAH, HAH, HAH...hmhmhm)
A nonsensical or exaggerated reaction to the crashing sound
STINK!
Repeating the name attributed to the specific ailment
Well then Fido got up off the floor, and he rolled over
Returning to the anecdote shared earlier and continuing it
and he looked me straight in the eye
Describing an intimate moment between the artist and the dog they're referencing in their story
And you know what he said?
Furthering the humor of the anecdote by treating the dog as if it can speak
"Once upon a time, somebody say to me"
Imagining the dog telling a story
This is the dog talkin' now
Clarifying that the anecdote being shared is fictional
"What is your, conceptual, continuity?"
An imaginary question posed to the dog in a fantastical story
"Well I told 'em right then", Fido said
Continuing the imaginary conversation between the dog and the other party in the story
"It should be easy to see
An imaginary response given by the dog, asserting its opinion on the matter
"The crux of the biscuit
An imaginary phrase used to portray a difficult situation
is the apostrophe"
A nonsensical or deliberately confusing statement
Well you know, the man that was talking to the dog
Returning the focus to the singer and the dog in the story
looked at the dog, and he said
Continuing the imaginary conversation
Sort of staring in disbelief
Reacting to the strange or unexpected happening in the story
"You can't say that"
Disagreeing with the opinions expressed in the imaginary conversation
he said
Reiterating the disbelief of the character he's portraying
"It doesn't, and you can't, I won't, and it don't
An attempt to prove the other person wrong in the imaginary conversation
it hasn't, it isn't, it even ain't, and it shouldn't
More attempts to undermine an opinion in an imaginary conversation
it couldn't"
An imaginary character asserts their opinion that the views of the dog can't be right
He told him, "No, no, no"
Imaginary argument continues
I told him, "Yes, yes, yes"
Imaginary character continues to assert their view is correct
I said, "I do it all the time
An assertion of the singer's ability to dominate or sway others to their opinions
Ain't this boogie a mess"?
Using humor to take a lighter tone after the imaginary argument
The poodle bites, the poodle chews it
A non sequitur after the preceding lines
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@michaelkottler
@@SALAHKAYAK Je suis tres fatigue + I took only a year d'Francais a million years ago in 9th grade and without resorting to a translator the best I can make of your message is that :
You have listened to Zappa for 40 plus years but you don't understand how he manages to produce such pleasurable music every time.
Is that close? I will look it up once I have some cafe. A minute and a cup of coffee later: Ok, the best translation I encountered read something like this:
"I've been listening to Zappa's music for over 40 years. I don't comprehend everything he says, but every time I feel like I'm hearing him for the first time with equal pleasure".
N'est pas?
By the way, ok, not at all by the way, but why (porqui) are such a statistically significant number of the most deeply lovely women I've loved of French or mixed-French descent? I'm not saying that France has the monopoly on beautiful women, I just could not help but notice that certain elle d'Francais c'est tres belle in a very unique manner. But then again, I've known many types from all over yet those French chicks left an impression equal to the best of the rest in a uniquely emotionally compelling manner. Ok, I know: shut up, Michelle. Shutting up, moussier.
@ayiorgos
In the dark
Where all the fevers grow
Under the water
Where the shark bubbles blow
In the morning
By your radio
Do the walls close in to suffocate, yah
You ain't got no friends
And all the others they hate, yah
Does the life you been leading gotta go? (Hmm?)
(Well let me straighten you out)
About a place I know
(Get your shoes and socks on people, it's right around the corner)
Out through the night and the whispering breezes
To the place where they keep the imaginary diseases
Out through the night and the whispering breezes
To the place where they keep the imaginary diseases
This has got to be the disease for you
Now scientists call this disease, Brohm-a-drosis
But us regular folks, who might wear tennis shoes
or an occasional python boot,
know this exquisite little inconvenience by the name of
STINK-FOOT
You know
My python boot is too tight
I couldn't get it off last night
A week went by
And now it's July
I finally got it off
And my girlfriend cried, YOU GOT STINK-FOOT!
Stink-foot, darlin'
Your Stink-foot
Puts a hurt on my nose
Stink-foot, stink-foot, I ain't lyin'
Can you rinse it off, do you suppose?
(Here Fido, Fido, mpt, mpt, mpt, come here little puppy
Bring the slippers
Arf, arf, arf
(C-R-A-S-H)
Huhm, HAH, HAH, HAH...hmhmhm)
STINK!
Well then Fido got up off the floor, and he rolled over
and he looked me straight in the eye
And you know what he said?
"Once upon a time, somebody say to me"
This is the dog talkin' now
"What is your, conceptual, continuity?"
"Well I told 'em right then", Fido said
"It should be easy to see
"The crux of the biscuit
is the apostrophe"
Well you know, the man that was talking to the dog
looked at the dog, and he said
Sort of staring in disbelief
"You can't say that"
he said
"It doesn't, and you can't, I won't, and it don't
it hasn't, it isn't, it even ain't, and it shouldn't
it couldn't"
He told him, "No, no, no"
I told him, "Yes, yes, yes"
I said, "I do it all the time
Ain't this boogie a mess"?
The poodle bites, the poodle chews it
@joh123ist
Bloody fantastic. I have always liked Zappa since I was in my teens I am now 74 and love his work even more
@deverborgentelefoon4479
You're doing good. Haaaahaaa
@kkz2916
I did the Mud Shark out of Massey Hall in 72....a genius.
@nickwebb8197
I'm 54 and been a fan since I was 13 and heard Sheik Yerbouti. I'm particularly fond of this song, and the Apostrophe' album. He took what he was doing very seriously, but never took himself too seriously. How can you not like that?
@ELECTROxigeno76.
opinion in the same way, I'm 47 and I've been listening to it since 1995, I was fascinated and now I savor it much more, I still can't explain how that is, but that's right, I'm close to making a small video document of his discography from 1965 to 1993 , I am from Mexico, and in my neighborhood and friends some know me as Nacho Zappa hahaha, a greeting Respectable Sir, Williams,
@ELECTROxigeno76.
opinion in the same way, I'm 47 and I've been listening to it since 1995, I was fascinated and now I savor it much more, I still can't explain how that is, but that's right, I'm close to making a small video document of his discography from 1965 to 1993 , I am from Mexico, and in my neighborhood and friends some know me as Nacho Zappa hahaha, a greeting Respectable Sir, Williams,
@marshaevelyn1
Frank never gets the credit for being innovative on guitar. The man could play.
@kushking420
And I LOVE his guitar tone
@UncleFexxer
The mixture of steaming blues guitar with the absurd lyrics just makes this sublime. I consider myself so blessed that I was able to see FZ 3 times in my life before he died. A true legend.
@robertgreig9716
i saw him 4 times ``````lol