Frank Vincent Zappa (born December 21, 1940 in Baltimore, Maryland, United … Read Full Bio ↴Frank Vincent Zappa (born December 21, 1940 in Baltimore, Maryland, United States – December 4, 1993 in Los Angeles, California, United States) was an American composer, guitarist, singer, bandleader and producer. He was one of the most prolific musicians of his time, releasing over fifty albums of original material spanning over a thirty-five year career.
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.
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.
Stranded in the Jungle
Frank Zappa Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴
The name of this song is "Stranded
In The Jungle" Yes, yes, yes
I crashed in the jungle while
Trying to keep a date
With my little girl who was
Back in the States
Stranded in the jungle, afraid, alone
Trying to figure a way to
Get a message back home
But how was I to know that
The wreckage of my plane
Had been picked up and spotted
And my girl in Lover's Lane?
Meanwhile, back in the States
Baby, baby, let's make romance you know
Your old-time lover hasn't got a chance
He's stranded in the jungle
Stranded as he can be
So come on pretty baby, just you and me
Meanwhile, back in the jungle
The boys in the jungle had me on the run
When something heavy hit me
Like an atomic bomb
When I woke up and my head started to clear
I had a strange feeling I was in cooking gear
I turn around and I look to see
That's when I found out they was a-cooking me
Great googa-mooga! Let me out of here!
Meanwhile, back in the States
Baby, baby, let's make romance you know
Your old-time lover hasn't got a chance
He's stranded in the jungle
Stranded as he can be
So come on pretty baby, just you and me
Meanwhile, back in the jungle
Well, I jumped out the pot
And I finally got away
Frantic with worry about what my baby'd say
So I jumped in the ocean
And I started to swim
But my chances of survival
Were getting mighty slim
So I thumbed down a whale
Who was heading my way
And I reached the States in about half a day
Now when I got to Lover's Lane
I was almost dead
But my soul was gone, and here's what I said:
Baby, baby, the man is no good
Oh baby, baby, you should have understood
You can trust me as long as I'm free
So come back pretty baby where you used to be
'Cause I love you 'Cause I love you
'Cause I love you 'Cause I love you
'Cause I love you 'Cause I love you
'Cause I love you
Awright awright awright awright now
Let's let's shift gears now and go into
Something else you you won't, you won't
Believe this, ladies and gentlemen
We're actually going to release a single
Off of this next album this
Is a song This is a song
That gives advice to the
Lovelorn, some very specific advice to the
Young gentlemen in our audience who
Definitely wanna get laid this is a
This is a virtual instruction
Booklet on how to do it okay
The name And I know you
All need some help, just from
Up here looking at ya
I know you could use some help so if
You'll If you'll follow these
Instructions carefully I'm
Sure something will happen to you the name
Of this song is "Find Her Finer"
In The Jungle" Yes, yes, yes
I crashed in the jungle while
Trying to keep a date
With my little girl who was
Back in the States
Stranded in the jungle, afraid, alone
Get a message back home
But how was I to know that
The wreckage of my plane
Had been picked up and spotted
And my girl in Lover's Lane?
Meanwhile, back in the States
Baby, baby, let's make romance you know
Your old-time lover hasn't got a chance
He's stranded in the jungle
Stranded as he can be
So come on pretty baby, just you and me
Meanwhile, back in the jungle
The boys in the jungle had me on the run
When something heavy hit me
Like an atomic bomb
When I woke up and my head started to clear
I had a strange feeling I was in cooking gear
I turn around and I look to see
That's when I found out they was a-cooking me
Great googa-mooga! Let me out of here!
Meanwhile, back in the States
Baby, baby, let's make romance you know
Your old-time lover hasn't got a chance
He's stranded in the jungle
Stranded as he can be
So come on pretty baby, just you and me
Meanwhile, back in the jungle
Well, I jumped out the pot
And I finally got away
Frantic with worry about what my baby'd say
So I jumped in the ocean
And I started to swim
But my chances of survival
Were getting mighty slim
So I thumbed down a whale
Who was heading my way
And I reached the States in about half a day
Now when I got to Lover's Lane
I was almost dead
But my soul was gone, and here's what I said:
Baby, baby, the man is no good
Oh baby, baby, you should have understood
You can trust me as long as I'm free
So come back pretty baby where you used to be
'Cause I love you 'Cause I love you
'Cause I love you 'Cause I love you
'Cause I love you 'Cause I love you
'Cause I love you
Awright awright awright awright now
Let's let's shift gears now and go into
Something else you you won't, you won't
Believe this, ladies and gentlemen
We're actually going to release a single
Off of this next album this
Is a song This is a song
That gives advice to the
Lovelorn, some very specific advice to the
Young gentlemen in our audience who
Definitely wanna get laid this is a
This is a virtual instruction
Booklet on how to do it okay
The name And I know you
All need some help, just from
Up here looking at ya
I know you could use some help so if
You'll If you'll follow these
Instructions carefully I'm
Sure something will happen to you the name
Of this song is "Find Her Finer"
"Stranded in the Jungle" is a humorous and adventurous song by Frank Zappa that tells the story of a man who crashes in the jungle while trying to keep a date with his girlfriend back in the States. The singer finds himself stranded and alone, trying to find a way to send a message back home. Little did he know that his plane wreckage had already been discovered, and his girlfriend was with another man in Lover's Lane. The lyrics alternate between the singer's experiences in the jungle and his girlfriend's activities back home.
In the jungle, the singer is pursued by the boys who eventually capture him. He wakes up to find himself in a pot, being cooked by the boys. However, he manages to escape and jumps into the ocean, swimming towards survival. He encounters a friendly whale who helps him reach the States in a short time. When he finally arrives at Lover's Lane, he is near death but expresses his love for his girlfriend and regrets his absence.
The song is filled with playful and imaginative lyrics that highlight the absurdity of the situation. It combines elements of adventure, humor, and romance to create an entertaining narrative.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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