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.
Tears Began to Fall
Frank Zappa Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Mark volman (lead vocals, dialog)
Howard kaylan (lead vocals, dialog)
Ian underwood (woodwinds, keyboards, vocals)
Aynsley dunbar (drums)
Jim pons (bass, vocals, dialog)
Bob harris (keyboards, vocals)
Don preston (mini-moog)
Oooh!
Tears began to fall,
The writings on the wall
There is nothin' that can touch
The car that drove away
And now I'm sittin' here all alone
Without no love of my own
I said my tears began to fall
Cryin' I've no love at all
Tears began to fall and fall and fall
Down the church
'cause I feel so hurt
Since my baby drove away
Tears began to fall
Tears began to fall
Tears began to fall and fall and fall
Tears began to fall
Ayayayaaaa...
And now I'm sittin' here all alone
Without no love of my own,
Without no love of my own
Without no love of my own
Tears began to fall
Tears began to fall
Tears began to fall
Tears began to fall
Tears began to fall
Tears began to fall
Tears began to fall
Tears began to fall
Tears began to fall and fall and fall
Down the church
'cause I feel so hurt
Since my baby drove away
Wah-wah-wah-wah-wah
Tears began to fall,
Tears began to fall
Wah-wah-wah-wah-wah
Tears began to fall,
Tears began to fall
Wah-wah-wah-wah-wah
Tears began to fall,
Tears began to fall
Wah-wah-wah-wah-wah
Tears began to fall,
Tears began to fall
Wah-wah-wah-wah-wah-waaah
The lyrics to Frank Zappa's song "Tears Began to Fall" describe the pain of lost love. The singer describes how everything started to fall apart after their lover left them, leaving them feeling alone and heartbroken. The use of tears in the song represents the emotional pain and sadness experienced after a break-up. The line "The car that drove away" suggests that the lover left without explanation or communication, further emphasizing the sense of loss and confusion the singer is feeling. The repetition of the phrase "without no love of my own" emphasizes the feeling of loneliness and emptiness that the singer is experiencing. The chorus of the song repeatedly refers to tears falling down, emphasizing the deep sense of hurt and sorrow that the singer is feeling.
At the same time, the song could be interpreted as a commentary on the wider human condition. The lyrics suggest that everyone experiences heartbreak and pain at some point in their lives. The line "down the church 'cause I feel so hurt" implies that the singer has turned to religion in order to cope with their pain. The song can be seen as a reflection of the difficulties of being human, and the need to find ways to cope with the pain and sadness that inevitably come with life.
Line by Line Meaning
Oooh!
Expressing sorrow and pain.
Tears began to fall,
Crying is the only reaction left after heartbreak.
The writings on the wall
The situation was inevitable and the clues were always there.
There is nothin' that can touch
There is nothing in the world that can fix the pain.
The car that drove away
The cause of the heartbreak.
And now I'm sittin' here all alone
Feeling abandoned and lonely.
Without no love of my own
Feeling empty and unloved.
Tears began to fall and fall and fall
An uncontrollable outpouring of emotions.
Down the church
The tears flow like a river to the place of worship.
'cause I feel so hurt
The emotional pain is too much to bare.
Since my baby drove away
The cause of the heartbreak.
Wah-wah-wah-wah-wah
The repetition of the tears falling represents the overwhelming sadness.
Tears began to fall
Continuing to express the heartbreak and pain.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Alistair Clarke
To my knowledge, Zappa never performed this without this particular band. This performance is simply perfect!
andrew leblanc
I fricking loved this album. I was turned onto it by a a geeky co worker in 1978, had to have it ordered by American Books and Records In Morgan City Louisiana. wore it out, finally gave it too a friend's younger brother. he was 15 at the time. It was my duty to pass this on to another generation
Julio Jesus Jimenez
Live, no gimmicks, and
EVERYBODY SINGING, in all part harmonies...
James Abrams
I loved this lineup with Flo and Eddie and the vocals Frank used in the shows.
Tom Orourke
So clever and it would have been so cool if this had made their top 40
Jim Pig Productions
One of the best Zappa songs
Dustin Morro
Saw Dweezil and the Hot Rats Orchestra perform this song three days ago, I've had it stuck in my head since.
j m
im seeing them here in Australia in April and i hope they play this🙂
smashrhythm
Flow and eddy greatest duo of all time people.
Heath Chappell
Badass Aynsley break at 1:50✌