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.
The Story Of Willie The Pimp
Frank Zappa Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Pair of khaki pants with my shoes shined black
Got a little lady walk that street
Tellin' all the boys that she can't be beat
Twenty dollar bill, I can set you straight
Meet me on the corner boy'n don't be late
Man in a suit with bow-tie neck
Want to buy a grunt with a third party check
Standin' onna porch of the Lido Hotel
Floozies in the lobby love the way I sell
Hot meat
Hot rats
Hot zits
Hot wrists
Hot ritz
Hot roots
Hot soots
Hot meat
Hot rats
Hot chicks
Hot zits
Hot wrists
Hot ritz
Hot roots
Hot soots
The lyrics of Frank Zappa's song "Willie the Pimp" convey a story about a little pimp who takes pride in his appearance and his lady. He wears a pair of khaki pants with shiny black shoes, with slicked-back hair. His lady is described as the best, and she walks the street telling everyone about herself. Willie the pimp is known to have connections, and he can fix things for twenty dollars. He tells the boys to meet him on the corner but warns them not to be late. In the next verse, there is a man in a suit with a bow-tie who wants to buy a grunt with a third-party check. Willie is standing on the porch of Lido Hotel, and the floozies in the lobby love the way he sells.
The song presents a vivid illustration of the grim and primal realities of the social concrete jungle. The lyrics suggest that in the corrupt world of prostitution and drug-dealing in the inner city, there is poverty mixed with vulgarity, cruelty, and exploitation. The song's key message is the corruption of humanity in society. Its melodic structure is typical of avant-garde compositions, contrasting with the vocalists' aggressive, melancholic attack.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm a little pimp with my hair gassed back
I operate as a relatively small scale businessman in the prostitution industry, sporting a hairstyle that is slicked back using a flammable liquid
Pair of khaki pants with my shoes shined black
I dress myself in a pair of tan-colored trousers and a pair of lustrous, polished black dress shoes
Got a little lady walk that street
I employ a female individual to stroll the pavement and attract the attention of potential clients
Tellin' all the boys that she can't be beat
I request the lady to convince her prospective customers that her services are of the finest quality and unmatched by her peers
Twenty dollar bill, I can set you straight
I am capable of solving your problems in exchange for twenty dollars
Meet me on the corner boy'n don't be late
I await your presence at the street intersection, and advise you to be punctual
Man in a suit with bow-tie neck
There is a gentleman who is clothed in formal attire and adorns his outfit with a bow-shaped tie around his neck
Want to buy a grunt with a third party check
He is interested in purchasing a low-level employee by writing a check that is not issued by himself nor the recipient of payment
Standin' onna porch of the Lido Hotel
I am situated on the porch of the Lido Hotel, a place where a number of various controversies occur
Floozies in the lobby love the way I sell
The women with promiscuous characteristics residing in the hotel's lobby are fond of the way in which I conduct my business dealings
Hot meat
An individual with a heightened level of sexual appeal and virility
Hot rats
Humans who sell information, usually false or inaccurate, for monetary advantage
Hot zits
Nervous pimples on the surface of one's skin that is red, swollen, and often painful
Hot wrists
When a person's veins become prominent or bulgy in appearance, indicating drug use or physical strain
Hot ritz
High-end and luxurious accommodations
Hot roots
The origins of illegal or scandalous activities
Hot soots
Carbon residue left after a combustible substance is burned
Hot meat
An individual with a heightened level of sexual appeal and virility
Hot rats
Humans who sell information, usually false or inaccurate, for monetary advantage
Hot chicks
Young and attractive women who possess favorable physical and sexual characteristics
Hot zits
Nervous pimples on the surface of one's skin that is red, swollen, and often painful
Hot wrists
When a person's veins become prominent or bulgy in appearance, indicating drug use or physical strain
Hot ritz
High-end and luxurious accommodations
Hot roots
The origins of illegal or scandalous activities
Hot soots
Carbon residue left after a combustible substance is burned
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: FRANK ZAPPA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind