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.
Truck Driver Divorce
Frank Zappa Lyrics
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Steve vai (rhythm guitar)
Ray white (rhythm guitar)
Tommy mars (keyboards)
Bobby martin (keyboards)
Ed mann (percussion)
Truck driver divorce!
(steel guitars
Usually weep all over it)
The bold & intelligent
Masters of the road
With their secret language,
And the giant
Over-sized
Mechanical
Trans-continental
Hobby-horse!
Truck driver divorce!
It's very sad!
Oh the wife!
Oh the kids!
Oh the waitress!
Oh the drive all night!
Sometimes when you get home
Some ugly lookin' son-of-a-bitch
Is trying to pooch yer
Home-town sweetheart!
Oh, go ride the bull!
Oh, go ride the bull!
Make it go up 'n down
'n when you fall off,
You can eat the mattress!
Truck driver divorce!
It's very sad!
Bust yer ass
To deliver some string beans,
Deliver some string beans,
Deliver some string beans,
To
Utah!
The song Truck Driver Divorce by Frank Zappa is a commentary on the harsh realities of being a truck driver. Zappa paints a very bleak picture of the life of a truck driver with his lyrics. The song highlights the pain and suffering that comes with being a truck driver, especially for those who have loved ones waiting for them at home. The lyrics suggest that truck drivers are lonely characters, who are constantly on the road, away from their families and home. The use of steel guitars in the song adds to the melancholic and sad nature of the lyrics.
The song also critiques the truck drivers’ lifestyle, highlighting the fact that they are often away for extended periods, making it difficult for their partners to stay faithful. The lyrics suggest that truck drivers are not able to have stable relationships and often experience divorce. The line "Oh the wife! Oh the kids! Oh the waitress! Oh the drive all night!" is particularly poignant, as it portrays the range of relationships a truck driver might have and the strain placed on all of them. Furthermore, the lyrics suggest that when the drivers do return home, they often find someone else occupying the space they once held, thereby further destabilizing the relationships they left behind.
Overall, Truck Driver Divorce is a reflective song that highlights the harsh reality of life on the road for truck drivers. It portrays the struggle that these workers experience both on the road and in their personal lives, making it one of Zappa's most powerful commentaries on the human condition.
Line by Line Meaning
Truck driver divorce!
The situation when a truck driver is getting a divorce.
It's very sad
The singer feels empathy towards the truck driver, and he is sad because of the situation.
(steel guitars
Usually weep all over it)
Steel guitar music is often associated with heartbreak and sadness.
The bold & intelligent
Masters of the road
With their secret language,
And the giant
Over-sized
Mechanical
Trans-continental
Hobby-horse!
Truck drivers are brave and smart people, and they have their own lingo. The trucks they drive are enormous and resemble hobby horses.
Oh the wife!
Oh the kids!
Oh the waitress!
Oh the drive all night!
Truck drivers have to deal with various challenges while being away from their families. They might miss their wives, kids, and face temptation from waitresses during their long hours on the road.
Sometimes when you get home
Some ugly lookin' son-of-a-bitch
Is trying to pooch yer
Home-town sweetheart!
Sometimes when the truck driver comes home, he finds that someone else is trying to approach his girlfriend.
Oh, go ride the bull!
Oh, go ride the bull!
Make it go up 'n down
'n when you fall off,
You can eat the mattress!
The singer tells the truck driver to go ride a mechanical bull, which is used as an analogy for the ups and downs of the truck driver's life. The singer suggests that when the truck driver fails, he can seek comfort in his bedroom.
Bust yer ass
To deliver some string beans,
Deliver some string beans,
Deliver some string beans,
To
Utah!
The artist implies that truck drivers have to work extremely hard to deliver simple things like string beans to faraway places like Utah.
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