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.
Tryin' To Grow A Chin
Frank Zappa Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Adrian belew (rhythm guitar, vocals)
Tommy mars (keyboards, vocals)
Peter wolf (keyboards)
Patrick o'hearn (bass, vocals)
Terry bozzio (drums, vocals)
Ed mann (percussion, vocals)
Napoleon murphy brock (background vocals)
Randy thornton (background vocals)
Davey moire (background vocals)
Hey! I'm only fourteen
Sickly 'n' thin
Tried all of my life
Just to grow me a chin
It popped out once
But my dad pushed it in
Why did he hurt me?
He's my next of kin...
He's a mex-I-kin
I'm lonely 'n' green
Too small for my shirt
If simmons was here
I could feature my hurt
Scared of the future
Hope I don't grow
I know nobody likes me
'cause everywhere I go
They say no
They say no
They say no
Now I'm older
Got a place in the town, babe
Got a chin on my shoulder
'n' it keeps growing down 'n' down 'n' down
I'm horny 'n' lonely
'n' I wish I was dead
Why am I livin'?
I wanna be dead instead
That's right, I said
I wanna be dead instead
Now dig this:
I wanna be dead
In bed
Please kill me
'cause that would thrill me
I wanna be dead
In bed
Please kill me
'cause that would thrill me
(etc, repeat)
The song "Tryin' to Grow a Chin" by Frank Zappa tells the story of a 14-year-old boy who is struggling with puberty and growing up. The singer of the song is sickly and thin, trying to grow a chin but struggling to do so. He recounts a painful memory where his dad pushed his chin in, making him feel hurt and rejected. The boy is lonely, scared of the future, and lacks confidence. He believes nobody likes him, and everywhere he goes, he's told "no."
As the song progresses, the boy becomes older, has a place in town, and eventually grows a chin. However, he's still unhappy and wishes he were dead, singing "Please kill me, 'cause that would thrill me" several times at the end of the song.
The song could be interpreted as a commentary on the struggles of growing up and how external forces, such as family and society, can impact the way we view ourselves. The singer of the song is vulnerable and struggling with his identity, relying on others to help him feel confident and accepted.
Overall, "Tryin' to Grow a Chin" is a complex look at the difficulties of adolescence and the negative impact of societal pressure on self-esteem.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey! I'm only fourteen
I am still young and not yet fully grown
Sickly 'n' thin
I am not in good health and am underweight
Tried all of my life
I have attempted for a long time
Just to grow me a chin
Just to develop a strong jawline
It popped out once
The chin once grew outwards
But my dad pushed it in
But my father somehow prevented it from further development
Why did he hurt me?
Why did my father harm my growth?
He's my next of kin...
He is related to me as a family member
He's a mex-i-kin
He is a Mexican-American
I'm lonely 'n' green
I am isolated and inexperienced
Too small for my shirt
The size of my clothing does not fit me well
If Simmons was here
If someone could understand my pain
I could feature my hurt
I could express my feelings of pain
Scared of the future
I am afraid of what is to come
Hope I don't grow
I hope that I do not further develop
I know nobody likes me
I am under the impression that nobody likes me
'Cause everywhere I go
Everywhere that I visit
They say NO
People reject me
Now I'm older
As I become matured
Got a place in the town, babe
I have a residence in the town
Got a chin on my shoulder
I finally developed a chin
'N' it keeps growing down 'n' down 'n' down
It keeps increasing and maturing
I'm horny 'n' lonely
I am sexually aroused but still isolated
'N' I wish I was dead
I desire to die
Why am I livin'?
Why am I existing?
I wanna be dead instead
I prefer death over living
That's right, I said
I truly mean it
I wanna be dead
I desire to die
In bed
In my own private space
Please kill me
Please end my life
'Cause that would thrill me
That would excite me
(etc, repeat)
And so on, repeating the same desire for death
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Frank Zappa
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@bodhisattva71
Frank Zappa's brain is a one of a kind!
@johnmegaritis6446
Crazy .... I love it ....
@everythingismediocre
Props to Bozzio for singing and playing the drums simultaneously on this. Monster. Met him once. Sweetheart of a guy.
@forestc6014
Absolute beast
@williamduffy1227
Unbelievable on the Drums. You guys are right ... a beast, ... a monster... . And a humble a decent guy.
@thrashmetalgoddess
2:04 omg those vocal harmonies 🤯😍
@PrimitiveInTheExtreme
The synthesisers in this song are a marvel.
@ChuckSchickx
The vocals 💥💣💯
@kennedy6971
You know this genius was ho estly 30yrs ahead of his time.
@CaterinaCarlone
Extraordinary Zappa!