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.
Watermelon In Easter Hay
Frank Zappa Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Joe has just worked himself into
an imaginary frenzy during the fade-out of his imaginary song
He begins to feel depressed now. He knows the end is near. He has realized
at last that imaginary guitar notes and imaginary vocals exist only in the mind
of the imaginer.
And ultimately, who gives a fuck anyway? (laugh)...Excuse me...so who gives a fuck anyway? So he goes back to his ugly little room and quietly dreams his last imaginary guitar solo...
The song "Watermelon in Easter Hay" by Frank Zappa is a complex and multilayered masterpiece that deals with multiple themes and concepts, including the nature of reality, art, and imagination. In this particular segment of the song, Zappa introduces the character of Joe, a musician who has just finished playing an imaginary song and is now feeling the weight of reality. The CENTRAL SCRUTINIZER, a voice representing society's expectations and norms, comments on Joe's state of mind and acknowledges the ephemeral nature of art.
The lyrics suggest that Joe has been living in a world of illusions, where his music and creativity were the only things that mattered. However, as the song progresses, he comes to the realization that these "imaginary guitar notes and imaginary vocals" are just figments of his imagination, and ultimately do not matter in the grand scheme of things. Zappa seems to be commenting on the nature of art and its place in society, suggesting that while creativity and imagination are important, they should not be the sole focus of one's life.
The final line of the segment, "he goes back to his ugly little room and quietly dreams his last imaginary guitar solo," is particularly poignant. It suggests that even though Joe has come to terms with the transitory nature of his art, he still finds solace in it and continues to create. This line also emphasizes the theme of isolation and loneliness that runs throughout the song, highlighting the idea that art can serve as a means of escape from the harsh realities of life.
Line by Line Meaning
This is the CENTRAL SCRUTINIZER
Introducing the overarching concept of a person or organization in charge of monitoring and controlling the actions of others.
Joe has just worked himself into an imaginary frenzy during the fade-out of his imaginary song
Joe has allowed his imagination to take control as he mentally composes and performs a song, even though the actual music has stopped playing.
He begins to feel depressed now. He knows the end is near. He has realized at last that imaginary guitar notes and imaginary vocals exist only in the mind of the imaginer.
Joe is becoming aware of the fleeting nature of his creative process and the realization that all of his musical ideas only have existence within his own mind.
And ultimately, who gives a fuck anyway? (laugh)...Excuse me...so who gives a fuck anyway?
This question underscores the idea that the creative process and the production of art is ultimately subjective and not necessarily important to anyone other than the artist themselves.
So he goes back to his ugly little room and quietly dreams his last imaginary guitar solo...
In the end, Joe retreats to his personal space to continue his creative exploration despite the futility of his efforts to share his art with others.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Frank Vincent Zappa
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Henry Schecker
I'm 29 years old. I lost my mother to heart failure at 27 and I lost my father to Covid-19 at 28. The last 2 years of my life have been unimaginably heartbreaking. And I sit and listen to this on Easter Sunday 2022. I'm going into work cause I've got no family left in this world. My father showed me Zappa. I'm eternally grateful. The only thing is I just can't listen to it anymore with crying my eyes out.
Christopher Ryder
Stay strong . Your people would want it. Beautiful song. One thing about FZ also is he Will put a smile on your face. Much ♥️
EastwickBlack
Never give up as long you can listen to music..enjoy life! It is beautiful
Youssef sakhi
Bro life go on. Never give up
alien sphyncter
Sorry for your loss homie keep your head up an hopfully one day u can listen to zappa an smile
David Wildenhain
As a musician, I find it amazing that this beautiful, moving guitar piece is played over a grand total of 2 CHORDS!! 9 minutes of two chords, and it's not boring for a second. Only Frank Zappa could accomplish that.
Kevin Catalano
Consider Beethoven's 5th.
Both of these pieces of music are expressions of genius in minimalism.
Yann Mondehard
Welcome to modal improvisation
Chumbucket Jones
And those same old chords going over and over became a symphony.
Psycho9263
I have the sheet music accurately transcribed by Steve Vai in The Frank Zappa Guitar book. It is played in a compound time signature in 4/4 and 5/4 (not 9/4) played in the key of E Major (four sharps). Metronome marking is 52 beats per minute. I had the unique pleasure of hearing a violinist playing this piece flawlessly. When the 5 note chord is played (violin can only play 2 note chords) near the end on the violin, it is very tearful sounding. It sounded actually better on a violin.