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.
Wild Love
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)
David ocker (clarinet)
Many well-dressed people
In several locations
Are kissing quite a bit
Later in the evening
Leaves will fall
Tears will flow
Wind will blow
Some rain; some snow
A fireplace maybe
A kiss or two
And down they'll go
But that's the way it goes sometimes
You just might find yourself in the clutches of some
Wild love
Mama stroked his dinger
Daddy got a stinky finger
In those days of long ago
Later in the evening
She'd complain
They'd refrain
He'd go home and hone his bone
A tragic case maybe
But also true
I'm sure you know
But that's the way it goes sometimes
You just might find yourself in the clutches of some
Wild love
Now'days you get dressed up
'n' later you get messed up
But still you're pretty hip
Later in the evening
You'll explain
She'll remain
You're real modern
She's the same
A frantic pace maybe
But who's to say
Where it will go
The song "Wild Love" by Frank Zappa depicts a world full of well-dressed people kissing passionately in multiple locations. The lyrics then shift to the theme of heartbreak as leaves fall, tears flow, winds blow, and rain or snow fall before two people share a kiss by a fireplace before their eventual downfall. The song proceeds to discuss the taboo topics of incestuous relationships, infidelity, and addiction, warning about the dangerous allure of a wild, passionate love that can consume and end up destroying a person.
The line "Mama stroked his dinger, Daddy got a stinky finger" portrays a storyline of incestuous relations between a mother and son and the father's implicit knowledge of it, ending in the son masturbating alone. The other verse discusses infidelity and addiction, portraying men getting dressed up, getting inebriated, and having a one-night stand, with the woman ultimately being left behind.
Overall, "Wild Love" explores themes of love, heartbreak, forbidden desires, addiction, and infidelity, warning of the ill-fated consequences of succumbing to wild and uncontrolled passions.
Line by Line Meaning
Many well-dressed people
Several people in different places are all dressed up and looking good
In several locations
These people are all in different locations at the moment
Are kissing quite a bit
They are all making out with each other
Later in the evening
As the night goes on
Leaves will fall
Fall weather is setting in
Tears will flow
Emotions will run high
Wind will blow
The weather is changing and the wind is picking up
Some rain; some snow
It might start raining or snowing
A fireplace maybe
They might be somewhere with a fireplace
A kiss or two
More kissing is going on
And down they'll go
Things might get heated
But that's the way it goes sometimes
This is just how things happen sometimes
You just might find yourself in the clutches of some
You could find yourself wrapped up in some wild love
Mama stroked his dinger
Back in the day, a woman fondled a man's penis
Daddy got a stinky finger
A man had bad smelling fingers, presumably from doing something dirty
In those days of long ago
Things were different back then
She'd complain
She might not have enjoyed it
They'd refrain
They might not do it again
He'd go home and hone his bone
He went home to masturbate
A tragic case maybe
Maybe this was a sad situation
But also true
This actually happened
I'm sure you know
You've probably heard similar tales before
Now'days you get dressed up
These days people still dress up
'N' later you get messed up
But then later, they get drunk and crazy
But still you're pretty hip
They still feel cool and trendy
You'll explain
They'll try to justify their behavior
She'll remain
She'll listen but might not agree
You're real modern
They feel like they're up-to-date with the times
She's the same
But she might not be on the same page
A frantic pace maybe
Things might be moving quickly
But who's to say
It's hard to predict where it will go from here
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Frank Zappa
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@grandwazoo4283
Maestro Frank is the best. Nobody does it better Nobody
@helpimarock66
This song is Epic. It's like a weird combination of Disco, Tango, Prog Rock and Classical. Something only the tight chaos of the Sheik Yerbouti band (1977 - 1978) could pull off. Shame frank never revived it for any later tours once that band broke up.
@AnAeijingBuffoon
Has a way of taking you right back to the time when you first heard it.
@melindadobson109
The best album and cd I ever had! I love you both Franks! My ex Frank & Frank Zappa! I love the 2nd Frank the most!
@bodhisattva71
The many tempos to this song are genius!
@lauralevenson6325
Notice an entire Orchestra in perfect sync!
@timothydillow3160
Side four of this album is still my favorite side of any record ..ever.
@lauralevenson6325
Genius! Here is the Master!
(In rare form). Bravissimo 🎉😂
@NLite486
this is the best song on sheik yerbouti imo and that's saying something considering this album is packed with fucking bangers
@budogden
This song gives me power!