Frank Vincent Zappa (born December 21, 1940 in Baltimore, Maryland, United … Read Full Bio ↴Frank Vincent Zappa (born December 21, 1940 in Baltimore, Maryland, United States – December 4, 1993 in Los Angeles, California, United States) was an American composer, guitarist, singer, bandleader and producer. He was one of the most prolific musicians of his time, releasing over fifty albums of original material spanning over a thirty-five year career.

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.

Wind Up Workin' In A Gas Station
Frank Zappa Lyrics

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This here song might offend you some.
If it does, it's because you're dumb.
That's the way it is where I come from.
If you been there too, let me see your thumb.

Let me see your thumb. (16x)

Show me your thumb if your really dumb.

Show me your thumb if your really dumb.
Show me your thumb if your really dumb.
Show me your thumb if your dumb.

Hey now, better make a decision.
Be a moron, and keep your position.
You oughta know now, all your education,
Won't help you no-how.

You're gonna wind up workin' in a gas station.
Wind up workin' in a gas station.
Wind up workin' in a gas station.
Wind up workin' in a gas station.

Pumpin' the gas every night.
Pumpin' the gas every night.
Wind up workin' in a gas station.
Wind up workin' in a gas station.

Pumpin' the gas every night.
Pumpin' the gas every night.
Wind up workin' in a gas station.
Wind up workin' in a gas station.

Many da camper wants to by some white.
Wind up workin' in a gas station
Many da camper wants to by some white.
Wind up workin' in a gas station
Many da camper wants to by some white.
Wind up workin' in a gas station
Many da camper wants to by some white.
Wind up workin' in a gas station

Wind up workin' in a gas station.
Wind up workin' in a gas station.

Wind up workin' in a gas station.
Wind up workin' in a gas station

Overall Meaning

Frank Zappa's song "Wind Up Workin in a Gas Station" is a satirical commentary on the state of education in America during the 1970s. The lyrics suggest that education cannot save you from a life of menial labor if you lack common sense or critical thinking skills. The chorus encourages listeners to show their thumbs if they are "really dumb," as a tongue-in-cheek way of acknowledging the song's provocative nature. The verses then warn of the consequences of being complacent or ignorant, with the repeated refrain of "Wind up workin' in a gas station" serving as a metaphor for low-paying, dead-end jobs that people may be stuck in without the ability to think critically.

One interesting aspect of this song is its use of wordplay and slang. The lyrics include phrases like "many da camper wants to by some white" (meaning that many drug users want to buy cocaine), as well as the repeated use of the term "wind up" as a way of emphasizing the idea of people being trapped in a certain position in life. Another interesting aspect is the song's use of repetition and simple chord progressions, which creates a hypnotic effect that mirrors the repetitious nature of the jobs that the lyrics are describing.

Overall, "Wind Up Workin in a Gas Station" is a clever and provocative commentary on the educational and social issues of its time, and it remains relevant today as a critique of the limitations that people face when they lack critical thinking skills or are unable to question the status quo.

Line by Line Meaning

This here song might offend you some.
Some people might find this song offensive.

If it does, it's because you're dumb.
If you are offended, it's because you lack intelligence.

That's the way it is where I come from.
This is the reality of the place where I grew up.

If you been there too, let me see your thumb.
If you have also experienced this, show me your approval.

Let me see your thumb. (16x)
Show your approval by raising your thumb.

Show me your thumb if your really dumb.
Raise your thumb if you lack intelligence.

Hey now, better make a decision.
It's time to make a choice.

Be a moron, and keep your position.
Stay ignorant, and accept your current situation.

You oughta know now, all your education,
You should realize that your education doesn't matter.

Won't help you no-how.
It won't help you at all.

You're gonna wind up workin' in a gas station.
You will end up working at a gas station.