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.
Won Ton On
Frank Zappa Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Steve vai (guitar)
Ray white (guitar, vocals)
Tommy mars (keyboards)
Chuck wild (piano)
Arthur barrow (bass)
Scott thunes (bass)
Jay anderson (string bass)
Chad wackerman (drums)
Ike willis (vocals)
Terry bozzio (vocals)
Dale bozzio (vocals)
Napoleon murphy brock (vocals)
Bob harris (vocals)
Johnny "guitar" watson (vocals)
Not really harry's voice:
Ecuas-nzbe?
Thing-fish:
Whiff it, boy! whiff it good, now! mammies, step forward 'n try t'git on down wit dem broadway zombies! dis de closin' numbuh, now! moses! git yo' brown ass ovuh heah! leave de co-log-nuh alone
Minnit. whyn'tcha go on 'n cornhole ya' some evil prince! I be'lieve he done evolved to de point where he kin hannle it now!
See dat? uh-huh! look like he severely enjoyin' it awready! sound like he enjoyin' it, too! wuh- oh! I smells trubba! look like he got de eeyah- noosht! ain't no two ways about it.
The mammies dance tangos with the zombies, (eventually hurling them offstage), the evil prince corn-holes rhonda (who doesn't even notice as she waves her magic-wand fountain pen around for harr
Follow), thing-fish snatches up the crab-grass baby and ob'dewlla (one in each hand), shaking them like maracas, while twirl-dancing around the yard, harry-as- a-boy and the artificial rhonda re
Are, chasing after the infant, quentin robert de nameland corn-holes brown moses. opal rides the bull while francesco gives her an enema. the nativity box rotates erratically, deli- vering dutch
Ts who offer onions to the audience.
Thing-fish:
'fo y'all departs, I jes' wish to say in conclu- sium, as matters o' dis gravity gen'rally re- quire some type o' philosomical post-scription, dat what y'all have witnessed heah tonight were a t
Tory - only de names o' de potatoes have been changed to protect de innocent.
Galoot co-log-nuh! don't buy it, peoples! dis have been a public service ernouncemint. wave good-night to de white folks, 'dewlla!
A conga-line is formed. they all exit through the audience, except for francesco, thing-fish & sister ob'dewlla 'x' (the crab-grass baby has been returned to harry-as-a-boy and artificial rh
.
Rhonda:
This is symbolism, harry!
Harry:
...not the stuff that 'freckles' lets out!
Rhonda:
This is symbolism! really deep, intense, thought-provoking broadway symbolism. really modern, harry...
Harry:
Take your hand off that chain, honey!
Rhonda:
Fuck that briefcases...
Harry:
...not the briefcase...
The lyrics to Frank Zappa's song "Won Ton On" are a combination of gibberish phrases, nonsensical rhymes, and satirical commentary on the entertainment industry. In the beginning, a character named Thing-Fish instructs the audience to "whiff it," prompting the dancers (mammies) and zombies to come on stage. The lyrics then describe an array of seemingly random actions, including an evil prince cornholing a woman named Rhonda, Thing-Fish shaking babies like maracas, and Dutch men offering onions to the audience. The song ends with a conga line and Rhonda discussing the symbolism behind the performance.
One possible interpretation of the lyrics is that they are a commentary on the state of the music industry and its tendency to prioritize spectacle and commercial appeal over substance. The characters and actions in the song can be seen as caricatures of the types of performers and shows that dominate the mainstream media. The use of gibberish and nonsense language could also be a way of critiquing the superficiality of much of popular culture. At the same time, the song is humorous and playful, offering a satirical perspective on the entertainment industry rather than a moralistic critique.
Overall, "Won Ton On" is a complex and multi-layered song that defies easy interpretation. It is a testament to Frank Zappa's unique musical and lyrical sensibilities and his willingness to push boundaries and challenge his audience.
Line by Line Meaning
Not really harry's voice:
The following words are not being spoken by Harry.
Ecuas-nzbe?
This is a meaningless utterance.
Whiff it, boy! whiff it good, now! mammies, step forward 'n try t'git on down wit dem broadway zombies! dis de closin' numbuh, now! moses! git yo' brown ass ovuh heah! leave de co-log-nuh alone
This is Thing-Fish encouraging the characters to dance and perform a closing number, making absurd and humorous statements to the characters.
Minnit. whyn'tcha go on 'n cornhole ya' some evil prince! I be'lieve he done evolved to de point where he kin hannle it now!
Thing-Fish tells an evil prince waiting in the wings to indulge in sexual activity.
See dat? uh-huh! look like he severely enjoyin' it awready! sound like he enjoyin' it, too! wuh- oh! I smells trubba! look like he got de eeyah- noosht! ain't no two ways about it.
Thing-Fish comments on the evil prince's actions and how they will lead to trouble.
The mammies dance tangos with the zombies, (eventually hurling them offstage), the evil prince corn-holes rhonda (who doesn't even notice as she waves her magic-wand fountain pen around for har
The characters perform various absurd actions, including dancing and sexual activity, while Rhonda continues to perform her job, unaware.
Follow), thing-fish snatches up the crab-grass baby and ob'dewlla (one in each hand), shaking them like maracas, while twirl-dancing around the yard, harry-as- a-boy and the artificial rhonda re
Thing-Fish performs an absurd dance while holding two characters, creating a humorous scene.
Are, chasing after the infant, quentin robert de nameland corn-holes brown moses. opal rides the bull while francesco gives her an enema. the nativity box rotates erratically, deli- vering dutch
More absurd actions occur, involving sexual activity and enemas, while the nativity box delivers onions to the audience.
'fo y'all departs, I jes' wish to say in conclu- sium, as matters o' dis gravity gen'rally re- quire some type o' philosomical post-scription, dat what y'all have witnessed heah tonight were a t
Thing-Fish provides a humorous closing remark, indicating that the audience has witnessed a story with absurd characters and situations.
Tory - only de names o' de potatoes have been changed to protect de innocent.
The story is fictional, and any similarities to real events are purely coincidental.
Galoot co-log-nuh! don't buy it, peoples! dis have been a public service ernouncemint. wave good-night to de white folks, 'dewlla!
Thing-Fish provides a humorous warning about believing the story and encourages the characters to say goodbye to the audience.
This is symbolism, harry!
Rhonda explains that the events are symbolic.
...not the stuff that 'freckles' lets out!
Harry makes a crude joke in response.
This is symbolism! really deep, intense, thought-provoking broadway symbolism. really modern, harry...
Rhonda continues to explain the symbolic meaning of the events.
Take your hand off that chain, honey!
Harry instructs Rhonda to stop playing with a chain.
...not the briefcase...
Harry corrects Rhonda's misunderstanding about what he was referring to.
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