Muffin Man
Frank Zappa & Captain Beefheart Lyrics
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in the laboratory of the utility muffin
Research kitchen... reaching for an
oversized chrome spoon he gathers an
Intimate quantity of dried muffin
remnants and brushing his scapular aside
Procceds to dump these inside of his shirt...
He turns to us and speaks:
Some people like cupcakes better.
I for one care less for them!
Arrogantly twisting the sterile canvas
snoot of a fully charged icing
Anointment utensil he poots forths
a quarter-ounce green rosette (oh ah yuk
Yuk... let's try that again...!)
he poots forth a quarter-ounce green
rosette Near the summit of a dense but
radiant muffin of his own design.
Later he says:
Some people... some people like cupcakes exclusively, while myself, I say
There is naught nor ought there be nothing so exalted on the face of god's grey
Earth as that prince of foods... the muffin!
Girl you thought he was a man
But he was a muffin
He hung around till you found
That he didn't know nuthin'
Girl you thought he was a man
But he only was a-puffin'
No cries is heard in the night
As a result of him stuffin'
Bruce fowler on trombone, napoleon murphy
brock on tenor sax, and lead vocals,
Terry bozzio on drums, tom fowler on bass,
denny walley on slide, george duke
On keyboards, captain beefheart on vocals,
and soprano sax, and madness. thank
You very much for coming to the concert tonight. hope you enjoyed it. goodnight
Austin, texas, where ever you are.
The song "Muffin Man" by Frank Zappa is a satirical critique of the pretentiousness of the food industry in post-war America, represented by the titular character. The Muffin Man is a scientist of sorts who operates in a "utility muffin research kitchen," surrounded by a sterile environment and technologically advanced equipment. He is seen indulging in muffins, which he clearly idolizes over other confectionery items such as cupcakes. The Muffin Man's love for muffins is so intense that he even wears them on his person, dumping the crumbs inside his shirt.
The song ridicules the snobbery and elitism of the culinary world, with the Muffin Man's insistence that muffins are the superior food item, and his haughty way of decorating his muffin with a "fully charged icing anointment utensil." This can be seen as a metaphor for the obsession with food trends and gimmicks that is prevalent in society. The lyrics are also ironic, as the Muffin Man, who is presented as a person of high authority in the world of muffins, is seen on closer examination to be a bizarre figure who is probably mentally unstable.
Line by Line Meaning
The muffin man is seated at the table
in the laboratory of the utility muffin
Research kitchen... reaching for an
oversized chrome spoon he gathers an
Intimate quantity of dried muffin
remnants and brushing his scapular aside
Procceds to dump these inside of his shirt...
He turns to us and speaks:
The muffin man is doing some experimentation on creating different muffin flavors in a laboratory. He takes a scoop of dried muffin bits and puts them inside his shirt despite making a mess. He then addresses the audience.
Some people like cupcakes better.
I for one care less for them!
The muffin man is telling the audience that some people may prefer cupcakes over muffins, but he personally dislikes cupcakes.
Arrogantly twisting the sterile canvas
snoot of a fully charged icing
Anointment utensil he poots forths
a quarter-ounce green rosette (oh ah yuk
Yuk... let's try that again...!)
he poots forth a quarter-ounce green
rosette Near the summit of a dense but
radiant muffin of his own design.
Later he says:
The muffin man takes up the task of decorating a muffin with green icing topping as a finishing touch made with pride. He later expresses his love for muffins, believing them to be the ultimate dessert.
Some people... some people like cupcakes exclusively, while myself, I say
There is naught nor ought there be nothing so exalted on the face of god's grey
Earth as that prince of foods... the muffin!
He declares his passion for muffins, saying that while some people only enjoy cupcakes, he sees muffins as an elevated and superior dessert.
Girl you thought he was a man
But he was a muffin
He hung around till you found
That he didn't know nuthin'
The lyrics imagine a woman who, seeing the muffin man's appearance or behavior, judged him to be a man but found that he was just a muffin. It's a playful comment on appearances being deceiving.
Girl you thought he was a man
But he only was a-puffin'
No cries is heard in the night
As a result of him stuffin'
This verse is a variation on the previous one, using 'puffin' instead of 'muffin'. The assertion that 'no cries are heard in the night' turns it into a humorous non sequitur.
Bruce fowler on trombone, napoleon murphy
brock on tenor sax, and lead vocals,
Terry bozzio on drums, tom fowler on bass,
denny walley on slide, george duke
On keyboards, captain beefheart on vocals,
and soprano sax, and madness. thank
You very much for coming to the concert tonight. hope you enjoyed it. goodnight
Austin, texas, where ever you are.
These lines are a list of credits for the music and performers on the track, signaling the end of the song and the concert.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Frank Vincent Zappa
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@spingebill8551
Shaking hands with your fans as a guitarist… during your guitar solo! Only a man as legendary as Frank Zappa could pull this off!
@kenfryer2090
He could do it because his playing was so crap it didn't make a difference
@spingebill8551
@@kenfryer2090 you clearly haven’t heard this song played with serious intent.
And yes, what Frank was doing here wasnt serious, Frank got a drunk dude on the stage to sing his song. It’s all just fun, as concerts should be.
@F1Slunk
Buckethead lets you play his killswitch live.
@jimtellez3681
CHINGONAZO bigotón 🎸🔥.
@Yourbankaccount
@@spingebill8551 stop making shit up. "The drunk dude" wasn't drunk. It was his personal security guard.
@shaftalight
2:05 He kept the solo going with one hand while doling out high-fives and handshakes to a bunch of people in the crowd with his other hand!
@JosephDawson1986
Thats easy to do when your guitar solos aren't pre made and practiced pieces.
@paulm7243
When i was a teenager, this solo and Frank generally got me through some shitty times. Still 100% my hero at 45. Nobody even comes close.
@Luka_WiFi
Same to me. მეც ეგრე