Brown Shoes Don't Make It
The Mothers of Invention Lyrics


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Brown shoes don't make it
Brown shoes don't make it
Quit school, why fake it
Brown shoes don't make it

Tv dinner by the pool
Watch your brother grow a beard
Got another year of school
You're okay, he's too weird
Be a plumber
He's a bummer
He's a bummer every summer
Be a loyal plastic robot
For a world that doesn't care

Smile at every ugly
Shine on your shoes and cut your hair

Be a jerk - go to work
Be a jerk - go to work
Be a jerk - go to work
Be a jerk - go to work
Do your job, and do it right
Life's a ball
Tv tonight
Do you love it
Do you hate it
There it is
The way you made it

A world of secret hungers
Perverting the men who make your laws
Every desire is hidden away
In a drawer in a desk by a Naugahyde chair
On a rug where they walk and drool
Past the girls in the office

His wife's attending an orchid show
She squealed for a week to get him to go
But back in the bed his teen-age queen
Is rocking and rolling and acting obscene
Baby baby...
Baby baby...

And he loves it, he loves it
It curls up his toes
She wipes his fat neck
And it lights up his nose
But he cannot be fooled
Old city hall Fred
She's nasty, she's nasty
She digs it in bed

Do it again, ha
And do it some more
That does it, by golly
it's nasty for sure
Nasty nasty nasty
Nasty nasty nasty
Only thirteen, and she knows how to nasty

She's a dirty young mind, corrupted
Corroded
Well she's thirteen today
And I hear she gets loaded

If she were my daughter, I'd
What would you do, daddy?
If she were my daughter, I'd
What would you do, daddy?
If she were my daughter, I'd
What would you do, daddy?

Smother my daughter in chocolate syrup
And strap her on again, oh baby
Smother that girl in chocolate syrup
And strap her on again

She's a teen-age baby
She turns me on
I'd like to make her do a nasty
On the white house lawn
Gonna smother my daughter in chocolate syrup
And boogie 'til the cows come home

Time to go home
Madge is on the phone
Gotta meet the gurneys and a dozen grey attorneys
Tv dinner by the pool
I'm so glad I finished school




Life is such a ball
I run the world from city hall

Overall Meaning

The song Brown Shoes Don't Make It by The Mothers of Invention is a cynical critique of middle-class conformity and the dissatisfaction that arises from following the prescribed formulas of success. The lyrics mock the idea that success in life can be achieved through simply following societal norms such as getting a good education, dressing well, and working hard. The repetition of the titular line "Brown shoes don't make it" reinforces the message that superficialities do not equate to satisfaction or fulfillment in life.


The lyrics also touch on the themes of hypocrisy and sexual deviance, with a focus on the corruptive power of power itself. References to secret hungers, perverted lawmakers, and teenage girls acting obscene with older men point to a larger societal sickness that affects even those in powerful positions. The lines "She's nasty, she's nasty, she digs it in bed" and "Only thirteen, and she knows how to nasty" are particularly disturbing and highlight the objectification and abuse of young women.


Overall, the song can be seen as a condemnation of the culture of conformity and the dangers of allowing those in power to become corrupted by their own desires.


Line by Line Meaning

Brown shoes don't make it
Wearing brown shoes alone does not make you successful or accepted in society


Quit school, why fake it
If you don't plan on putting effort into school, there's no point in pretending to care or waste your time


Tv dinner by the pool
A sense of materialism and a shallow lifestyle accompanied by little fulfillment or real excitement


Watch your brother grow a beard
A symbol of resisting conformity and societal norms


Got another year of school
A feeling of being stuck in the same pattern with little change or progress


You're okay, he's too weird
If someone seems different or out-of-place, society deems them as an outsider


Be a plumber, he's a bummer
Society devalues blue-collar jobs, despite them being necessary for daily life


Be a loyal plastic robot, for a world that doesn't care
Success and conformity are more important than individuality, despite being unappreciated


Smile at every ugly, shine on your shoes and cut your hair
Putting on a facade of prettiness and normality, despite the existence of struggles and hardship


Be a jerk - go to work
The reality of work is often unfulfilling and unpleasant, yet it's still necessary to survive


Do your job, and do it right
The expectation of succeeding in a dull and meaningless routine, with no room for growth or creativity


Life's a ball, Tv tonight
The lack of excitement and fulfillment in life, often compensated by entertainment and media


A world of secret hungers, perverting the men who make your laws
Politicians and lawmakers subject to hidden desires and vices, influenced by societal pressure


Every desire is hidden away, in a drawer in a desk by a Naugahyde chair
Secret vices and desires are often hidden from public view, represented by a specific piece of furniture


On a rug where they walk and drool, past the girls in the office
The seemingly innocent and unassuming traits of men interacting with women in a work environment, often with ulterior motives


His wife's attending an orchid show, she squealed for a week to get him to go
Society and gender roles at play, where women are made to appear more shallow and frivolous compared to their male counterparts


But back in the bed his teen-age queen, is rocking and rolling and acting obscene
The hypocrisy and double standards of society, where adult men can have inappropriate relations with underage girls


She's a dirty young mind, corrupted, corroded
The negative consequences of societal pressure and expectations on the young and impressionable


Well she's thirteen today, and I hear she gets loaded
A sense of shock and disgust at the young and vulnerable being exposed to harmful and negative behaviors


Smother my daughter in chocolate syrup, and strap her on again
A disturbing and inappropriate desire to control and manipulate another individual


She's a teen-age baby, she turns me on, I'd like to make her do a nasty on the white house lawn
An example of the glorification of inappropriate and illegal behavior, as well as the double standards between genders


Gonna smother my daughter in chocolate syrup, and boogie 'til the cows come home
A disturbing reiteration of previous lyrics, emphasizing the control and domination the individual desires


Madge is on the phone, gotta meet the gurneys and a dozen grey attorneys
The mundanity and tediousness of everyday life, accompanied by the presence of dull and lifeless individuals


Life is such a ball, I run the world from city hall
The sense of power and influence one may feel in their job or position, despite its insignificance in the grand scheme of things




Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS

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Comments from YouTube:

Jway

This song is so important to me and my mental health

nownzen77

this was the first Zappa song I ever heard...and I've loved him ever since!!!! I was about 12...

Rickity1

Powerful stuff...they don't wtite 'em like this anymore!

randyslicker

this goes onto my "in breach of good taste" playlist.

npspec34

Great Post. When Zappa took the Mothers to NYC they were playing in an old theater and they put a sign outside which said "Absolutely Free" so as to draw in the masses. "His wife's attending an orchid show..."

polycarpx

This is like classic Mad Magazine turned into music. I was listening to this shit when other kids were listening to Journeyand Quaterflash. The end always reminded me of a dryer turned on high, totally hypnotized me.

dynamoehummm

Can't believe they allow this vile and pernicious slime today. With all we know about TV dinners being unhealthy and the stylish new brown varietals of footwear available. I do however, wonder how this song if brought up in that Crossfire interview would have been handled by Zappa lol.

maxmaxmaxmax12

NASTY NASTY NASTY

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