Zappa disbanded the original Mothers of Invention line-up in 1970 to create music under his own name, but shortly reformed an entirely new band sometimes known as "The Mothers". This new incarnation had a strong vaudeville style and were much bawdier than before, with new vocalists Flo & Eddie, previously of the Turtles, taking the lead. After Zappa was pushed offstage in the Rainbow Theatre in 1971, he broke up this second band and concentrated on a jazzier style with a short-lived big band called the Grand Wazoo, but returned with a third lineup of the Mothers in 1973. This reformed group retained musical similarities to the previous group and the chamber music of the late '60s Mothers, but with a tighter, funkier sound; George Duke's soulful vocals being perhaps the most memorable addition. Whilst members of the new Mothers frequently appeared on albums credited solely to Zappa, three albums, Overnite Sensation, Roxy & Elsewhere and One Size Fits All display the name Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention.
The Mothers of Invention (1966-1969)
Frank Zappa - Musical director, guitar & vocals
Ray Collins - Lead vocalist, harmonica, tambourine, finger cymbals, bobby pin & tweezers 1966-early 1967, September 1967-August 1968
Jim Black - Drums
Roy Estrada - Bass & guitarron; boy soprano
Elliot Ingber - Alternate lead & rhythm guitar early 1966-September 1966
Jim Fielder - guitar, piano late 1966-February 1967
Don Preston - keyboards November 1966-August 1969
Bunk Gardner - woodwinds November 1966-August 1969
Billy Mundi - Drums November 1966-Decmber 1967
Euclid James Motorhead Sherwood - soprano, tambourine baritone saxophone & Roadie 1966, September 1967-August 1969
Ian Underwood -Woodwinds,Saxophone July 1967-August 1969
Arthur Dyer Tripp III - drums, timpani, vibes, marimba, xylophone, wood blocks, bells, small chimes December 1967-August 1969
Lowell George - Rhythm Guitar November 1968-May 1969
Buzz Gardner November 1968- August 1969
Core discography (note that the band's canon is nebulous, due to the often poorly demarcated overlap with Frank Zappa's solo discography; this list additionally omits albums released after the breakup of the band)
1966 - Freak Out!
1967 - Absolutely Free
1968 - We're Only in It for the Money
1968 - Cruising with Ruben & the Jets
1969 - Uncle Meat
1970 - Burnt Weeny Sandwich
1970 - Weasels Ripped My Flesh
1971 - Fillmore East - June 1971
1971 - 200 Motels
1972 - Just Another Band from L.A.
1972 - The Grand Wazoo
1973 - Over-Nite Sensation
1974 - Roxy & Elsewhere
1975 - One Size Fits All
1975 - Bongo Fury (with Captain Beefheart)
Son of Suzy Creamcheese
The Mothers of Invention Lyrics
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Suzy you were such a sweetie
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Blow your mind on too much Kool-aid
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Took my stash and left me lonely
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Suzy Creamcheese, Oh, baby, now
What's got into ya?
Suzy Creamcheese, Oh, mama, now
What's got into ya?
Got to find my Suzy Creamcheese
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Think I'll go and start my car
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Really dig her, she's so freaky
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Heard The Heat knows where you are
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Suzy Creamcheese, Oh, baby, now
What's got into ya?
Suzy Creamcheese, Oh, mama, now
What's got into ya?
Cruised the Strip and went to Canter's
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Suzy Creamcheese, please come home
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Vito said she split for Berkeley
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Protest-marching Styrofoam
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Suzy Creamcheese, Oh, baby, now
What's got into ya?
Suzy Creamcheese, Oh, mama, now
What's got into ya?
The song "Son of Suzy Creamcheese" by The Mothers of Invention tells the story of a young woman named Suzy Creamcheese who was once sweet and innocent. However, she appears to have changed and has been influenced by drugs and the counterculture movement of the 1960s. The lyrics express the confusion and longing of the singer as he tries to track down Suzy, who has taken his stash of drugs and left him lonely. The song's chorus repeats the question "What's got into ya?" as the singer searches for answers.
The lyrics also reference several cultural touchstones of the time, including Kool-Aid (which was sometimes used to prepare the drug LSD), The Heat (an underground newspaper), The Strip (a popular area in Los Angeles), Canter's (a famous deli), and Berkeley (a center of political activism).
Overall, the song conveys a sense of disorientation and disillusionment in the face of rapid cultural change and the rise of the counterculture movement. The singer is struggling to come to terms with the changing times and the changes in the people he knows, including Suzy Creamcheese.
Line by Line Meaning
What's got into ya?
Asking Suzy what's changed about her behavior lately
Suzy you were such a sweetie
Reminiscing about how Suzy used to be kind and considerate
Once you were my one and only
Recalling a time when Suzy was the only love in the singer's life
Blow your mind on too much Kool-aid
Believing that Suzy has been taking drugs and drinking excessively
Took my stash and left me lonely
Suspecting that Suzy stole the singer's drugs and left him alone
Got to find my Suzy Creamcheese
Making a plan to search for Suzy
Think I'll go and start my car
Preparing to drive around and look for Suzy
Really dig her, she's so freaky
Expressing the singer's fascination with Suzy's unusual behavior
Heard The Heat knows where you are
Speculating that a local gang may know Suzy's whereabouts
Cruised the Strip and went to Canter's
Describing the singer's unsuccessful search for Suzy
Suzy Creamcheese, please come home
Pleading with Suzy to return home and ease the singer's worries
Vito said she split for Berkeley
Hearing from a friend that Suzy left town for Berkeley
Protest-marching Styrofoam
Imagining Suzy participating in a protest against pollution
Suzy Creamcheese, Oh, baby, now
Continuously addressing Suzy throughout the song and expressing concern
Suzy Creamcheese, Oh, mama, now
Continuously addressing Suzy throughout the song and expressing concern
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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