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)
Who Needs the Peace Corps?
The Mothers of Invention Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Who needs the peace corps?
Think I'll just DROP OUT
I'll go to Frisco
On Owsley's floor
Walked past the wig store
Danced at the Fillmore
I'm completely stoned
I'm hippy & I'm trippy
I'm a gypsy on my own
I'll stay a week & get the crabs &
Take a bus back home
I'm really just a phony
But forgive me
'Cause I'm stoned
Every town must have a place
Where phony hippies meet
Psychedelic dungeons
Popping up on every street
GO TO SAN FRANCISCO . . .
How I love ya, How I love ya
How I love ya, How I love ya Frisco!
How I love ya, How I love ya
How I love ya, How I love ya
Oh, my hair is getting good in the back!
Every town must have a place
Where phony hippies meet
Psychedelic dungeons
Popping up on every street
GO TO SAN FRANCISCO . . .
Hotcha!
First I'll buy some beads
And then perhaps a leather band
To go around my head
Some feathers and bells
And a book of Indian lore
I will ask the Chamber Of Commerce
How to get to Haight Street
And smoke an awful lot of dope
I will wander around barefoot
I will have a psychedelic gleam in my eye at all times
I will love everyone
I will love the police as they kick the shit out of me on the street
I will sleep . . .
I will, I will go to a house
That's, that's what I will do
I will go to a house
Where there's a rock & roll band
'Cause the groups all live together
And I will join a rock & roll band
I will be their road manager
And I will stay there with them
And I will get the crabs
But I won't care
Because . . .
The Mothers of Invention's "Who Needs the Peace Corps?" can be seen as a satirical take on the counterculture movement of the 1960s. The lyrics poke fun at the idea of dropping out of society to become a "phony hippie" in San Francisco, with lines like "Think I'll just DROP OUT, I'll go to Frisco, Buy a wig & sleep on Owsley's floor." The singer's lack of genuine conviction to the counterculture movement is evident when he admits, "I'm really just a phony, But forgive me 'Cause I'm stoned."
The song is also critical of the commercialization and commodification of this movement, with lyrics like "Every town must have a place where phony hippies meet, psychedelic dungeons popping up on every street." The singer even plans to ask the Chamber of Commerce for directions to Haight Street, a nod to how the counterculture had become a tourist attraction.
Line by Line Meaning
What's there to live for?
Asking what the point of life is.
Who needs the peace corps?
Asking why anyone would bother to join the Peace Corps.
Think I'll just DROP OUT
Deciding not to participate in society as expected.
I'll go to Frisco
Going to San Francisco.
Buy a wig & sleep
Preparing to be homeless and sleep on someone's floor.
On Owsley's floor
Planned place to sleep, specifically on Owsley's floor.
Walked past the wig store
Observing the surroundings while wandering around.
Danced at the Fillmore
Attended concerts at the Fillmore Auditorium.
I'm completely stoned
Feeling high from drugs.
I'm hippy & I'm trippy
Describing a hippie lifestyle.
I'm a gypsy on my own
Identifying as a wanderer with no roots.
I'll stay a week & get the crabs &
Take a bus back home
Planning to stay in San Francisco for a week and leave after catching a sexually transmitted infection.
I'm really just a phony
Admitting to not truly embodying the hippie lifestyle.
But forgive me
'Cause I'm stoned
Using drugs as an excuse for being fake.
Every town must have a place
Where phony hippies meet
Psychedelic dungeons
Popping up on every street
GO TO SAN FRANCISCO . . .
Commenting on fake hippies and saying to go to San Francisco to find them congregating.
How I love ya, How I love ya
How I love ya, How I love ya Frisco!
How I love ya, How I love ya
How I love ya, How I love ya
Oh, my hair is getting good in the back!
Expressing love for San Francisco and noticing that hair is growing longer.
First I'll buy some beads
And then perhaps a leather band
To go around my head
Some feathers and bells
And a book of Indian lore
I will ask the Chamber Of Commerce
How to get to Haight Street
And smoke an awful lot of dope
I will wander around barefoot
I will have a psychedelic gleam in my eye at all times
I will love everyone
I will love the police as they kick the shit out of me on the street
I will sleep . . .
Describing the plan to dress like a stereotypical hippie, learn about Native American culture, and explore the area while high on drugs.
I will, I will go to a house
That's, that's what I will do
I will go to a house
Where there's a rock & roll band
'Cause the groups all live together
And I will join a rock & roll band
I will be their road manager
And I will stay there with them
And I will get the crabs
But I won't care
Because . . .
Going to a house where a rock band lives, joining the band as their road manager, and not caring if STIs are contracted.
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