Sleeping In A Jar
Zappa Mothers Lyrics

The lyrics of Zappa Mothers' song "Sleeping In A Jar" are somewhat cryptic and open to different interpretations. However, at its core, the song presents the image of a child in the middle of the night, wandering through the house while his parents are sleeping. The phrase "sleeping in a jar" is especially strange and surreal, seemingly referring to the idea of the parents being contained or trapped in their own sleep, like insects captured in a jar. The phrase might also be a reference to the parents' vulnerability, their being unaware of the child's activities and unable to protect themselves or their child from any dangers that might arise.

One way to interpret the song is as a commentary on the generational divide between children and adults. The child in the song is awake and curious, but the parents are in a state of oblivion, unaware of the secrets and mysteries that exist in the world outside their jar. The child's wanderings might represent an attempt to break free from the constraints of traditional family life and explore the unknown. Alternatively, the song might be a commentary on the surrealism of dreams, with the jar image representing the boundaries of the subconscious.