First draft for YAWYI Notes and Comments

[Dave Lane]

Vladimir Sovetov wrote:

> YOU ARE WHAT YOU IS
> ===================
> Notes and Comments
> firts draft

first. ;^)

> I could tighten my headband for an extra rush
> ^^^^
> During Jerry's guitar solo
> ^^^^^^
> # From: Robert Moore <evi...@tbag.tscs.com>
> # This refers to Jerry Garcia, guitarist for The Grateful Dead and co-creator
> # of a truly nauseating flavor of Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream (called Cherry
> # Garcia - blecch).

I seem to recall there was some threat of a lawsuit from the Jerry
Garcia
folks when this first came out, and now the name is licensed from them.

> # Well, OK, but what about the extra rush? EXTRA RUSH of what? Blood
> # sparkling with some synthetic substance?

Rush is like a "buzz"; like the effects of a drug.

> Harder Than Your Husband
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>
> # Great Bob Dylan parody. And who's done lead vocal I can't believe
> # it was Ike or Ray, but who then?

I don't get any Dylan connection; it's just a country and western
parody. The singer is Jimmy Carl Black.

> When the green light shines down
> On the black guys in the band
> Everybody in the audience
> Thinks they're seeing something
> That looks like it's made out of
> Fish skin
> But Coy leaves the green gels in the truss
> ^^^
> #Who's he?

Marque (Marque-son) Coy. The guy in charge of sound & lights.
The green gels are what make the stage lights shine green.

> He traded his dashiki
> For some Jordache Jeans
> ^^^^^^^^

Jordache Jeans were one of the more popular brands of "designer"
jeans that became popular in the mid-late 70s. Often accompanied by
garish shirts and blouses made of petroleum products, they were part of
the uniform worn by people of the sort lampooned by Dancin' Fool and
Disco Boy.

> Or rent a nice French bomb
> ^^^^^^^^^^^

I always figured the "rent a nice French bomb" part was a reference
to the french-built Exocet missiles in use by many different countries.

> Heavenly Bank Account
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>
> He's got twenty million dollars
> In his Heavenly Bank Account...
> All from those chumps who was
> Born again
> ^^^^^^^^^^

If you don't "accept Jesus Christ as your personal savior" by mailing
checks to some guy with Jimmy Johnson Hair(tm) on TV, then the Big Jeez
gets pissed off and you don't get to spend a swell eternity with the
Imaginary Guy In The Clouds. You might even have to go where the Guy
With The Pointed Stick conducts his business, but I'm not sure.

> LaCelia Jackson! Come on down!
> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> # Who's this girl?

I don't know if it's a made-up name, but the "come on down" part
is probably a reference to the "Price is Right" game show, since
that's how they'd announce the contestants.

--Dave

[spb...@alpha.cc.oberlin.edu]

A few comments :

In "Goblin Girl" "Coy" refers not to Marque Coy (sorry Dave L.), but to
Coy Featherstone, who was FZ's lighting director during this time. (I
think that he's credited on OSFA.) Marque Coy didn't work with FZ until
'81.

The date of the original solo from "Theme From The Third Movement Of
Sinister Footwear" is 10-27-78 (show #2), at the Palladium in NYC.

It just occured to me that there's a definite resemblance between the
"what could be whiter" part of "I'm A Beautiful Guy" and the old Tonight
Show theme. This part of the song was originally performed without lyrics,
but with some spoken comments from Ike, before FZ added words in the studio.

In "Charlie's Enormous Mouth" I've always interpreted "she used to
convey" as meaning "she used to be able to communicate effectively."

An interesting bit of background on this album : during the spring
1980 U.S. tour FZ's band frequently played a set which went as follows -

Instrumental Opener/Teenage Wind/Harder Than Your Husband/Bamboozled
By Love/Pick Me I'm Clean/YAWYI Side 2/Easy Meat/Mudd Club/The Meek/Heavenly
Bank Account to Drafted (YAWYI Side 4)/Joe's Garage/Hurt When I Pee
(+encores)

During the first show of the tour (Seattle 3/25/80), FZ announced at
the start that the material was intended as an extension of Joe's Garage,
representing various things that happened to Joe after he got sick of his
job at the UMRK and quit. FZ dropped this explanation at later shows, but
this didn't stop the Mud Shark label from releasing a vinyl boot of one of
these sets titled "Joe's Garage Acts IV and V Live?".

Pat Buzby
Oberlin, OH

[Vladimir Sovetov]

YOU ARE WHAT YOU IS
===================

Notes and Comments
firts draft

put together by
Vladimir Sovetov <so...@kpbank.ru>

special thanks to
Robert Moore <evi...@tbag.tscs.com>

Teen-age Wind
~~~~~~~~~~~~~

*It's a miserable Friday night
I'm so lonely
And nobody'll give me a ride
To the Grateful Dead concert...Oh rats!*

I got to be free
Free as the wind
Free is the way
I got to be

# From: big...@netcom.com (Arthur Barrow)
# from Arthur's comments on Tink Walk Amok from TMFU N&C
#
# (There is another entire story related to Cross [A guy I knew from San
# Antonio, the singer Christopher Cross] and "Teenage Wind" - that song was
# "inspired" by "Ride Like the Wind" after Frank had only heard me attempting
# to play and sing it on a Wurlitzer piano after I had heard it only once on
# the car radio! When a friend of mine told Cross about Frank's song, Cross
# said "I hope he doesn't release it while I'm peaking! When I told this to
# Frank, he said "Oo, I've been in the business 15 minutes and I'm peaking!")
#
# Very nice and could anyone (Arthur are here?) to provide us with the
# lyrics of Cross original song?

Nothing left to do but get out the 'ol glue
^^^^^^^^^^^^
(Sniff it good now...)

# From: Robert Moore <evi...@tbag.tscs.com>

# In days of old, when drugs were relatively unknown for a person of few
# means and 14 years of age, it was discovered that if one sniffs plastic
# model glue, one can get high as a fuckin' kite. Plastic Model Cement (as
# it was called) was manufactured by a number of companies, the most popular
# brands being "Testor's" and "Revell". Anyhoo, some time in the mid-70s
# somebody (probably led by some Concerned Parent Group) decided to alter the
# chemical composition of glue such that it retained its plastic bonding
# properties but lost its "euphoric" effects.

(WE MUST BE FREE!)
The glue! The glue! I can't find the glue!
(WE MUST BE FREE AS THE WIND)
If I was at the concert now, I'd be
RIPPED!
^^^^^^
# Wasted, Twisted, Stoned, chemicaly entertained
# see comments on Strictly Genteel in 200 MOTELS N&C

(WE WERE FREE WHEN WE WERE
BORN)

I could tighten my headband for an extra rush
^^^^
During Jerry's guitar solo
^^^^^^
# From: Robert Moore <evi...@tbag.tscs.com>
# This refers to Jerry Garcia, guitarist for The Grateful Dead and co-creator
# of a truly nauseating flavor of Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream (called Cherry
# Garcia - blecch).

#
#

# Well, OK, but what about the extra rush? EXTRA RUSH of what? Blood
# sparkling with some synthetic substance?

Then I could go to a midnite show of 200 MOTELS!
(WE WERE BORN FREE, BUT, NOW WE ARE NOT FREE ANYMORE!)

"Opal, you hot little bitch!"
"You can take this pin n' hang it in yer ass!"
"You ain't the devil!"
"Where's my waitress?"

# Cocktail from lines actually said by Jimmy Carl Black redneck-cowboy
# character in two different episodes of 200 Motels movie.

Harder Than Your Husband
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

# Great Bob Dylan parody. And who's done lead vocal I can't believe
# it was Ike or Ray, but who then?

But the time has come, my darlin'
To set things right, 'cause
I'll be harder than yer husband
To get along with
Harder than yer husband every night
Harder than yer husband
Harder than yer husband

# From: Robert Moore <evi...@tbag.tscs.com>

# Just in case there are 2 foreigners out there who don't get this joke - FZ
# is making another in a veritable cornucopia of deft double entendres. On
# the surface the implication is that the "I will be a more difficult person
# to share a relationship with than your husband." The sub-surface
# implication is: "My penis will be harder than your husband's - harder
# EVERY NIGHT."

So it's adios, adios, my little darlin'
(*adios my little darlin'*...)
Gotta go now...
Keep that hankie that I gave you for when you cry
^^^^^^

# From: Robert Moore <evi...@tbag.tscs.com>

# Hankie = Handkerchief

Goblin Girl
~~~~~~~~~~~

Hob-noblin
^^^^^^^^^^
Wit de goblin
De Goblin Girl
From da mystery world

# From: Robert Moore <evi...@tbag.tscs.com>

# A bit of colorful alliteration. The literal meaning is "hob-nobbing
# with the goblin."

Hob-noblin
Wit de goblin
She's black 'n green
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
'Cause it's Halloween

# From: Robert Moore <evi...@tbag.tscs.com>

# Actually, I've always sorta wondered about this - everyone knows that the
# Offical Colors of Halloween are Black and Orange. The only thing I can
# come up with is that "black and green" maintains the connection to the end
# of the song about the black guys in the band seen onstage in green light
# (plus the race connection to the You Are What You Is title track) - more
# about this important point presently.

(TRICK OR TREAT NOW...etc)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
# Footnotes from german songbook ZONX.
# (translated for you by Carl Berger <c...@imagine.de>)
#
# "Saying of the disguised children, who walk on Halloween from door to door.
# Means :"Give us something or we'll do something to you" ('Trick' is by the
# way also the special word by prostitues for their clients)"

Talkin' 'bout the bad girls
All the Goblin Girls
Talkin' 'bout the bad, bad girls
The little Goblin Girls
Some are called Doreen
Some are dressed in green
They're tricking your treat
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

# From: Robert Moore <evi...@tbag.tscs.com>

# Again, for the benefit of foreigners who are possibly unaware of the Lore
# of American Halloween Practices 'N Stuff: The Official Phrase you are
# supposed to use when demanding candy from strangers at their door on
# Halloween Night is "Trick or Treat" - in that light we note another li'l
# play on words for humorous effect.

But they're bad girls
They're very bad girls
(LEPRECHAUN LIGHT...etc.)
They make your face look like
you got scales on it
But that's okay...

When the green light shines down
On the black guys in the band
Everybody in the audience
Thinks they're seeing something
That looks like it's made out of
Fish skin
But Coy leaves the green gels in the truss
^^^
#Who's he?

Because he knows the guys in the front
Really enjoy looking like they've got
Scales all over their body...

#CC

# From: Robert Moore <evi...@tbag.tscs.com>

# And it is at this point that I find what is most likely the origin of the
# "Thing-Fish" idea. This was then probably just bolted on to the other
# elements of the "Thing-Fish" story: the connection to Lumpy Gravy, Billy
# The Mountain, Greggery Peccary, and The Torture Never Stops then sorta
# evolved further with the addition of this strange imagery of "Thing-Fish".

Theme From the 3rd Movement of Sinister Footwear
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

# From: "Peter de B. Harrington" <Har...@helios.phy.ohiou.edu>
# Sinister footwear is an orchesteral transcription of a guitar solo
# that is rumored to have been performed at a 1978 Palladium show.
# The orchesteral piece was performed by the Berkeley Symphony Orchestra in
# 1984. The piece has 3 movements, but I believe 26 parts. The piece was
# performed as a ballet, but Zappa could not afford a ballet troupe, so they
# used lifesize marionettes instead. I wish this performance would be released
# on video (Gail, hear my pleas).
# I can't remember the details of the story, but I believe it has a monster
# in it, with some interesting reproductive organs. I have the storyline on
# tape, if their is interest I can transcribe it.
#
# From: doc...@netcom.com (David Ocker)
# ...The music is in three movements. The ballet (which is danced to the
# music) has the sections you listed and is danced to the three movements.
# The score has considerably more description of the action of the ballet.
# That performance (the **only** performance) was broadcast live over KPFA
# with Frank's permission. It was also video-taped against Frank's wishes.
# It was just a single camera at the back of the hall. When he found out
# about the video-taping he was FURIOUS! and demanded that the video be
# destroyed. Whether it was destroyed or not I don't know - but I, for
# one, certainly hope it wasn't - those puppets were pretty amazing.
# They were 'puppets' in the same sense that "Big Bird" was a puppet - i.e.
# they had dancers inside them. I do remember that they had to be
# destroyed because of storage space problems. I don't remember the name
# of the man who designed them but I do remember that he died soon
# afterwards.
# So, if the video doesn't exist - does anyone have still photos of some of
# the puppets? I'd love to see some of them again.
#
# From: GPY...@prodigy.com (Jeremy Fleisher)
# Only two of the movements are available in the audio medium legitimately
# (mvmt 2--Them or Us, mvmt 3--YAWYI). Though there are tapes floating
# around of the whole thing, as performed by the Berkeley Symphony Orchestra,
# conducted by Kent Nagano in 1984, audio and performance quality --fair...
# If you like it so much as to spend $500 for the full score, Barfko has them....
#
# From: spb...@ocvaxa.cc.oberlin.edu (Pat Buzby)
# Actually, this is true only of the "theme" from the 3rd movement (the
# part that appears in a rock version on YAWYI), as far as I know. Zappa said
# himself in a '92 interview in Society Pages that this solo was played at
# the Palladium in '78, which seems likely to me, since the FZ Guitar Book
# transcription includes Vinnie's original drum accompaniment.
#
# From: sean....@sage.com (Sean Camden)
# The complete Sinister Footwear (about 26 minutes worth) is performed by
# the Berkeley Symphony Orchestra and is available as Side 2 of the bootleg
# "Serious Music". Pretty Good sound quality. The liner notes don't have it
# divided into movements but it is divided into 21 parts describing the
# action (ie. "Jake goes to work" or "Jake's secretary eats some cottage
# cheese").
# Side 1 of "Serious Music" has the Grand Wazoo Orchestra doing INCA
# ROADS and RDNZL. Also, some music from the World's Greatest Sinner and
# a bizarre piece called The Revenge of the Knick-Knack People.
#
# From: Vladimir Sovetov <so...@kpbank.ru>
# The Berkeley Symphony Orchestra version is also available on Apocrypha
# 4CD boot.
#
# From: d_mc...@mhv.net
# I attended the world premiere performance in Berkeley, CA, in 1984.
# It was 26:54.

I'm A Beautiful Guy

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They're drinking lighter
They're full of water
I hear them say:
"Let's jog..."
They're playing tennis
They're butts are tighter
What could be *whiter?

# From: Robert Moore <evi...@tbag.tscs.com>

# At the time this album came out the nu-perfect big rage was Lite beer,
# mineral water, jogging, etc., and thus began the meteoric rise of the
# American Yuppie health-nazi. This is what evolved from the life-forms of
# "The Me Generation" after they were through with their horoscopes,
# Transcendental Meditation, and platform shoes.

Beauty Knows No Pain
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Beauty is no
Beauty is no
Beauty is no
Beauty is a bikini wax 'n waitin' for yer nails to dry
^^^^^^^^^^^^

# From: Robert Moore <evi...@tbag.tscs.com>

# A bikini wax is a very painful process by which vainglorious females
# remove "unsightly" hair from various portions of their bodies. It involves
# heating up this wax stuff and then smearing it over the unwanted hair
# areas. Then when it cools down you rip the wax (and the hair sticking to
# it) off. Pretty stupid, huh?

Charlie's Enormous Mouth
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

La la la la la la
La la la la la la

(Kinda young Kinda wow...)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
# From: cav...@vnet.ibm.com (Keith Shiner)
# "Kinda young, kinda wow" was the trendy slogan for a fragrance aimed at
# young women called "Charlie" if I'm not mistaken.
#
# From: fn...@panix.com (Cliff Heller)
# Fuck ME. I remember the Charlie fragrance commercials, but I don't
# remember kinda young kinda wow. I was real young so I dont doubt it.
# I always suspected that Charlie's Enormous Mouth was a riff on the
# "Charlie" fragrance because "Charlie" referred to a woman name in both
# cases. (For the non-English speaking, Charlie is usually a nickname for
# Charles, a mans name, and rarely used for Charlene or any other female
# variant).
#
#CC

# From: Robert Moore <evi...@tbag.tscs.com>

# In case you hadn't noticed, this connects with "Joe's Garage",
# specifically, "Catholic Girls".

The girl got a very large nose but it's all white
It once was okay
But she been blowin' it quite a bit
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
'Course her friends are extra large

# Well, does it mean they could afford an extravagant quantities of cocain
# or just big fat weenies for Charlie to suck

Charlie's disgusting brain, well, it's all black
The girl got a very dead brain, it won't come back
She used to convey
^^^^^^
# To what she used?

But then she took an extra hit
^^^^^^^^^

# From: Robert Moore <evi...@tbag.tscs.com>

# In other words, she took an extra dose of cocaine.

Conehead
~~~~~~~~

Conehead...she ain't really dumb
She's just a
Conehead...'tater chip crumbs
All over her face
Is there any more beer
Stashed away at her place? She's just a
Conhead...she can't help herself
"She's a Conehead girl..."

# From: Robert Moore <evi...@tbag.tscs.com>

# Conehead refers to a series of sketches (and ultimately a bad movie) from
# the formerly humorous (and therefore formerly popular) US comedy TV show,
# "Saturday Night Live" (SNL). The Coneheads (which were primarily an
# invention of SNL writer/actor Dan Aykroyd, who also played the part of
# Beldar Conehead) were aliens from the planet Remulak and were generally
# characterized by: A large cone-shaped head; a tendency to eat things
# (including record albums and other unusual things like fiberglass) in large
# quantities (a visitor to the Conehead household inevitably was invited to
# "consume mass quantities" of potato chips and beer); and a predilection for
# using lots of large synonyms for otherwise "normal-sounding" things and
# always spoken in a rapid, clipped monotone. For example, where we would
# say "Bacon and eggs", a Conehead would say "Shredded swine flesh and
# chicken embryos".
#
# Anyway, the thumbnail origin of the Coneheads is as follows:
#
# Beldar and his wife, Primat were sent from the home planet of Remulak to
# earth to serve as Temporary Overlords until the arrival of an expected
# fleet of star cruisers. Unfortunately, Beldar not only lost the speech he
# was to deliver to the heads of all earth nations, but he also lost control
# of their spaceship and crashed it into Lake Michigan. He and his wife then
# decided to wait for the arrival of the fleet. Unfortunately on Remulak
# there were numerous cutbacks in the space conquest program and, when they
# realized that the fleet wasn't coming, Beldar and Primat Conehead
# "assimilated" themselves into the earthlings culture. Beldar took a job as
# a driving instructor while Primat cared for their newly-born daughter,
# Connie. Our first introduction to the Coneheads takes place circa 17 years
# after their arrival on earth. By this time Connie is a high-school
# student. After telling Connie about her origins, Beldar instructs her to
# tell anyone who asks where her family is from to say: "France."
#
# Anyway, FZ was the Guest Host of SNL (I think it was in December of either
# 1977 or 78) and not only appeared in a Coneheads sketch as part of his host
# duties, but at one point he also wore a dented version of the Coneheads
# "appliance". For some overall details about FZ on SNL, I direct your
# attention to the following:
#
# STEREO REVIEW INTERVIEWS FZ, APRIL 1979
#
# On just having hosted Saturday Night Live:
#
# "It's a very difficult thing to do; they never make it easy on anyone
# who hosts the show. All the direction and attention goes to the
# sketches. They're not called skits - they become _incensed_ if you
# call them skits - and it's all designed to accommodate the people who
# are regulars on the show, so anybody who goes on there to hosts is at
# a severe disadvantage. Because they never tell you what camera is on,
# and you're not supposed to memorize your script because they're
# rewriting right up to show time. And so you're looking at the cue
# cards, and unless you're used to acting live on TV, you haven't got a
# prayer; you'll be looking at the wrong camera. It was really hard.
#
# "And the other thing that happened was - and I didn't find out about
# it until the day after the show - that the first day I went there for
# the meetings with them they didn't like me and wanted to get rid of
# me. But no one said anything to my face while I was working on the
# thing. So they had written dialogue for me to say that I wouldn't
# normally say; they wouldn't let me write any of my own stuff.
#
# "I think I'd be a fantastic television personality. I think I'd be a
# real good interviewer if I had a talk show, or a variety show. I'd be
# really good at it. But just to get up there and be the dumbbell in _A
# Night_On_Freak_ Mountain_ ...I mean, sure, I'll do that for a laugh,
# but I'm not gonna build a life on it.
#
# As if that wasn't enough, just to give you folks the complete lo-down on
# the FZ-Conehead connection, here's the transcript of the Coneheads sketch
# that FZ was in:
#
# Transcribed 04.12.95 by evi...@tbag.tscs.com
#
# Sorry folks, but I missed taping the first circa 15 seconds of this sketch
# because I had to boot up my VCR. I was just idly taping SNL reruns on MTV
# anyway and I had no idea that FZ was going to be in this show.
#
#
# THE CONEHEADS AT HOME
#
# GUEST-STARRING FRANK ZAPPA
#
# (PRIMAT AND BELDAR CONEHEAD ARE SEATED ON THEIR SOFA. BEFORE THEM IS A
# TABLE STACKED HIGH WITH POTATO CHIPS AND SIX-PACKS OF BEER)
#
# PRIMAT: Beldar, we must maintain our lawn spaces to our human neighbors.
# You must collect the fallen tree particles.
#
# BELDAR: There is no human custom which says the female spousal unit may
# not collect the tree particles.
#
# PRIMAT: But I was the one who installed the exterior transparent weather
# panels!
#
# BELDAR: Mebst! Mebst! (etc.)
#
# PRIMAT: Mebst! Mebst! (etc.)
#
# (ENTER: CONNIE)
#
# CONNIE: Greetings, parental units.
#
# (CONNIE WALKS TO THE STAIRS)
#
# BELDAR: Wait! Get your young cone over here.
#
# PRIMAT: You must consume mass quantities.
#
# CONNIE: No! I have a date. I must prepare my cone.
#
# PRIMAT: Mebst! You had a date last night! Beldar, it is vital that you
# address our young one.
#
# BELDAR: Connie, we are concerned with the increasing frequency of your
# nocturnal interactions with the humans.
#
# CONNIE: Do not be concerned. I can handle myself.
#
# BELDAR: Good. You know, Connie, Primat and I are not completely unaware
# of the problems which present themselves to you as a young attractive cone
# on this miserable planet.
#
# CONNIE: Oh boy. You're not going to relate your life tales about the
# ArZoolians again?
#
# PRIMAT: No, but realize that when I was young I lived with my parental
# units on the planet Garnap in the Krint belts. All during this time not
# one Garneethian laid a tendril on my cone. So that on the day when Beldar
# and I had our langthools joined by ShebFarr the Relentless, I presented
# Beldar with an unhoned cone.
#
# BELDAR: Mmmm, and it heightened the senso-experience for both of us.
#
# PRIMAT: We did not leave our Guzz Module for three whole Dreeolds.
#
# BELDAR: And except for those two Flathrags from MeepZor, it was my first
# time as well.
#
# PRIMAT: Flathrags! You never told me about Flathrags from MeepZor! Mebst!
#
# BELDAR: Mebst!
#
# (THE DOORBELL RINGS)
#
# CONNIE: Mom, My date! I have not prepared my cone! Parental units,
# please greet the human!
#
# BELDAR AND PRIMAT: Nyaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!
#
# (WHILE CONNIE EXITS UPSTAIRS, BELDAR AND PRIMAT CROSS TO THE DOOR AND OPEN
# IT. FRANK ZAPPA ENTERS WEARING A TRENCH COAT AND A FUZZY FEDORA.)
#
# BELDAR: Greetings.
#
# PRIMAT: Enter.
#
# FZ: Hello. You must be Mr. and Mrs. Conehead.
#
# BELDAR: Yes. Correct. Your name?
#
# FZ: Frank Zappa.
#
# PRIMAT: What is your function on this planet?
#
# FZ: I am a musician and I'm giving a concert.
#
# BELDAR: Concert?
#
# PRIMAT: Concert. A voluntary gathering of humans to absorb sound
# patterns.
#
# BELDAR: Primat, assist our young one while I communicate with this human.
#
# (EXIT: PRIMAT)
#
# BELDAR: I invite you to consume mass quantities.
#
# (BELDAR AND FZ CROSS THE ROOM AND SEAT THEMSELVES ON THE SOFA. FZ WATCHES
# AND IMITATES WHILE BELDAR OPENS AN ENTIRE 6-PACK OF BEER AND TAKES A SWIG.
# THEN BELDAR WRENCHES OPEN A BAG OF POTATO CHIPS AND STUFFS A LARGE HANDFUL
# INTO HIS MOUTH. FZ FOLLOWS SUIT.)
#
# BELDAR: So, Zappa! Where did you meet.....?
#
# (AT THIS POINT FZ SUDDENLY REALIZES THAT HE HAS TO DELIVER A LINE OF
# DIALOGUE BUT HE HAS A MOUTHFUL OF POTATO CHIPS AND BEER. HE BENDS FORWARD
# AND SORT OF COVERS HIS MOUTH AS HE SPITS OUT THE CHIPS AND BEER ON THE
# FLOOR IN FRONT OF THE SOFA - BOTH HE AND THE AUDIENCE BEGIN LAUGHING.)
#
# FZ: Excuse me!
#
# BELDAR: Zappa!
#
# FZ: Yeah.
#
# BELDAR: Where did you meet our young one?
#
# FZ: I spotted her in the front row last night and I knew she was really
# special.
#
# BELDAR: Naturally as a parental unit I am concerned with whom our young one
# interacts.
#
# FZ: Well, Connie told me where you're coming from....
#
# (FZ LAUGHS AGAIN)
#
# FZ: And I realize that as French people you must be very wary of
# Americans. Don't worry, I used to have a French person in the band and I
# know I can take good care of her.
#
# BELDAR: Good.
#
# (ENTER CONNIE AND PRIMAT. CONNIE IS NOW WEARING A HEAD-BAND AROUND THE
# UPPER PART OF HER CONEHEAD. FZ GETS UP AND STANDS NEXT TO CONNIE WITH HIS
# ARM AROUND HER WAIST.)
#
# FZ: Hi, Connie.
#
# CONNIE: Hi, Frank. Excuse my parental units if they have presented you
# with square doctrines.
#
# FZ: No, they're not square, they're okay.
#
# (PRIMAT HOLDS UP A COPY OF STUDIO TAN)
#
# PRIMAT: Connie has many of these discs which are gifts from this human.
#
# BELDAR: You? Produce these?
#
# FZ: Yes, this is an unauthorized collection of my latest sound patterens.
#
# BELDAR: I, Beldar, approve. Au revoir.
#
# (FZ AND CONNIE CROSS TO THE DOOR AND OPEN IT)
#
# PRIMAT: Return at the pre-designated time coordinates!
#
# CONNIE: Yeah, yeah.
#
# FZ: Nice to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Conehead.
#
# (FZ AND CONNIE EXIT. BELDAR REMOVES THE ALBUM FROM THE RECORD JACKET)
#
# BELDAR: Mmmmm. What fine compressed petroleum binding polymers.
#
# (PRIMAT AND BELDAR EACH TAKE A LARGE BITE OUT OF THE ALBUM AND BEGIN EATING
# IT)
#
# THE END
#
# I wonder if this last bit has anything to do with the FZCCC phrase: "Eat
#the label"?

# Question: BBC TV (England) showed the Dan Ackroyd movie Coneheads on 17/8/96
# and I kept getting the idea that the original idea for the movie was based
# on a Saturday Night Live sketch - which I have never seen. Does this
# pre-date the Zappa track - Conehead?
#
# Answer:
# From: ulr...@sfu.ca (Charles Ulrich)
#
# In chronological order:
#
# 1. Saturday Night Live sketches (with FZ appearing in one)
# 2. FZ song
# 3. feature film

Pitch her a ring
That is the thing
That's getting her hot-uh
A hoop or a ring
Goin' over the top of her Conehead

# From: Robert Moore <evi...@tbag.tscs.com>

# Another item in the lore of Coneheads is a ring made out of what looks
# like green tinsel. For the Coneheads it is a sexual device known
# as a senso-ring. It is designed to be used in a sort of
# "foreplay ring-toss game" wherein the Coneheads take turns throwing
# the rings trying to get them to land on the others head.

You Are What You Is
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Do you know what you are?
You are what you is
You is what you am

# From: Unknown Netter
# It's Frank fooling around with german again. There's a german saying :
# "Man ist was man isst" which means "You are what you eat". But since
# "ist" sounds the same as "isst" it could be translated as "You are what
# you are" of, in Franks case, "You are what you is".
#
# From: Wal...@bluebocs.donut.ruhr.com (Andreas Roeschies)
# A friend of mine told me that "You is" instead of "You are" is slang of
# many black-skinned people in the USA. And that "You are what you is"
# means, that black people will never get the same rights than white people.
#
# From: fn...@panix.com (Cliff Heller)
# ahhhhhhhh. Stop. Please stop.
# You are what you is, is frank taking poetic liberty with the english
# language. Sure theres a touch of late seventies negro slang in the
# inappropriate conjugation of "to be", but he's not saying black people wont
# have the same rights as white people.
# The lyrics of the song do deal with a white person who tries to be black
# and a black person who triest to become white. All frank is saying is that
# you are who you are and you can't change that. To call the song "you are
# what you are" would be boring. Calling it "you are what you is" is
# interesting. Adding the lyric "you is what you am" allows him to make
# more rhymes. It's poetry.
# And yes, the german expression is correct, but there's no indication at
# all that the german expression had anything to do with YAWYI.
#
# From: Vladimir Sovetov <so...@kpbank.ru>
# Hey, Cliff, what about this quote from YAWYI booklet :-)))
#
# "Still hungry? Union Cheese might be the most readily available, but no
# type of cheese in America today has achieved the popular acceptance of
# Accountant Cheese. If it is true that YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT, then surely our
# national willingness to eat this stuff tells us more about ourselves then
# we probably wish to know"
#
# Obviously Frank was aware of second phrase meaning. So it seems to be his
# usual double entendre words play

A foolish young man
From a middle class fam'ly
Started singin' the blues
'Cause he thought it was manly
Now he talks like the Kingfish
^^^^^^^^
("Saffiiiee!")
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
From Amos 'n Andy
^^^^^^^^^^^^
("Holy mack'l dere...Holy mack'l dere!")
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

# From: Robert Moore <evi...@tbag.tscs.com>

# Amos 'n Andy was a popular American radio comedy series of the 1930s-1940s.
# It dealt with the trials and tribulations of two black men. Ironically,
# the voice actors who played on this series were white. Anyway, several
# phrases from this series have entered the Iconography of Americana and were
# used here by FZ. "Saffiieee" is how the word "sapphire" was pronounced by
# a character named The Kingfish, and the phrase, "Holy mack'l" (i.e. "Holy
# Mackerel" - a common expletive) was also extensively used.

He tells you that chitlins...
^^^^^^^^
Well, they taste just like candy

# From: Robert Moore <evi...@tbag.tscs.com>

# "Chitlins" is the African-American pronounciation commonly substituted for
# the word "chitterlings". In the US, chitlins are often seen as a
# stereotypical "ethnic food preference" (along with fried chicken) of many
# African-Americans. Chitlins are actually pig intestines and at least some
# people think they taste great.

He thinks that he's got
De whole thang down
From the Nivea Lotion
^^^^^^^^^^^^
To de Royal Crown
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

# From: Robert Moore <evi...@tbag.tscs.com>

# Nivea Lotion is a skin cream. I don't know exactly how it connects with
# the black community, so this sort of puzzles me. I could understand if FZ
# had mentioned perhaps Afro-Sheen or Ultra-Sheen. Royal Crown is the brand
# name of a type of hair cream. I am also unaware of this product's specific
# connection except that Royal Crown like Pomade was that "slick 1940s-50s
# wethead look" stuff favored by a generation of Americans of whatever color.

A foolish young man
Of the Negro Persuasion
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
# Is it licensia poetica:-)) or some rael ethic or religion movement of
# the past?

Devoted his life
To become a caucasian
He stopped eating pork
He stopped eating greens
He traded his dashiki
^^^^^^^

# From: Robert Moore <evi...@tbag.tscs.com>

# A Dashiki is a loose-fitting garment of varying length worn by both men
# and women in West Africa and elsewhere.

("UHURU!")
^^^^^^

# "Uhuru" refers to the character on the original Star Trek Series known
# as Lieutenant Uhura (played by Nichelle Nichols). The character of
# Lieutenant Uhura was a black African Female whose native language was
# Swahili.

For some Jordache Jeans
^^^^^^^^

He learned to play golf

# Was it a way more square garment then say Levis or Wrangler :-)))

"I don't understand you..."
BWANA MA-COO-BAH
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
"Would you please speak more clearly..."

#CC

# From: Robert Moore <evi...@tbag.tscs.com>

# This line ties in at least in part with Bwana Dik from the Fillmore album.
# In "The Real Frank Zappa Book" (Chapter 7 Drool Britannia), FZ has this to
# say about the word "Bwana":
#
# "It is the kind of word that you have in a jungle movie. I do not know
# what it means in reality. It is a JUNGLE-MOVIE WORD.... You never know
# WHAT it means in a jungle-movie, you know, unless somebody can explain to
# me that that word exists in some special African language. My
# understanding of "Bwana" has always been that it's something that THE GUY
# WITH THE BOX ON HIS SHOULDER SAYS."

(Tell me now...)
Appropriot
^^^^^^^^^^
(That's a funny pronunciation if'n ever I heard one...)

# Something from Kingfish arsenal? Or just another Smotherism?

You wonder who
(I wonder too...)
You used to was
(Who I was anyway...)
'N what you do
(I used to work at the post office...)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

# From: Robert Moore <evi...@tbag.tscs.com>

# If somebody could lemme know what this here line might refer to, I'd be
# gratified.

You'll scratch your head
(But I don't wanna un-do my doo...)
^^^^^^
# Is it "doo-rag" from Apostrophe(') _Uncle Remus_ again?
#
# Can't wait till my 'Fro is full-grown
# I'll just throw 'way my doo-rag at home

(I'm the kinda guy...)
You is what you am
(That ought to be drivin' a Mercedes Benz...)
A cow don't make a ham
(A four-fifty SLC...)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

# Was it one of the Mercedes Benz luxury models?

You are what you is
(I'm gwine down to de links on Saturday mornin'...)
An' that's all it is
(Gimme a five dollar bill...)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

YOU ARE WHAT YOU IS

(And an overcoat too...)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

#CC

# From: Robert Moore <evi...@tbag.tscs.com>

# The lines are quotations from Wonderful Wino. [Zoot Allures album]

AND THAT'S ALL IT IS
(Robbie, take me to Greek Town...)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

# Krieger:-??? What does it mean? Some groupie plea Jumbo Go Away makes you
# believe.

AN THAT'S ALL IT IS
(I'm goin' down to White Street, y'all...)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
# And this?

Mudd Club
~~~~~~~~~

Hey, they're really dancin'
They're on auto-destruct
On the floor
On the pipe
^^^^
Bouncin' off-a the wall

# Were they really?

Or even on a Monday at midnight
When there's just a few of them
Fabulous Poodles
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Doin' the Peppermint Twist for real
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
#CC
# Another song another Poodle :-)) By the way what about Peppermint Twist?
# Any connection to Peppermint Schnaps?-))))

In black sack dresses with nine inch heels
And then a guy with a blue mohawk comes in
^^^^^^^^^^^
# With blue what?

In Serious Leather...
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
# Is it just common expression or it should be counted as a CC clue?

(And all the rest of whom for which
To whensonever of partially indeterminate
Bio-chemical degradation
Seek the path to sudsy yellow nozzle
Of their foaming nocturnal
Parametric digital whole-wheat inter-faith
Geothermal terpsichorean ejectamenta

# From: Robert Moore <evi...@tbag.tscs.com>

# In other words, the others got get a beer and then dance s'more.
#
# From: Vladimir Sovetov <so...@kpbank.ru>
# You mean it's another Conehead-type joke?

Then they work the wall
^^^^^^^^^^^^^
'N work the floor
'N work the pipe

#CC
# A lot was said about concerning the WALL and the FLOOR in
# Sheik Yerbouti and The Man From Utopia N&C's. But the PIPE still remaines
# the mystery. Anyone here to unveil?

From when they come downtown
From the ruins of Studio 54

# From: Robert Moore <evi...@tbag.tscs.com>

# Studio 54 was once The Hot Nite Spot in New York City. If you were hip
# enough to be somebody, you hung out at Studio 54.

To twist 'n frugg
^^^^^
In an arrogant gesture

# Fuck? Or what?

Al Malkin's down there now
^^^^^^^^^
Looking for a Virgin with nice breath...

#CC
# Check JOE's GARAGE N&C.

The Meek Shall Inherit Nothing
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Well, I heard that some sheik
Has bought New Jersey last week
'N you suckers ain't gettin' nothin'
Is Hare Rama really wrong
^^^^^^^^^
If you wander around

# See Hare Rame comments in Can't Afford No Shoes section of OSFA N&C

You say yer life's a bum deal
'N yer up against the wall...
Well, people, you ain't even got no
Deal at all
'Cause what they do
In Washington
They just takes care
of NUMBER ONE
An' NUMBER ONE ain't YOU
You ain't even NUMBER TWO

# From: Robert Moore <evi...@tbag.tscs.com>

# This seems rather straight-forward providing you are aware of the common
# phrase "To look out for Number One" (which refers to selfishness and seeing
# after one's own needs first - i.e. the Number One thing on your agenda is
# yourself). The whole phrase not only rhymes but is amusing in the sense
# that he's making the factual observation that you don't know where you
# stand in relation to the guys in Washington. After all, you ain't Number
# One on their list and, as if you were hopeful, you ain't even Number Two.
#
# But as you might have guessed there's more here and one of the clues is
# the fact that the words NUMBER ONE and NUMBER TWO are in caps. Another
# semi-obscure part of the Iconography of Americana is the use of the phrase
# NUMBER ONE and NUMBER TWO to refer to the 2 ways humans go to the bathroom.
# NUMBER ONE refers to pissing and NUMBER TWO refers to shitting (and TWO
# rhymes with doo-doo). This all comes down to us Americans from our
# experience in school. Some say that back in the 50s, if you were sitting
# in the middle of class and wanted to go to the bathroom you raised one
# finger if you had to go do a NUMBER ONE and you raised two fingers if you
# had to go do a NUMBER TWO. The teacher then excused you from class and you
# went and did your business. I never underwent this bizarre type of
# classroom discipline myself, but by the time I was 9 years old I was well
# aware of this terminology and it's excretory usage.
#
# Anyway, now that I've had to take all that boring space to explain this
# stupid little joke, what FZ is saying here is that, to the guys in
# Washington - you ain't SHIT.

Those Jesus Freaks
Well, they're friendly but
The shit they believe
Has got their minds all shut
An' they don't even care
When the church takes a cut
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

# From: Robert Moore <evi...@tbag.tscs.com>

# This is a reference to the Christian practise of "tithing". A "tithe" is
# a percentage of your income (usually 10%) that you "dedicate to God" and
# foolishly hand over to your church.

Laugh till ya choke
On Billy Graham
^^^^^^^^^^^^

# From: Robert Moore <evi...@tbag.tscs.com>

# Billy Graham is perhaps the most famous Christian evangelist of modern
# times. He has been at it for a very long time. Though it is not generally
# known, he owes a great deal of his success to his proximity to powerful
# American political interests.

SOME TAKE THE BIBLE...
(Aw gimme half a dozen for the hotel room!)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

# From: Robert Moore <evi...@tbag.tscs.com>

# This is another double entendre. In the main it refers to the practise of
# a Christian missionary organization known as The Gideon Society. They are
# known primarily for the fact that most hotels and motels in the US have a
# copy of the Bible in every room (usually it's in one of the dresser
# drawers, but when my wife and I travel it ends up in the hall outside).
# These Bibles are placed in the rooms compliments of The Gideon Society and
# inside every copy is a little blurb about The Gideon Society and its
# important holy work. Some people take the Bible with them when they check
# out of the hotel and this is encouraged by The Gideon Society. In a way
# this harks back to a section of 200 Motels when Jeff Simmons steals
# everything in the motel room.

Dumb All Over
~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They call it THE EARTH
Which is a dumb kinda name
But they named it right
'Cause we behave the same...
We are dumb all over
Dumb all over,
Yes we are
Dumb all over,
Near 'n far
Dumb all over,
Black 'n white
People, we is not wrapped tight
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

# From: ko...@ix.netcom.com (Kevin B. O'Brien)
# Someone who is "not tightly wrapped" is someone who is not too bright
# and/or a mental case. It is one of a multitude of euphemisms, such as:
# Two bricks short of a load
# Nice house, but nobody's home
# His elevator doesn't go all the way to the top
# etc.
#

You can't run a race
Without no feet
'N pretty soon
There won't be no street
For dummies to jog on
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Or doggies to dog on

# From: Robert Moore <evi...@tbag.tscs.com>

# This ties in with the Yuppie health-nazi component of I'm A Beautiful Guy.

You can't run a country
By a book of religion
Not by a heap
Or a lump or a smidgeon
Of foolish rules
Of ancient date
Designed to make
You all feel great
While you fold, spindle
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
And mutilate
^^^^^^^^^^^^
Those unbelievers
From a neighboring state

# From: Robert Moore <evi...@tbag.tscs.com>

# This is a small joke based on standard text one often sees on company bank
# checks, Stocks, Bonds and other Important and Official Documents. Often
# there is a small legend at the bottom which reads "Do not fold, spindle, or
# mutilate."

TO ARMS! TO ARMS!
Hooray! That's great
Two legs ain't bad
Unless there's a crate
They ship the parts
To Mama in
For souvenirs: two ears (Get Down!)
^^^^^^^^^

# From: Robert Moore <evi...@tbag.tscs.com>

# This refers to a practise of some former US military personnel in combat
# during the Vietnam war. It is said (in at least 2 books I've read) that
# some soldiers kept the ears of Vietnamese soldiers they'd killed in battle
# as a sort of "souvenir-token" on a string around their necks or helmet
# liners. I cannot state whether or not this is true, just that I have heard
# it said thus.

But their book says:
"REVENGE THE CRUSADES...
With whips 'n chains
'N hand grenades..."
TWO ARMS? TWO ARMS?
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
# Here is footnotes from german songbook ZONX translated for you by
# konr...@netcom.com (Konrad)
#
# "The call to arms! ('To Arms!' can be acoustically 'misunderstood'
# as 'two arms.')" [ but you already know that ]

Or rent a nice French bomb
^^^^^^^^^^^

To poof them out of existence
While leaving their real estate just where we need it
To use again

# From: Robert Moore <evi...@tbag.tscs.com>

# Though I don't know what connection it might have to the French, I believe
# that FZ is referring here to the so-called "Neutron Bomb". A Neutron Bomb
# is an atomic weapon which was seen as favorable because it killed through a
# relatively short-term radiation burst designed to destroy organic life and
# conveniently leave the buildings and vehicles of the enemy intact.

And when his humble TV servant
With humble white hair
And humble glasses
And a nice brown suit
And maybe a blond wife who takes phone calls

# From: Robert Moore <evi...@tbag.tscs.com>

# This is a rather accurate depiction of your typical American Christian TV
# evangelist program. The phone call bit refers to the fact that these
# programs exist through donations and pledges of money called into the
# station. On your typical TV evangelist show there's usually a special
# camera devoted to panning back and forth across banks of phone operators.
# When "the need is especially great" sometimes the evangelist's wife will
# roll up her slaves and get down in the phone trenches with the Minimum Wage
# crowd.

Tells us our God says
It's okay to do this stuff
Then we gotta do it,
'Cause if we don't do it,
We ain't gwine up to hebbin!
^^^^^^

# Once again is it Kingfish CC continued?-))

Heavenly Bank Account
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He's got twenty million dollars
In his Heavenly Bank Account...
All from those chumps who was
Born again
^^^^^^^^^^

Oh yeah, oh yeah

# Was it Pat Robertson's trick words

He's got thousand-dollar suits
And a Wembley Tie...
Girls love to stroke it
While he's on the phone

# From: Robert Moore <evi...@tbag.tscs.com>

# Another double entendre. It is not necessarily ONLY the Wembley tie that
# girls love to stroke while he's on the phone.

He is dealin'
He is really dealin'
IRS Can't determine
^^^
Where *The Hook* is

# Internal Revenue Service isn't it?

It is easy with the Bible
To pretend that
You're in Show Biz
(And a-one and a-two and a)

# From: Robert Moore <evi...@tbag.tscs.com>

# This last line refers to the accent of the famous late bandleader Lawrence
# Welk.

Jumbo Go Away
~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jumbo, go away
Jumbo, go away
Jumbo leave me alone
Get your head off my bone
I wanna go home
("I'm hungry")

# From: jar...@mail2.sas.upenn.edu (Jason M Arvey) wrote:
# On the subject of violence towards women in Zappa songs, I can
# understand the position of the original poster (sorry, I forget the
# name). However, whenever I listen to a song about domestic violence, I
# always look at it as a satire not only of the female involved but also,
# and primarily, of the male involved. Take "Jumbo, Go Away" for an
# example. The story involves a girl, rather heavy-set, who saves the
# narrator from committing suicide. In return, the narrator uses her for
# sex, gets sick of her, and starts beating her up. This is not a
# glorification of violence. This is a pointed attack on heartless male
# slobs who seduce and mistreat women. The only commentary I can see that
# involves Jumbo herself is the fact that she chooses to remain with this
# man who both no longer loves her and physically attacks her. I see this
# song as a parody of a failed relationship in which the woman iss noble,
# if not slightly misguided, and the man is absolute scum.
#
# From: "Peter de B. Harrington" <Har...@helios.phy.ohiou.edu>
# First, historically Jumbo describes the size of the womans head and
# not her entire body. Remember "the head like a buffalo" in Suicide Chump.
# This is band folklore, which I am sure someone else will expand on, but it
# does have to do with women whose heads get stuck in between a band members
# thighs.
# Like all Zappa songs there may be many interpretations. I think your
# spin on Jumbo is a little bit off. The narrator is trying to get rid of
# Jumbo, but apparently is not very successful. I think Jumbo has really
# taken to having sex with the narrator (perhaps her first exposure to sex),
# and is exhausting him. She also has some hygene problems which are perhaps
# contributing causes for the breakup.
#
# From: 92u...@chestud.chalmers.se (NAURIN, JON)
# No, Frank did on several occasions point out that "Jumbo go Away" had
# nothing to do with himself. Actually the Jumbo story was a true one, and the guy
# in the song was Denny Walley.

It seems I can't explain
The way I feel about you
You just don't understand
You're from Kalamazoo...

# From: Robert Moore <evi...@tbag.tscs.com>

# Kalaazoo. A city in the state of Michigan

Jumbo gotta go
Jumbo gotta go
Jumbo better get back
Or your eye will get black
When I give you a smack
(No, Denny, don't hurt me!)

If Only She woulda
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

# From: Vladimir Sovetov <so...@kpbank.ru>
# Incredibly funny parody on Door's Ray Manzarek secret chord progression.

Drafted Again
~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Roller skates 'n disco
It's a lot of fun
I'm too young 'n stupid
To operate a gun

LaCelia Jackson! Come on down!
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
# Who's this girl?

I DON'T WANNA GET DRAFTED
Nancy Butterworth! Come on down!
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
# And who's this?

Wars are really ugly
They're dirty and they're cold
I don't want nobody
To shoot me in the fox hole...fox hole
^^^^^^^^

# From: Robert Moore <evi...@tbag.tscs.com>

# A fox hole is a hole dug by a soldier in combat so that when the shooting
# starts he'll have a safe place to hide and return fire. In this context it
# serves as another double entendre since it is intended to refer also to the
# female vaginal apparatus.

Aiieeeeeeeee...shot in the fox hole
Aiieeeeeeeee...shot in the fox hole
Aiieeeeeeeee...shot in the fox hole
Aiieeeeeeeee...shot in the fox hole

"Leave my nose alone, please..."
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
#CC

# From: Robert Moore <evi...@tbag.tscs.com>

# This line goes all the way back to We're Only In It For The Money.
# It appears at the end of Flower Punk.

[danki...@aol.com]

In article <5aunkt$t...@news.cc.oberlin.edu>, spb...@alpha.cc.oberlin.edu
writes:

> In "Goblin Girl" "Coy" refers not to Marque Coy (sorry Dave L.), but to
>Coy Featherstone, who was FZ's lighting director during this time. (I
>think that he's credited on OSFA.) Marque Coy didn't work with FZ until
>'81.

You know this is a serious ng when there is nitpicking about the name of
the lighting directors!

OK, who made the coffee? What kind of cokies did they have backstage?
Could someone BESIDES KENEALLY answer that?

===============================================
/\_/\ Dan The Kitti man - http://members.aol.com/dankitti99
( . . )
=;= "Take a trip on a rocket ship, bay, the sea is the sky" -ta
===============================================

[Biffyshrew]

Dave Lane <dal...@domaincorp.com> wrote:

>I always figured the "rent a nice French bomb" part was a reference
>to the french-built Exocet missiles in use by many different countries.

I believe the context (including the part about leaving the real estate
unscathed) makes it clear that this refers to the neutron bomb.

Your pal,
Biffy the Elephant Shrew @}-`--}----
Information on THE BRANDNEWBUG CONCERTOS (voted the 606th best album of all time!) at http://users.aol.com/biffyshrew/biffy.html
Don't take life so serious son...it ain't NOHOW permanent."--Porkypine

[Dave Lane]

danki...@aol.com wrote:

> OK, who made the coffee? What kind of cokies did they have backstage?
> Could someone BESIDES KENEALLY answer that?

Cokie Roberts? Nah, but they had Daniel Schorr once.

[eric e weinraub]

I believe its a reference to Jimi Hendrix, who used to put LSD into his
headband(ala Woodstock) for just the same effect.
--
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Eric Weinraub

[Bill]

Dave Lane wrote:

>
> Vladimir Sovetov wrote:
>
> > YOU ARE WHAT YOU IS
> > ===================
> > Notes and Comments
> > firts draft
>

<snip>

> > Or rent a nice French bomb
> > ^^^^^^^^^^^
>

> I always figured the "rent a nice French bomb" part was a reference
> to the french-built Exocet missiles in use by many different countries.
>

<snip>

It's in reference to the "Neutron Bomb".

[Thomas Richards]

> Vladimir Sovetov wrote:
>
> > YOU ARE WHAT YOU IS
> > ===================
> > Notes and Comments
> > firts draft

[snip]

> > Or rent a nice French bomb
> > ^^^^^^^^^^^

The neutron bomb, specifically designed to "poof them out of existence
while leaving their real estate just where we need it to use again".

--
Tom Richards -- Fredericton Area Network
<aa...@fan.nb.ca> or <tom...@afm.org> "Yo Cats"
I like mixed metaphors - they are the icing on the camel's back.

[Dave Lane]

Biffyshrew wrote:

> Dave Lane <dal...@domaincorp.com> wrote:
>
> >I always figured the "rent a nice French bomb" part was a reference
> >to the french-built Exocet missiles in use by many different countries.
>

> I believe the context (including the part about leaving the real estate
> unscathed) makes it clear that this refers to the neutron bomb.

Yeah, the part about "poof 'em out of existence while
leaving the real estate where we need it" is definitely
about the neutron bomb (and was already explained in the
Notes & Comments article that I replied to), but the neutron
bomb was a US concept, first tested in the mid 70s. Meanwhile,
the French were selling Exocet cruise missiles all over the
world, including countries that were of the "fold, spindle
and mutilate those unbelievers from a neighboring state"
persuasion, hence my theory.

--Dave

[johan wikberg]

Pat Buzby <spb...@alpha.cc.oberlin.edu> writes:

> In "Goblin Girl" "Coy" refers not to Marque Coy (sorry Dave L.),
> but to Coy Featherstone, who was FZ's lighting director during
> this time. (I think that he's credited on OSFA.) Marque Coy
> didn't work with FZ until '81.

So - was Marque-son hired because he was also named Coy (just like Steve Vai
got to be in the band because he looked like Warren)? :)

> The date of the original solo from "Theme From The Third
> Movement Of Sinister Footwear" is 10-27-78 (show #2), at the
> Palladium in NYC.

I think it should be pointed out more clearly in the FAQ (I know it's there
but not just super duper clear the way it's placed and all) that while this
solo ended up transcribed and arranged in the ballet, the rest of the ballet
is NOT based on guitar solos, although many people think so and it's
admittedly a nice thought.

Johan
johan_...@ssco.se

[Arthur Barrow]

spb...@alpha.cc.oberlin.edu wrote:
>
> A few comments :

>
> In "Goblin Girl" "Coy" refers not to Marque Coy (sorry Dave L.), but to
> Coy Featherstone, who was FZ's lighting director during this time. (I
> think that he's credited on OSFA.) Marque Coy didn't work with FZ until
> '81.
>

> The date of the original solo from "Theme From The Third Movement Of
> Sinister Footwear" is 10-27-78 (show #2), at the Palladium in NYC.
>

> It just occured to me that there's a definite resemblance between the
> "what could be whiter" part of "I'm A Beautiful Guy" and the old Tonight
> Show theme. This part of the song was originally performed without lyrics,
> but with some spoken comments from Ike, before FZ added words in the studio.
>
> In "Charlie's Enormous Mouth" I've always interpreted "she used to
> convey" as meaning "she used to be able to communicate effectively."
>
> An interesting bit of background on this album : during the spring
> 1980 U.S. tour FZ's band frequently played a set which went as follows -
>
> Instrumental Opener/Teenage Wind/Harder Than Your Husband/Bamboozled
> By Love/Pick Me I'm Clean/YAWYI Side 2/Easy Meat/Mudd Club/The Meek/Heavenly
> Bank Account to Drafted (YAWYI Side 4)/Joe's Garage/Hurt When I Pee
> (+encores)
>
> During the first show of the tour (Seattle 3/25/80), FZ announced at
> the start that the material was intended as an extension of Joe's Garage,
> representing various things that happened to Joe after he got sick of his
> job at the UMRK and quit. FZ dropped this explanation at later shows, but
> this didn't stop the Mud Shark label from releasing a vinyl boot of one of
> these sets titled "Joe's Garage Acts IV and V Live?".
>
> Pat Buzby
> Oberlin, OH

Very accurate, Pat.

I just wanted to add that "Charlie's Enormous..." was originally
"Carlie's...", as in Simon, but FZ was afraid he might get sued.

I'd love to hear the tape of the Joe's explanation - I don't really
recall that. It may have been in reference to Vinnie who had quit the
band at the last minute.

AB

[Biffyshrew]

Dave Lane <dal...@domaincorp.com> wrote:

>danki...@aol.com wrote:
>
>> OK, who made the coffee? What kind of cokies did they have backstage?
>

>Cokie Roberts? Nah, but they had Daniel Schorr once.

And I thought this typo would provoke drug jokes. Dave, you are just too
clever.

[johan wikberg]

> From: Unknown Netter

>
> It's Frank fooling around with german again. There's a german

> saying : "Man ist was man isst" which means "You are what
> you eat". But since "ist" sounds the same as "isst" it could be
> translated as "You are what you are" of, in Franks case,

> "You are what you is".

I remember that the netter was Jan van Kemenade, posting from the Netherlands
(possibly Holland :). I have a very good memory.

> A foolish young man
> Of the Negro Persuasion
>

> # Is it licensia poetica:-)) or some rael ethic or religion

> movement of the past?

I think the humor is that being a "Negro" is too genetically fundamental to
be called a "persuasion".

> In black sack dresses with nine inch heels
> And then a guy with a blue mohawk comes in
>

> # With blue what?

A mohawk is a haircut named after (I think) the Mohawk native Americans (who
I guess have used it): sides of the head shaved bald and a strip of hair left
along the middle.

Johan
johan_...@ssco.se

[Peter de B. Harrington]

johan wikberg wrote:

>
> Pat Buzby <spb...@alpha.cc.oberlin.edu> writes:
>
> > In "Goblin Girl" "Coy" refers not to Marque Coy (sorry Dave L.),
> > but to Coy Featherstone, who was FZ's lighting director during
> > this time. (I think that he's credited on OSFA.) Marque Coy
> > didn't work with FZ until '81.
>

> So - was Marque-son hired because he was also named Coy (just like Steve Vai
> got to be in the band because he looked like Warren)? :)
>

> > The date of the original solo from "Theme From The Third
> > Movement Of Sinister Footwear" is 10-27-78 (show #2), at the
> > Palladium in NYC.
>

> I think it should be pointed out more clearly in the FAQ (I know it's there
> but not just super duper clear the way it's placed and all) that while this
> solo ended up transcribed and arranged in the ballet, the rest of the ballet
> is NOT based on guitar solos, although many people think so and it's
> admittedly a nice thought.
>
> Johan
> johan_...@ssco.se

I think Sinister #2 made it into the ballet. I'm not sure
which came first. The Sinister Ballet wasn't performed
until 1984, and Sinister #2 was performed frequently during the '81
tour.

Pete

[Patrick David Neve]

In black sack dresses with nine inch heels
And then a guy with a blue mohawk comes in
^^^^^^^^^^^
# With blue what?

You know what a mohawk is. It's the famous punk rock hairdo which is an
extreme way of saying "just a little bit off the sides." There's a guy
with a blue mohawk on the cover of TInseltown Rebellion. This means the
setting for the cover art must be the Mudd Club.

-splat

[Patrick David Neve]

("UHURU!")
^^^^^^

# "Uhuru" refers to the character on the original Star Trek Series known
# as Lieutena
nt Uhura (played by Nichelle Nichols). The character of
# Lieutenant Uhura was a black African Female whose native language was
# Swahili.

Close. Uhuru is the Swahili word for freedom, as in the reggae group Black
Uhuru. (Black Freedom)

-splat

[Patrick David Neve]

To twist 'n frugg
^^^^^
In an arrogant gesture

# Fuck? Or what?

Sorry these aren't all in one letter.

The Frugg was a dance. Like the twist or the camel-walk or the swim or
any number of other colorful time-wasting trends.
The Frugg was also mentioned in the B-52's song "Rock Lobster";
...everybody's frugging, they know all 16 dances.

-splat

[Jon Naurin]

Patrick David Neve writes:

>The Frugg was a dance. Like the twist or the camel-walk or the swim or
>any number of other colorful time-wasting trends.
>The Frugg was also mentioned in the B-52's song "Rock Lobster";
>...everybody's frugging, they know all 16 dances.

Not that it adds much of worth to the discussion, but the spring '80 band did
actually rehearse "Rock Lobster", as part of a pop song medley.

- Jon

P.S Did anyone mention yet that "Peppermint Twist" was a hit for the Sweet in
the 70s?

[Biffyshrew]

johan_...@ssco.se (johan wikberg) wrote:

>I think the humor is that being a "Negro" is too genetically fundamental
to
>be called a "persuasion".

"Persuasion" used to be considered a polite euphemism for race. Blacks
were referred to as "the colored persuasion." Of course today this would
be considered condescending and insulting. The humor of Zappa's use of
the phrase lies in its quaintness.

[Paul Hinrichs]

johan_...@ssco.se (johan wikberg) wrote:

>A mohawk is a haircut named after (I think) the Mohawk native Americans (who
>I guess have used it): sides of the head shaved bald and a strip of hair left
>along the middle.

Called a Mohawk because it sounded macho (rhymes with nacho) and cool, but
Mohawk Indians never wore their hair in this fashion. Maybe the Iroquois , aka
Algonquians, did - but real men would never get a haircut that had the letter
"q" in it.

[danki...@aol.com]

In article <32D4AE...@netcom.com>, Arthur Barrow <big...@netcom.com>
writes:

>I just wanted to add that "Charlie's Enormous..." was originally
>"Carlie's...", as in Simon, but FZ was afraid he might get sued.

Plus the name Charlie gives us the whole Kinda Young Kinda Wow thingie.

[Dave Lane]

Paul Hinrichs wrote:

> Called a Mohawk because it sounded macho (rhymes with nacho) and cool, but
> Mohawk Indians never wore their hair in this fashion. Maybe the Iroquois , aka
> Algonquians, did - but real men would never get a haircut that had the letter
> "q" in it.

Real men would never get a haircut that had a name.

--Dave

[Type Your Name Here]

Dave Lane <dal...@domaincorp.com> wrote in article
<32D2AE...@domaincorp.com>...

> Vladimir Sovetov wrote:
>
>
> > YOU ARE WHAT YOU IS
> > ===================
> > Notes and Comments
> > firts draft
>

> > When the green light shines down
> > On the black guys in the band
> > Everybody in the audience
> > Thinks they're seeing something

^^^^^^^^

I believe this is "Thinks they're SICK or something

> > That looks like it's made out of
> > Fish skin

^^^^^^^^^^

I always thought this was "made out of BISCUIT"

Jeff Guynn

[Type Your Name Here]

I think the reference to tightening the headband for an extra rush
simply refers to constricting the flow of blood in the brain which
will heighten a rush (high). There's a strange sexual practice
whereby people nearly strangle themselves during sex to heighten
the effect of the orgasm. I saw a movie one time that centered on
some dude accidentally killing a chick performing this act for her.
ALSO, sometime a while back I remember reading about a dude
that was found dead hanging from tree, his special purpose hanging
out and jism on his jeans. This is FACT! The guy was just merely
trying to restict the flow of blood to his brain for an extra rush and
ended up strangling himself. SICK!

Jeff Guynn (now on the net at home: gu...@kconline.com)

eric e weinraub <er...@world.std.com> wrote in article
<E3pFr...@world.std.com>...

[Dog Biz]

In article <32D3B7...@domaincorp.com> Dave Lane <dal...@domaincorp.com> writes:
>From: Dave Lane <dal...@domaincorp.com>
>Subject: Re: First draft for YAWYI Notes and Comments
>Date: Wed, 08 Jan 1997 10:03:52 -0500

Did God write the Bible?

[johan wikberg]

I wrote:

> I think it should be pointed out more clearly in the FAQ (I know it's there
> but not just super duper clear the way it's placed and all) that while this
> solo ended up transcribed and arranged in the ballet, the rest of the
ballet
> is NOT based on guitar solos, although many people think so and it's
> admittedly a nice thought.

And Pete Harrington <har...@helios.phy.ohiou.edu> replied:

> I think Sinister #2 made it into the ballet. I'm not sure
> which came first. The Sinister Ballet wasn't performed
> until 1984, and Sinister #2 was performed frequently during the '81
> tour.

This reply made me want to make in real life the sounds people make under
extreme pressure in the Gaston comic books (often transcribed as GNNNIII! or
the likes). I don't like to debate this matter because it could give the
illusion that the question is still open, but OK:

- I don't think Sinister #2 MADE IT INTO the ballet; rather it was taken
FROM the ballet and given rock band form.

- The reason the rock version was performed earlier than the ballet is
that it was so much easier to get a performance of it.

- When it was given rock band form, plenty of time was devoted to
improvised solos, often on guitar by Frank. (This did NOT make the entire
piece a guitar solo.)

- These solos were not transcribed and inserted into any movement of the
ballet.

But I'd be happy to be proven wrong. Oh-oh, server shutdown in one minute!
Gotta go ...

Johan
johan_...@ssco.se

[Phil Freshour]

: Patrick David Neve writes:

: >The Frugg was a dance. Like the twist or the camel-walk or the swim or
: >any number of other colorful time-wasting trends.

I stumbled across this nugget in _The Real FZ Book_:
"The high point of the performance was Carl Franzoni, our 'go-go boy.' He
was wearing ballet tights, frugging violently. Carl has testicles which
are bigger than a breadbox. MUCH bigger than a breadbox. The looks on the
faces of the Baptist teens experiencing their grandeur is a treasured
memory."
- FZ, commenting on a Dallas, Texas, TV appearance in 1966.

-------------------------------
phil freshour
fw...@en.com
-------------------------------

[Fred H. Banta]

so...@home.kpbank.ru (Vladimir Sovetov) said, :

># From: Robert Moore <evi...@tbag.tscs.com>
># Actually, I've always sorta wondered about this - everyone knows
>that the Offical Colors of Halloween are Black and Orange.

Oh I forgot, this is in our Constitution isn't it, er ah the Bill of
Rights, yeah that's it.

> ..I can come up with is that "black and green" maintains the

I think it's more likely that these are the stereotypical colors of a
witch: green skin and black clothes

># From: Robert Moore <evi...@tbag.tscs.com>
># Nivea Lotion is a skin cream. I don't know exactly how it connects with
># the black community, so this sort of puzzles me.

Black folks in the USA are particularily fond of lotion. The reason
is that when their skin becomes dry and exfoliates, it gives an ashen
appearance. So in order to avoid this "syndrome" they use lotion and
lots of it. Ask any African-American.

> A foolish young man
> Of the Negro Persuasion

Persuasion is another antiquated term for ethnicity.

> ("UHURU!")

Means "freedom" in Swahili

> For some Jordache Jeans

At the peak of the Disco Outfreakage, they were very fashionable!

>BWANA MA-COO-BAH

"Bwana" means "sir" in Swahili.

Fred H. Banta

[Ross Alexander]

Patrick David Neve <sp...@gladstone.uoregon.edu> writes:

> In black sack dresses with nine inch heels
> And then a guy with a blue mohawk comes in
> ^^^^^^^^^^^
># With blue what?

>You know what a mohawk is. It's the famous punk rock hairdo which is
>an extreme way of saying "just a little bit off the sides."

Just to be a nitpicker, that hairstyle's properly termed a "roach".
My ex-wife was a card carrying Mohawk and she was pretty insistant
about the distinction.

regards,
Ross
--
Ross Alexander, ve6pdq -- (403) 675 6311 -- r...@cs.athabascau.ca

[Bill]

So was it Warren Beatty or Mick Jagger who collaborated
with Frank on this song?

[johan wikberg]

Biffyshrew <biffy...@aol.com> writes:

> johan_...@ssco.se (johan wikberg) wrote:
>
> > I think the humor is that being a "Negro" is too
> > genetically fundamental to be called a "persuasion".
>
> "Persuasion" used to be considered a polite euphemism
> for race. Blacks were referred to as "the colored persuasion."
> Of course today this would be considered condescending
> and insulting. The humor of Zappa's use of the phrase lies
> in its quaintness.

Oh, I see. Vladmir, don't put my speculation in the FAQ! :)

(By the way, what's with this vocal group called the Persuasions?)

Johan
johan_...@ssco.se

[Richard Mallett]

On Sat, 11 Jan 1997 00:43:12 GMT, fhb...@mindspring.com (Fred H.
Banta) wrote:

>> ..I can come up with is that "black and green" maintains the
>
>I think it's more likely that these are the stereotypical colors of a
>witch: green skin and black clothes

Green is a better rhyme with Holloween than orange.

Richard

[Michael Cook]

It is not true that Jerry Garcia was a co-creator of the Ben & Jerry's
ice cream flavor. As a matter of fact he sued them then won and/or
they reached an agreement which includes donating money to some
charity. I'm sure our friends on alt.fan.jerry-garcia or something
will give more details.

------------overcooked

"all the time he would spend
all the colors he'd blend
where are they now?"
-FZ