Thursday, December 10, 2009

Jolly Zappadan: December 10

Let's Make the Water Turn Black:

Some of Zappa's lyrics could be very... colorful. I remember reading an interview with him, back when I was living outside of Cleveland in the late 70's, in which he said (my paraphrase) the lyrics are unimportant. The art is in the music and the rhythms, and the purpose of the lyrics is to further those. I mentally called "Bull Dung" at the time; so many of his songs are satirical or socio-political commentary. But I kind of see his point. The song above has never made any sense to me, it just is what it is. Funny in a way, but with an oddly existential twist. It exists, but has no meaning (to me, at least) beyond that. Still the lyrics clearly support the music and the rhythm, so once again, Frank shoots and scores.

Today's trivia: if anyone ever asks you to name an English word with two syllables but only one vowel, it's in the above paragraph in both singular and plural form.

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