Difference between revisions of "Cars"

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An overview of car-related references:
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==Cars in Zappa's Lyrics==
  
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* "[[The Adventures Of Greggery Peccary]]" on ''[[Studio Tan]]'' (1978): cars are mentioned in the first movement where Greggery goes to work ("Every morning, GREGGERY drives his '''little red Volkswagen''' to the ugly part of town where they keep the Government Buildings") and in the third movement where he is pursued by the Hunchmen ("They zoom after him in all manner of '''cars''', '''trucks''', '''garishly-painted buses''', and [[Motorcycles (CC)|motorcycles]]")
* [[VIRGIL]] [8-10 / 15º-(-30º)], one of the constellations in the "[[One Size Fits All]]" (1975) "[[:Category:One Size Fits All (The List)|universe]]", has 3 stars named "[[Horn Relay]]", "[[R.Dir.Sig.Lamp]]", and "[[Acc. Flasher]]".
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* The song "[[You Are What You Is (The Track)|You Are What You Is]]" mentions the car "'''Mercedes Benz'''" as a typically "white" car in the conversation between the black and the white person in the middle of the song ("I don't understand you...", "BWANA MA-COO-BAH!", "Would you please speak more clearly?", "'''MERCEDES BAINNNNNNNZ!'''").
* [[Leo Limón|LEO LIMON]] [8-10 / 0º-30º], one of the constellations in the "[[One Size Fits All]]" (1975) "[[:Category:One Size Fits All (The List)|universe]]", is pictured as a car. The car is actually a [[49 Plymouth]], owned by [[Cal Schenkel]]; Schenkel also had an [[Alpha Romeo]], another star in the "[[One Size Fits All]]" (1975) "[[:Category:One Size Fits All (The List)|universe]]". [[Leo Limón]], one of the illustrators for FZ's first song book, is credited with "[[CHOLLO]]" on the [[Just Another Band From L.A.]] (1972) album, which has a car on the cover. [[Leo Limón|LEO LIMON]], the car constellation, has stars called (amongst others) [[Fan Belt|FAN BELT]] - a reference to the song [[Florentine Pogen]] on the [[One Size Fits All]] (1975) album - "[[Differential]]", and "[[Steering Wheel]]".
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* The Crab-Grass Baby character in the musical ''[[Thing-Fish]]'' has a '''fondness for cars''' ("Stroke [my pompadour] nicely while I tell you about the '''problems I am having with my car''' an' my girlfriend. (...) Her and her girlfriend used to go out and booze it up and tear up the '''upholstery'''; rip the seats completely out, and so I got '''a fifty-six Olds'''. About the time I got it running decently, she got in it and wrecked the trans... tore it completely up, so I had to get '''another Oldsmobile''' (...) Buy me a '''Volvo''', faaather").
* A [[Cadillac El Dorado]] is mentioned in "[[Them Or Us (The Book)]]".
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* "[[Lumpy Gravy]]", ''Lumpy Gravy Part 1'' or [[At The Gas Station]] in the sectorized version, uses an almost identical dialogue as the Crab-Grass Baby character in [[Thing-Fish]]: (...) Her and her girlfriend used to go out and booze it up and tear up the '''seats'''; rip the seats completely out, and so I got '''a fifty-six Olds'''. About the time I got it running decently, she got in it and wrecked the trans... tore it completely up, so I had to get '''another Oldsmobile''' (...)
* [[Dodge]] - "[[Them Or Us (The Book)]]"
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* "[[Does This Kind Of Life Look Interesting To You?]]": "A dog, a car, an epidemic of body lice with your own record company..."
* ...
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* In the title song, "[[Joe's Garage (Track)]]", on ''[[Joe's Garage Acts I, II & III]]'' (1979), there is actually a car in the garage where Joe's band has its mediocre practice sessions: "It wasn't very large / There was just enough room to cram the drums / In the corner over by the '''Dodge / It was a fifty-four with a mashed up door'''" (...)
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* Though largely an instrumental piece, '''[[The Orange County Lumber Truck]]''' appears on three Zappa albums: first on ''[[Weasels Ripped My Flesh]]'' (1970), ''[[Make A Jazz Noise Here]]'' (1991), and ''[[Ahead Of Their Time]]'' (1993).
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* In "[[Would You Go All The Way?]]" on ''[[Chunga's Revenge]]'' (1970), the car mentioned is in the dubious possession of a lascivious greaser, attempting to seduce a young woman by playing on her fantasies of military machismo: "Who's this dude with his hair straight back? / His new white socks 'n his pants all black / His t-shirt's rolled / His watch is gold / '''A '55 Chevy that his brother just stoled"''' (...)
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* In the song [[Florentine Pogen]] on the album [[One Size Fits All]], the wealthy female protaganist is described as owning a ''''59 Morgan'''. The song goes on to explain that "She didn't like it when her '''fan belt shrunk and got shorter''' (''Ointment'') / '''Battery leaks could nearly cost her a quarter'''".
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* [[Approximate]] on [[You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore Vol. 4|YCDTOSA 4]]: "Bake food! Vooeeeuuu-vooo-ereii! ...  Dagmar! Din-din! ... Stayin' alive! Ah, ah, ah, ah! Aaah! There's a '''39 Buick''' blockin' the drive!"
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* [[Flower Punk]]: ''"When my royalty check comes I think I'm going to buy a Mustang. No, I think I'll... I think I'll get a Corvette. No, I think I'll get a Harley Davidson."''
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==Cars depicted in Artwork for Releases==
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* [[Alpha Romeo|ALPHA ROMEO]], a star in the ''[[One Size Fits All]]'' (1975) [[:Category:One Size Fits All (The List)|universe]], is a reference to a car owned by [[Cal Schenkel]].
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* [[Leo Limón|LEO LIMON]] [8-10 / 0º-30º], one of the constellations in the ''[[One Size Fits All]]'' (1975) [[:Category:One Size Fits All (The List)|universe]], is pictured as a car. The car is actually a [[49 Plymouth]], another car owned by [[Cal Schenkel]]. The constellation has stars called [[Fan Belt|FAN BELT]] (a reference to the song "[[Florentine Pogen]]") [[Differential]], and [[Steering Wheel]], amongst others.
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* [[Leo Limón]], one of the illustrators for FZ's first song book, is credited with [[CHOLLO]] on the ''[[Just Another Band From L.A.]]'' album (1972), which has a car on the cover.
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* [[VIRGIL]] [8-10 / 15º-(-30º)], another ''[[One Size Fits All]]'' constellation, has three stars named [[Horn Relay]], [[R.Dir.Sig.Lamp]] and [[Acc. Flasher]].
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* Front, page 3 and back cover of booklet coming with [[Uncle Meat]] feature 40s and 50s style cars.
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==Cars in Zappa literature==
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* ''[[Them Or Us (The Book)]]'' (1984): [[Cadillac El Dorado]], [[Dodge]], [[Volkswagen]], [[Volvo]], [[Mercedes Benz]], [[Mercedes Benz|Mercedes]], [[Oldsmobile]], [[Phydeaux III]] (the bus), [[Porsche]], [[Studebaker Hoch]]
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* ''[[The Real Frank Zappa Book]]'' (1989): [[Kaiser Henry J]]
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* [[The Story Of Ruben & The Jets]]
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* "[[FZ's Cadillac Extravaganza]]"
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=="Do you like my new car?"==
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"'''Do you like my new car?'''" is a phrase that, just like "[["What's a girl like you doin' in a place like this?" (CC)|What's a girl like you doin' in a place like this?]]", is often used by characters in Zappa's work as an implicit sexual advance. Unlike the other line, however, it is always used in connection with groupies, as in the "'''Groupie Routine'''" of the [[Flo & Eddie]] years (which even appears under the title "[[Do You Like My New Car?]]" on the ''[[Fillmore East, June 1971]]'' album).
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The line also appears in the song "[[Daddy, Daddy, Daddy]]" on ''[[200 Motels]]'' (1971), where it retains its groupie context ("She's such a dignified lady, / She's so pretty and soft. / You can't call her a groupie, / It just pisses her off"). Additionally, the backing vocals cite '''several makes of cars''' towards the end of the song ("It's a '''Bentley''', / It's a '''Cooper''', / It's a '''Chevy''', / Or a '''Lincoln'''").
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==Related CC Clues==
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*[[Motorcycles (CC)]]
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*[[Studebaker Hawk (CC)]]
  
 
[[Category:Conceptual Continuity]]
 
[[Category:Conceptual Continuity]]

Revision as of 05:54, 20 September 2011

Cars in Zappa's Lyrics

  • "The Adventures Of Greggery Peccary" on Studio Tan (1978): cars are mentioned in the first movement where Greggery goes to work ("Every morning, GREGGERY drives his little red Volkswagen to the ugly part of town where they keep the Government Buildings") and in the third movement where he is pursued by the Hunchmen ("They zoom after him in all manner of cars, trucks, garishly-painted buses, and motorcycles")
  • The song "You Are What You Is" mentions the car "Mercedes Benz" as a typically "white" car in the conversation between the black and the white person in the middle of the song ("I don't understand you...", "BWANA MA-COO-BAH!", "Would you please speak more clearly?", "MERCEDES BAINNNNNNNZ!").
  • The Crab-Grass Baby character in the musical Thing-Fish has a fondness for cars ("Stroke [my pompadour] nicely while I tell you about the problems I am having with my car an' my girlfriend. (...) Her and her girlfriend used to go out and booze it up and tear up the upholstery; rip the seats completely out, and so I got a fifty-six Olds. About the time I got it running decently, she got in it and wrecked the trans... tore it completely up, so I had to get another Oldsmobile (...) Buy me a Volvo, faaather").
  • "Lumpy Gravy", Lumpy Gravy Part 1 or At The Gas Station in the sectorized version, uses an almost identical dialogue as the Crab-Grass Baby character in Thing-Fish: (...) Her and her girlfriend used to go out and booze it up and tear up the seats; rip the seats completely out, and so I got a fifty-six Olds. About the time I got it running decently, she got in it and wrecked the trans... tore it completely up, so I had to get another Oldsmobile (...)
  • "Does This Kind Of Life Look Interesting To You?": "A dog, a car, an epidemic of body lice with your own record company..."
  • In the title song, "Joe's Garage (Track)", on Joe's Garage Acts I, II & III (1979), there is actually a car in the garage where Joe's band has its mediocre practice sessions: "It wasn't very large / There was just enough room to cram the drums / In the corner over by the Dodge / It was a fifty-four with a mashed up door" (...)
  • Though largely an instrumental piece, The Orange County Lumber Truck appears on three Zappa albums: first on Weasels Ripped My Flesh (1970), Make A Jazz Noise Here (1991), and Ahead Of Their Time (1993).
  • In "Would You Go All The Way?" on Chunga's Revenge (1970), the car mentioned is in the dubious possession of a lascivious greaser, attempting to seduce a young woman by playing on her fantasies of military machismo: "Who's this dude with his hair straight back? / His new white socks 'n his pants all black / His t-shirt's rolled / His watch is gold / A '55 Chevy that his brother just stoled" (...)
  • In the song Florentine Pogen on the album One Size Fits All, the wealthy female protaganist is described as owning a '59 Morgan. The song goes on to explain that "She didn't like it when her fan belt shrunk and got shorter (Ointment) / Battery leaks could nearly cost her a quarter".
  • Approximate on YCDTOSA 4: "Bake food! Vooeeeuuu-vooo-ereii! ... Dagmar! Din-din! ... Stayin' alive! Ah, ah, ah, ah! Aaah! There's a 39 Buick blockin' the drive!"
  • Flower Punk: "When my royalty check comes I think I'm going to buy a Mustang. No, I think I'll... I think I'll get a Corvette. No, I think I'll get a Harley Davidson."

Cars depicted in Artwork for Releases

Cars in Zappa literature

"Do you like my new car?"

"Do you like my new car?" is a phrase that, just like "What's a girl like you doin' in a place like this?", is often used by characters in Zappa's work as an implicit sexual advance. Unlike the other line, however, it is always used in connection with groupies, as in the "Groupie Routine" of the Flo & Eddie years (which even appears under the title "Do You Like My New Car?" on the Fillmore East, June 1971 album).

The line also appears in the song "Daddy, Daddy, Daddy" on 200 Motels (1971), where it retains its groupie context ("She's such a dignified lady, / She's so pretty and soft. / You can't call her a groupie, / It just pisses her off"). Additionally, the backing vocals cite several makes of cars towards the end of the song ("It's a Bentley, / It's a Cooper, / It's a Chevy, / Or a Lincoln").

Related CC Clues