It Can't Happen Here

Lyrics

It can't happen here
It can't happen here
I'm telling you, my dear
That it can't happen here
Because I been checkin' it out, baby
I checked it out a couple a times

But I'm telling you
It can't happen here
Oh darling, it's important that you believe me
(Bop bop bop bop)
That it can't happen here

Who could imagine that they would freak out somewhere
in Kansas . . .
(Kansas . . . Kansas . . . Kansas . . . Kansas . . . )
(Kansas, Kansas, do-do-dun to-to
Kansas, Kansas, la la la)
(Kansas, Kansas, do-do-dun to-to
Kansas, Kansas)
Who could imagine that they would freak out in Minnesota . . .
(Mi-mi-mi-mi-mi-mi-mi-mi-mi-mi-mi-mi-mi
Mi-mi-mi-mi-mi-mi-mi-mi-mi-mi-mi-mi . . . )
(Mama Minnesota, Mama Minnesota, Mama Minnesota,
Ma-ma-ma-ma-ma-ma-ma-ma Mama Minnesota,
Mama Minnesota, Mama Minnesota,
Ma-ma-ma-ma-ma-ma-ma-ma-ma-ma-ma-ma Mama Minnesota)
Who could imagine . . .

Who could imagine
That they would freak out in Washington, D.C.
(AC/DC bop-bop-bop)
(AC/DC do-do-do-dun, AC/DC
Ma-ma-ma-ma-ma-ma-ma, AC/DC)
But it can't happen here
Oh baby, it can't happen here
(AC/DC bop-bop-bop)
Oh baby, it can't happen here
(AC/DC bop-bop-bop)
It can't happen here
Everybody's safe and it can't happen here
(AC/DC bop-bop-bop)
No freaks for us
(AC/DC bop-bop-bop)
It can't happen here
(AC/DC bop-bop-bop)
Everybody's clean and it can't happen here
No, no, it won't happen here
(No, no, it won't happen here)
(AC/DC bop-bop-bop)
I'm telling you it can't
(AC/DC bop-bop-bop)
It won't happen here
Bop-bop-ditty-bop
(I'm not worried at all, I'm not worried at all)
Ditty-bop-bop-bop
Plastic folks, you know
It won't happen here
You're safe, mama
(No no no)
You're safe, baby
(No no no)
You just cook a tv dinner
(No no no)
And you make it
Bop bop bop
(No no no)
Oh, we're gonna get a tv dinner and cook it up
(No no no no no no no!)
Oh, get a tv dinner and cook it up
Cook it up
Oh, and it won't happen here
Who could imagine
That they would freak out in the suburbs!
(No no no no no no no no no no
Man you guys are really safe
Everything's cool)

I remember (tu-tu)
I remember (tu-tu)
I remember (tu-tu)
They had a swimming pool
I remember (tu-tu)
I remember (tu-tu)
They had a swimming pool
I remember (tu-tu)
I remember (tu-tu)
They had a swimming pool

And they thought it couldn't happen here
(duh duh duh)
They knew it couldn't happen here
They were so sure it couldn't happen here
But . . .

Suzy . . .
Yes yes, oh yes--I've always felt that
Yes, I agree man, it really makes it . . . yeah . . .
It's a real THING, man, it really makes it

FZ: Suzy, you just got to town, and we've been . . . we've been very interested in your development
Suzy: Forget it!

Hmmmmmmmmm
(It can't happen here)

Players On This Song

FREAK OUT! version

• Frank Zappa - guitar & vocals
• Ray Collins - lead vocalist, harmonica, tambourine, finger cymbals, bobby pin & tweezers
• Jimmy Carl Black - drums (also sings in some foreign language)
• Roy Estrada - bass & guitarron; boy soprano
• Elliot Ingber - alternate lead & rhythm guitar with clear white light

Albums In Which This Song Has Appeared

• Freak Out!
• The MOFO Project/Object (2006)
• The MOFO Project/Object (Deluxe Edition) (2006)
• Mothermania
• Understanding America

Notes About This Song

Originally part of "Help, I'm A Rock (Suite In Three Movements)", the movements being: "Okay To Tap Dance", "In Memoriam Edgar Varese", and "It Can't Happen Here"; eventually started a life of its own.

"The heaviest stuff on there is 'It Can't Happen Here' and 'Who Are The Brain Police?' Nobody's penetrated 'Brain Police' - yet." - FK: "Who are the Brain Police?" – FZ: "I can't tell you that - it's a religious song. But the ones who say they like 'Brain Police' like it because it's got some screaming and they love it. The ones that like 'Help, I'm A Rock', you know that mumbling part at the end, haven't come to realize what the musical structure of that is. They'll perceive it because it's got some gag lines in it."

— Frank Kofsky interviews FZ, 1967, Frank Kofsky

Censorship

The lyrics were originally "Suzy, you just got to town, and we've been . . . we've been very interested in your development since you first took the shots." Frank said MGM asked him to remove the lyric along with the word psychedelic because "it sounded like Dope Fiend Music when actually all we were talking about was a little paraffin injection." (Frank Zappa, Interview with Matty Biberfeld at WRVR, New York City, Summer 1967, from "Dope Fiend Music") The original lyrics were restored on Mothermania.