You Are What You Is (The Track)

Lyrics

• Thing-Fish version

Thing-Fish: Straighten up in dat chair and pay ATTENTIUM! People, dis is fo yo' own good! Do YOU know what YOU ARE?
Ensemble: (displaying Dummy #1) Do you know what you are?
Thing-Fish: Dat what I ast ya!
Ensemble: You are what you is You is what you am
Thing-Fish: And DAT de trufe!
Ensemble: (A cow don't make ham . . . )
Thing-Fish: I meant dat now!
Ensemble: You ain't what you're not
Thing-Fish: Not even hardly . . .
Ensemble: So see what you got
Thing-Fish: And you got a lot o' lookin' t'do, junior!
Ensemble: You are what you is
Thing-Fish: Dat entirely TOO CORRECT!
Ensemble: An' that's all it 'tis!
Thing-Fish: Uh-HUHHHH!
Ensemble: A foolish young man
Thing-Fish: Bring dat dummy ovuh heah 'n show it to 'em!
Ensemble: Stashed away in SAN QUENTIM Ate de mys'try potatoes
Thing-Fish: Told ya 'bout dem 'taters!
Ensemble: EVIL PRINCE was inventin' Now he talk like de THING-FISh
Thing-Fish: (manipulating the dummy) ("Hmmmm, Saffiiiee!")
Ensemble: An' he look like a MAMMY!
Thing-Fish: (manipulating the dummy) ("See de mammy, now! See de mammy, now!")
Ensemble: His fav'rit CO-LOG-NUMM . . .
Thing-Fish: Smell like . . .
Sister Potato Head Bobby Brown, Sister Ghenghis Adonis Osmosis, Sister Jasmine Noxema Tapioca: CHITLINS!
Ensemble: Is de one dey call 'SAMMY'!
Thing-Fish: One-Adam-Twelve . . . see de mammy . . .
Ensemble: He finally layin'
Thing-Fish: Armed 'n dangerous, reproach wit cautium!
Ensemble: De whole thang down, 'Cept de NIVEA LOTIUM!
Thing-Fish: Rub it on good, now!
Ensemble: An de ROYAL CROWN!
Thing-Fish: Take good care o' dat "ASH"!
Ensemble: Do you know what you are?
Thing-Fish: You's a wimp . . . she's a shrew!
Ensemble: You are what you is
Thing-Fish: Got dat?
Ensemble: You is what you am
Thing-Fish: One-Adam-Twelve, see de mammy agin'!
Ensemble: (A cow don't make ham . . . )
Thing-Fish: And it never will . . .
Ensemble: You ain't what you're not,
Thing-Fish: Unless SCIENCE do somethin' 'bout it!
Ensemble: So see what you got!
Thing-Fish: I KNOW dey woikin' on it . . .
Ensemble: You are what you is,
Thing-Fish: Underneath VIRGINIA!
Ensemble: An' that's all it 'tis!
Thing-Fish: BOOG-BOOGMMM, Dano . . . "MAMMY ONE"!
Ensemble: (showing Dummy #2) A foolish young man Of de negro persuasion Devoted his life To become a caucasian He stopped eating pork He stopped eating greens He trade his dashiki
Sister Owl-Gonkwin-Jane Cow-Hoon: (manipulating the dummy) ("Uhuru!")
Ensemble: For some Jordache Jeans! He learned to play golf An' he got a good score Now he says to himself: "I AIN'T NO . . . "
Thing-Fish: "NIGNINT!"
Ensemble: "NO MORE . . . HEY! HEY! HEY!"
Thing-Fish: One-Adam-Twelve, see de "NIGNINT" wit knife . . . proceed wif cautium . . . knife may be open . . .
Ensemble: BWANA MA-COO-BAH
Harry: All Right! Let's go!
Ensemble: MERCEDES BAINNNZZZZZ!
Ensemble: Who is who?
Sister Owl-Gonkwin-Jane Cow-Hoon: (singing) I don't know . . .
Ensemble: 'N what is what
Sister Owl-Gonkwin-Jane Cow-Hoon: Somethin' I just don't know . . .
Ensemble: 'N why is this
Sister Owl-Gonkwin-Jane Cow-Hoon: Tell me now . . .
Ensemble: Appropriot
Sister Owl-Gonkwin-Jane Cow-Hoon: That's a funny pronunciation, If'n ever I heard one!
Ensemble: If you don't like
Sister Owl-Gonkwin-Jane Cow-Hoon: Where'd you get that word?
Ensemble: What you has got
Sister Owl-Gonkwin-Jane Cow-Hoon: Appropriot? The word is not!
Ensemble: Drop it in the dirt
Sister Owl-Gonkwin-Jane Cow-Hoon: Drop it, yeah!
Ensemble: 'N let it rot
Sister Owl-Gonkwin-Jane Cow-Hoon: I can smell it now!
Ensemble: Someone else
Sister Owl-Gonkwin-Jane Cow-Hoon: Here de come, here de come!
Ensemble: Will surely come
Sister Owl-Gonkwin-Jane Cow-Hoon: I told you he was comin'!
Ensemble: 'N pick it up
Sister Owl-Gonkwin-Jane Cow-Hoon: That's right!
Ensemble: 'Cause he wants some
Sister Owl-Gonkwin-Jane Cow-Hoon: An' he wants it for free!
Ensemble: And when one day
Sister Owl-Gonkwin-Jane Cow-Hoon: There will come a day!
Ensemble: You wonder who
Sister Owl-Gonkwin-Jane Cow-Hoon: I wonder too!
Ensemble: You used to was
Sister Owl-Gonkwin-Jane Cow-Hoon: Who I was, anyway!
Ensemble: 'N what you do
Sister Owl-Gonkwin-Jane Cow-Hoon: I used to work at the post office!
Ensemble: You'll scratch your head
Sister Owl-Gonkwin-Jane Cow-Hoon: But I don't wanna un-do my doo!
Ensemble: 'N look around
Sister Owl-Gonkwin-Jane Cow-Hoon: To see what's goin' on!
Ensemble: But what you lost
Sister Owl-Gonkwin-Jane Cow-Hoon: Can't seem to find it!
Ensemble: Will not be found
Sister Owl-Gonkwin-Jane Cow-Hoon: A Mercedes Benz!
Ensemble: Do you know what you are?
Sister Owl-Gonkwin-Jane Cow-Hoon: I know!
Ensemble: You are what you is
Sister Owl-Gonkwin-Jane Cow-Hoon: I'm the kinda guy . . .
Ensemble: You is what you am
Sister Owl-Gonkwin-Jane Cow-Hoon: That ought to be drivin'
Ensemble: A cow don't make ham
Sister Owl-Gonkwin-Jane Cow-Hoon: A four-fifty SLC . . .
Ensemble: You ain't what you're not
Sister Owl-Gonkwin-Jane Cow-Hoon: A big ol' RED ONE!
Ensemble: So see what you got
Sister Owl-Gonkwin-Jane Cow-Hoon: With some golf clubs stickin' out de trunk!
Ensemble: You are what you is
Sister Owl-Gonkwin-Jane Cow-Hoon: I'm gwine down to de links on Saturday mornin'!
Ensemble: An' that's all it is
Sister Owl-Gonkwin-Jane Cow-Hoon: Gimme a five-dollar bill!
Ensemble: YOU ARE WHAT YOU IS
Sister Owl-Gonkwin-Jane Cow-Hoon: And an overcoat too . . .
Ensemble: AN' THAT'S ALL IT IS
Sister Owl-Gonkwin-Jane Cow-Hoon: Where's my waitress, yeahhhh!
Ensemble: YOU ARE WHAT YOU IS
Sister Owl-Gonkwin-Jane Cow-Hoon: Robbie, take me to Greek Town!
Ensemble: AN' THAT'S ALL IT IS
Sister Owl-Gonkwin-Jane Cow-Hoon: I'm harder than yer husband; Harder than yer husband!
Ensemble: YOU ARE WHAT YOU IS
Sister Owl-Gonkwin-Jane Cow-Hoon: I'm goin' down to White Street, to the Mudd Club, y'all!
Ensemble: AN' THAT'S ALL IT IS
Sister Owl-Gonkwin-Jane Cow-Hoon: I'm goin' down 'n work the wall! 'N work the floor
Ensemble: YOU ARE WHAT YOU IS
Sister Owl-Gonkwin-Jane Cow-Hoon: 'N work the pipe, 'N work the wall some more!
Ensemble: AN' THAT'S ALL IT IS

Players On This Song

• Thing-Fish version
  • Ike Willis rhythm guitar and vocals
  • Ray White rhythm guitar and vocals
  • Tommy Mars keyboards
  • Arthur Barrow bass
  • Chad Wackerman drums

Records On Which This Song Has Appeared

Singles

• You Are What You Is / Pink Napkins (04:36) - Frank Zappa (1981)
• You Are What You Is / Pink Napkins (04:36) / Harder Than Your Husband (02:28) / Soup 'n Old Clothes (07:50) - Frank Zappa (1981)
• You Are What You Is / You Are What You Is (04:23) - Frank Zappa (1981)
• You Are What You Is / Harder Than Your Husband (02:28) - Frank Zappa (1982)
• Valley Girl (04:50) / You Are What You Is - Frank Zappa (1982)

Zappa Albums

• You Are What You Is
• What's New In Loreley?
• Thing-Fish