Difference between revisions of "United States of America"

From Zappa Wiki Jawaka
Jump to navigation Jump to search
 
(60 intermediate revisions by 2 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
 +
__NOTOC__
 +
 
[[File:Zappa Uncle Sam.jpg|500px|thumb|right|Frank Zappa dressed up as Uncle Sam for a 1988 publicity shoot to promote voting in the presidential elections.]]
 
[[File:Zappa Uncle Sam.jpg|500px|thumb|right|Frank Zappa dressed up as Uncle Sam for a 1988 publicity shoot to promote voting in the presidential elections.]]
  
Line 16: Line 18:
 
* [[Brown Shoes Don't Make It]]: "I'd like her do a nasty/on the White House lawn."
 
* [[Brown Shoes Don't Make It]]: "I'd like her do a nasty/on the White House lawn."
 
* [[Camarillo Brillo]]  "... and every newt in Idaho" (...) "by the bush in Buffalo"
 
* [[Camarillo Brillo]]  "... and every newt in Idaho" (...) "by the bush in Buffalo"
 +
* [[A Chance Encounter In Cincinnati]]
 
* [[Cheepnis]]: "Then I watched a movie from [[Hollywood]]..."
 
* [[Cheepnis]]: "Then I watched a movie from [[Hollywood]]..."
 
* [[Cocaine Decisions]]
 
* [[Cocaine Decisions]]
Line 39: Line 42:
 
* [[Heavenly Bank Account]]
 
* [[Heavenly Bank Account]]
 
* [[Hotel Atlanta Incidentals]]
 
* [[Hotel Atlanta Incidentals]]
* [[Hungry Freaks Daddy]]: "Mr. America walk on by..."
+
* [[Hungry Freaks, Daddy (1966 - Los Angeles)|Hungry Freaks Daddy]]: "Mr. America walk on by..."
 
* [[I Don't Wanna Get Drafted]]
 
* [[I Don't Wanna Get Drafted]]
 
* [[I Left My Heart In San Francisco]]
 
* [[I Left My Heart In San Francisco]]
Line 46: Line 49:
 
* [[It Ain't Necessarily The Saint James Infirmary]]
 
* [[It Ain't Necessarily The Saint James Infirmary]]
 
* [[It Can't Happen Here]]: "Who could imagine that they would freak out in [[wikipedia:Minnesota| Minnesota]] (...), [[wikipedia:Kansas| Kansas]], (...) [[wikipedia:Washington D.C.|Washington D.C.]]?"
 
* [[It Can't Happen Here]]: "Who could imagine that they would freak out in [[wikipedia:Minnesota| Minnesota]] (...), [[wikipedia:Kansas| Kansas]], (...) [[wikipedia:Washington D.C.|Washington D.C.]]?"
 +
* [[It Has Just Been Passed…]] is about a ridiculous law in Arizona.
 
* [[It's From Kansas]]
 
* [[It's From Kansas]]
* [[JCB & Kansas On The Bus]]
+
* [[JCB & Kansas On The Bus 1]]
 +
* [[JCB & Kansas On The Bus 2]]
 
* [[Rhymin' Man]]  (about [[Rhymin'_Man#Notes_About_This_Song|Jesse Jackson]])
 
* [[Rhymin' Man]]  (about [[Rhymin'_Man#Notes_About_This_Song|Jesse Jackson]])
 
* [[Jesus Thinks You're A Jerk]]
 
* [[Jesus Thinks You're A Jerk]]
Line 90: Line 95:
 
* [[This Ain't CNN]]
 
* [[This Ain't CNN]]
 
* [[Times Beach]]
 
* [[Times Beach]]
* [[Tinsel Town Rebellion]]
+
* [[Tinseltown Rebellion]]
 
* [[Trouble Every Day]]: was inspired by the [[wikipedia:Watts riots|Watts riots]]
 
* [[Trouble Every Day]]: was inspired by the [[wikipedia:Watts riots|Watts riots]]
 
* [[Truck Driver Divorce]]
 
* [[Truck Driver Divorce]]
Line 115: Line 120:
 
* [[125th]]
 
* [[125th]]
 
* [[Alabama]]
 
* [[Alabama]]
* [[Alaska]]
 
 
* [[Baltimore]]
 
* [[Baltimore]]
 
* [[Boney's Market]]
 
* [[Boney's Market]]
 
* [[Broadway]]
 
* [[Broadway]]
* [[The Broadway]]
 
 
* [[Cafe au-Go-Go]]
 
* [[Cafe au-Go-Go]]
 
* [[California]]
 
* [[California]]
Line 127: Line 130:
 
* [[Cheviot Hills]]
 
* [[Cheviot Hills]]
 
* [[Chicago]]
 
* [[Chicago]]
* [[Circle Star Theatre]]
 
 
* [[Cucamonga]]
 
* [[Cucamonga]]
 +
* [[Detroit]]
 +
* [[Downey]]
 
* [[Edwards Air Force Base]]
 
* [[Edwards Air Force Base]]
 
* [[El Monte Legion Stadium]]
 
* [[El Monte Legion Stadium]]
Line 149: Line 153:
 
* [[Irwindale]]
 
* [[Irwindale]]
 
* [[Jai Alai Fronton]]
 
* [[Jai Alai Fronton]]
 +
* [[Kansas]]
 
* [[Lancaster]]
 
* [[Lancaster]]
 
* [[Langley]]
 
* [[Langley]]
Line 155: Line 160:
 
* [[Laurel Canyon]]
 
* [[Laurel Canyon]]
 
* [[Lincoln Center]]
 
* [[Lincoln Center]]
* [[Long Island]]
 
 
* [[Los Angeles]]
 
* [[Los Angeles]]
* [[Madison Square Garden]]
+
* [[Massachusetts]]
* [[Manhattan]]
 
 
* [[Miami]]
 
* [[Miami]]
 
* [[Mojave Desert]]
 
* [[Mojave Desert]]
 
* [[Monterey]]
 
* [[Monterey]]
* [[Nevada]]
 
 
* [[New Jersey]]
 
* [[New Jersey]]
 
* [[New York]]
 
* [[New York]]
Line 172: Line 174:
 
* [[Park Avenue]]
 
* [[Park Avenue]]
 
* [[Pauley Pavilion]]  
 
* [[Pauley Pavilion]]  
 +
* [[Pennsylvania]]
 
* [[Playa del Rey]]
 
* [[Playa del Rey]]
 
* [[Pomona]]
 
* [[Pomona]]
Line 177: Line 180:
 
* [[Royce Hall]]
 
* [[Royce Hall]]
 
* [[San Diego]]
 
* [[San Diego]]
* [[San Fernando]]
 
 
* [[San Fernando Valley]]
 
* [[San Fernando Valley]]
 
* [[San Francisco]]
 
* [[San Francisco]]
 
* [[San Joaquin Valley]]
 
* [[San Joaquin Valley]]
 
* [[San Quentin]]
 
* [[San Quentin]]
* [[Saint Louis]]
 
 
* [[Santa Monica]]
 
* [[Santa Monica]]
 
* [[Shrine Exposition Hall]]
 
* [[Shrine Exposition Hall]]
Line 189: Line 190:
 
* [[Uptown Hall]]
 
* [[Uptown Hall]]
 
* [[Utah]]
 
* [[Utah]]
 +
* [[Ventura]]
 
* [[Virginia]]
 
* [[Virginia]]
 +
* [[Wall Street]]
 
* [[Washington]]
 
* [[Washington]]
 
* [[Westchester]]
 
* [[Westchester]]
Line 202: Line 205:
 
* [[American Civil Liberties Union]]
 
* [[American Civil Liberties Union]]
 
* [[American Medical Association]]
 
* [[American Medical Association]]
* [[American Society of University Composers]]
 
 
* [[Barbie]], [[Ken]] and [[Cindy]]
 
* [[Barbie]], [[Ken]] and [[Cindy]]
 
* [[Boston Globe Jazz Festival]]
 
* [[Boston Globe Jazz Festival]]
* [[Burger King]]
 
 
* [[Capitol Records]]
 
* [[Capitol Records]]
 
* [[Central Intelligence Agency]]
 
* [[Central Intelligence Agency]]
Line 213: Line 214:
 
* [[DownBeat]]
 
* [[DownBeat]]
 
* The [[Wikipedia:Federal Bureau of Investigation|FBI]]
 
* The [[Wikipedia:Federal Bureau of Investigation|FBI]]
* The [[FCC]]
 
* [[The First Lady]]
 
* [[Free Press]]
 
 
* [[Guitar Player Magazine]]
 
* [[Guitar Player Magazine]]
 
* [[Hustler]]
 
* [[Hustler]]
Line 224: Line 222:
 
* [[Look]]
 
* [[Look]]
 
* [[Los Angeles Free Press]]
 
* [[Los Angeles Free Press]]
* [[Los Angeles Museum Of Contemporary Art]]
 
 
* [[Los Angeles Philharmonic]]
 
* [[Los Angeles Philharmonic]]
 
* [[Lucky Strike]]
 
* [[Lucky Strike]]
* [[MCA]]
 
 
* [[MGM Records]]
 
* [[MGM Records]]
* [[M.P.A.A.]]
 
 
* [[MTV]]
 
* [[MTV]]
 
* [[Miami Pop Festival]]
 
* [[Miami Pop Festival]]
 
* [[Mormons]]
 
* [[Mormons]]
 +
* [[NBC]]
 
* [[The New York Times]]
 
* [[The New York Times]]
 
* [[Newport Jazz Festival]]
 
* [[Newport Jazz Festival]]
 
* [[Oldsmobile]]
 
* [[Oldsmobile]]
* [[PCP]]
 
 
* [[PTA]]
 
* [[PTA]]
 
* [[Parents Music Resource Center]]
 
* [[Parents Music Resource Center]]
Line 252: Line 247:
 
* [[Uncle Ben's Rice]]
 
* [[Uncle Ben's Rice]]
 
* [[Village Voice]]
 
* [[Village Voice]]
 +
* [[Wall Street Journal]]
 
* [[Warner Brothers]]
 
* [[Warner Brothers]]
 
* [[The Washington Post]]
 
* [[The Washington Post]]
Line 264: Line 260:
 
* [[Aaron Copland]]
 
* [[Aaron Copland]]
 
* [[Robert Craft]]
 
* [[Robert Craft]]
* [[Fred E. Graff]]
+
* [[The World’s Greatest Sinner (The Film)|Fred E. Graff]]
 
* [[Michael Hedges]]
 
* [[Michael Hedges]]
 
* [[Charles Ives]]
 
* [[Charles Ives]]
Line 289: Line 285:
 
* [[Wikipedia:Z-Trip|DJ Z-Trip]]
 
* [[Wikipedia:Z-Trip|DJ Z-Trip]]
 
* [[I'm The Slime#Notes About This Song|Ill Bill]]
 
* [[I'm The Slime#Notes About This Song|Ill Bill]]
* [[J Dilla]]
+
* [[Dance Contest#Notes About This Song|J Dilla]]
* [[J*Davey]]
+
* [[Dirty Love#Trivia|J*Davey]]
 
* [[Madvillain]]
 
* [[Madvillain]]
 
* [[MF Doom]]
 
* [[MF Doom]]
* [[Mr. Dibbs]]
+
* [[Little Umbrellas#Notes About This Song|Mr. Dibbs]]
 
* [[Mr. Muthafuckin' eXquire]]
 
* [[Mr. Muthafuckin' eXquire]]
 
* [[Tyler, The Creator]]
 
* [[Tyler, The Creator]]
* [[Young Chris]]
+
* [[Uncle Remus#Notes About This Song|Young Chris]]
 
 
  
 
==Blues singers==
 
==Blues singers==
Line 325: Line 320:
 
* [[Captain Beefheart]]
 
* [[Captain Beefheart]]
 
* [[Richard Carpenter]]
 
* [[Richard Carpenter]]
* [[Harry Chapin]]
+
* [[Zappa Picks By Larry LaLonde Of Primus#Background Information|Les Claypool]]
* [[Les Claypool]]
 
 
* [[Kurt Cobain]]
 
* [[Kurt Cobain]]
 
* [[Alice Cooper]]
 
* [[Alice Cooper]]
Line 340: Line 334:
 
* [[Larry Fischer|Wild Man Fischer]]
 
* [[Larry Fischer|Wild Man Fischer]]
 
* [[Jon Fishman]]
 
* [[Jon Fishman]]
* [[The Flock]]
+
* [[Flo & Eddie]]
 
* [[John Frusciante]]
 
* [[John Frusciante]]
 
* [[The Fugs]]
 
* [[The Fugs]]
Line 355: Line 349:
 
* [[Jefferson Airplane]]
 
* [[Jefferson Airplane]]
 
* [[Janis Joplin]]
 
* [[Janis Joplin]]
* [[Henry Kaiser]]
 
 
* [[The Leaves]]
 
* [[The Leaves]]
 
* [[Little Richard]]
 
* [[Little Richard]]
Line 367: Line 360:
 
* [[Moe.]]
 
* [[Moe.]]
 
* [[The Monkees]]
 
* [[The Monkees]]
* [[Keith Moon]]
 
 
* [[Jim Morrison]]
 
* [[Jim Morrison]]
* [[Mötley Crüe]]
 
 
* [[Ted Nugent]]
 
* [[Ted Nugent]]
 
* [[The Osmonds]]
 
* [[The Osmonds]]
Line 395: Line 386:
 
* [[Tiny Tim]]
 
* [[Tiny Tim]]
 
* [[The Tubes]]
 
* [[The Tubes]]
* [[The Turtles]]
 
 
* [[Twisted Sister]]
 
* [[Twisted Sister]]
 
* [[Umphrey's McGee]]
 
* [[Umphrey's McGee]]
Line 402: Line 392:
 
* [[The Velvet Underground]]
 
* [[The Velvet Underground]]
 
* [[Frank Vignola]]
 
* [[Frank Vignola]]
* [[The Village People]]
 
 
* [[Tom Waits]]
 
* [[Tom Waits]]
 
* [[Walk the Moon]]
 
* [[Walk the Moon]]
Line 408: Line 397:
 
* [["Weird Al" Yankovic]]
 
* [["Weird Al" Yankovic]]
 
* [[Yonder Mountain String Band]]
 
* [[Yonder Mountain String Band]]
 
  
 
==Writers==
 
==Writers==
Line 431: Line 419:
 
* [[Pee-Wee Herman]]
 
* [[Pee-Wee Herman]]
 
* [[Larry King]]
 
* [[Larry King]]
* [[Ted Koppel]]
 
 
* [[Harold Lloyd]]
 
* [[Harold Lloyd]]
 
* [[Soupy Sales]]
 
* [[Soupy Sales]]
 
* [[Rod Serling]]
 
* [[Rod Serling]]
* [[The Three Stooges]]
+
* [[Annie Sprinkle]]
  
 
==Politics, Religion and Business==
 
==Politics, Religion and Business==
Line 444: Line 431:
 
* [[Jerry Falwell]]
 
* [[Jerry Falwell]]
 
* [[Larry Flynt]]
 
* [[Larry Flynt]]
* [[Barry Goldwater]]
 
 
* [[Al Gore]] and [[Tipper Gore]]
 
* [[Al Gore]] and [[Tipper Gore]]
 
* [[Billy Graham]]
 
* [[Billy Graham]]
Line 453: Line 439:
 
* [[Religion|Thomas Jefferson]]
 
* [[Religion|Thomas Jefferson]]
 
* [[Lyndon B. Johnson]]
 
* [[Lyndon B. Johnson]]
 +
* [[John F. Kennedy]]
 
* [[Henry Kissinger]]
 
* [[Henry Kissinger]]
 
* [[C. Everett Koop]]
 
* [[C. Everett Koop]]
 
* [[Religion|Abraham Lincoln]]
 
* [[Religion|Abraham Lincoln]]
 
* [[Ed Meese]]
 
* [[Ed Meese]]
 +
* [[Merrill Lynch]]
 +
* [[Sun Myung Moon]]
 
* [[Richard Nixon]]
 
* [[Richard Nixon]]
 
* [[Oliver North]]
 
* [[Oliver North]]
 +
* [[Bob Packwood]]
 
* [[John Poindexter]]
 
* [[John Poindexter]]
 
* [[Ronald Reagan]]
 
* [[Ronald Reagan]]
Line 464: Line 454:
 
* [[Pat Robertson]]
 
* [[Pat Robertson]]
 
* [[John D. Rockefeller IV]]
 
* [[John D. Rockefeller IV]]
* [[George Lincoln Rockwell]]
+
* [[Rothschild Venture Capital]]
 
* [[Jimmy Swaggart]]
 
* [[Jimmy Swaggart]]
 
* [[Strom Thurmond]]
 
* [[Strom Thurmond]]
 
* [[Robert Tilton]]
 
* [[Robert Tilton]]
* [[Ted Turner]]
 
 
* [[Religion|George Washington]]
 
* [[Religion|George Washington]]
 
* The [[Iran-contra affair]]
 
* The [[Iran-contra affair]]
 
* The [[Cold War]]
 
* The [[Cold War]]
 +
* [[The World Church]]
  
 
==Criminals==
 
==Criminals==
Line 533: Line 523:
  
 
==Miscellaneous==
 
==Miscellaneous==
 +
* [[Richard E. Byrd]]
 
* [[Church of American Secular Humanism]]
 
* [[Church of American Secular Humanism]]
 
* [[The Flag Salute]]
 
* [[The Flag Salute]]
 
* [[Great Society]]
 
* [[Great Society]]
 
* [[Hawaiian Lunch]]
 
* [[Hawaiian Lunch]]
* [[KABC-TV L.A.]]
 
 
* [[The Log Cabin]]
 
* [[The Log Cabin]]
 
* [[Willie Mays]]
 
* [[Willie Mays]]
 
* [[Palladium]]
 
* [[Palladium]]
 
* [[The Plaster Casters Of Chicago]]
 
* [[The Plaster Casters Of Chicago]]
* [[Sam Goody's Record Store]]
 
 
* [[Mark Spitz]]
 
* [[Mark Spitz]]
 
* [[United Mutations]]
 
* [[United Mutations]]

Latest revision as of 17:54, 1 January 2023


Frank Zappa dressed up as Uncle Sam for a 1988 publicity shoot to promote voting in the presidential elections.

While Zappa was born and raised in the United States he was often critical of the American government, its foreign policy, organized religion, media, corporations and the consumer culture.

Track and album references to America

  • Various characters associated with the U.S.A. can be seen in You Are What You Is (The Music Video), including President Reagan, a Ku Klux Klan member and a Playboy Bunny
  • Clean American Version, a text that can also be seen on the artwork for Absolutely Free
  • The M.O.I. American Pageant is the name of side two of Absolutely Free (track 10-15 on the CD version)
  • Zappa often used the moniker "American composer" to describe himself in the most straightforward way.

Locations

References to American institutions and brands

Composers and conductors


Hip hop Musicians

Blues singers

Doo-wop and R&B singers

Jazz Composers

Rock, Folk and Pop Artists

Writers

Comedians and TV Presenters

Politics, Religion and Business

Criminals


Fictional characters


Scientists

Painters

Bandmembers, Supporting Cast, Family Members and Other

Note: Most of the people listed here are or were Americans and therefore would be too numerous to list each one of them indvidually on this page. Occasionally some of them might be born in another country:

Miscellaneous