"What's a girl like you doin' in a place like this?"
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The line "What's a girl like you doin' in a place like this?" (and variations thereof) feature prominently in Zappa's more sexually oriented songs. It usually serves a kind of mantra for a male character to seduce the girl (or as in some cases: the boy) of his choice. This is the entire quote as found on Joe's Garage Acts II & III:
What's a girl like you doing in a place like this?
Do you come here often?
Wait a minute... I've got it:
You're an Italian!
What? You're Jewish?
Love your nails! You must be a Libra!
Your place or mine?
Songs that quote this line
- "Flower Punk" on We're Only In It For The Money: in the spoken part at the end of the song ("Hello, baby, what's a girl like you doing in a place like this? I'm from a rock & roll band, I think we should...")
- "What Kind Of Girl Do You Think We Are?" on Fillmore East, June 1971: in a proto-version ("What's a girl like you / Doin' in a Motel like this?")
- "Stick It Out" on Joe's Garage Acts II & III: the character Sy Borg (who is half vacuum cleaner and half piggy bank) tries to impress Joe (who is dressed like a housewive and has just had his coming-out as a "latent appliance fetishist") by reciting "a few lines of traditional American Love Poetry" (i.e. above line in its entirety).
- "Dancin' Fool" on Sheik Yerbouti: in the spoken part at the end of the song ("Hey darlin'! Can I buy ya a coupla drinks? Lookin' for Mister Goodbar? Here he is! Wait a minute... I've got it: you're an Italian! Huh? You're Jewish? Oh, love your nails! You must be a Libra! Your place or mine?")
- "Artificial Rhonda" on Thing-Fish: Harry-as-a-Boy (the childhood version of the character Harry) asks Artificial Rhonda (the deflatable past self of Harry's wive Rhonda) to dance with a variation of the line ("Hey, good-lookin'! May I have this dance? What's a nice girl like you doing in a place like this? Do you come here often?")
- "The "Real World" Thematic Extrapolations": "You're part Italian, right? You're not? What, you Jewish? Love your nails."
