Notes & Comments - Zoot Allures
29 October 1976, 41:32 min
Discography
| Notes & Comments
ZOOT ALLURES Notes and Comments
ver.10-May-1996
Put together by
Vladimir Sovetov (sova@kpbank.kemerovo.su)
on
1994 Russian Orthodox Easter Sunday :-)
Lyrics was originaly
transcribed by
C. Gordon Keeble [gordo] (ck7263@csc.albany.edu)
Special thanks to
Mr_Gigabyte@mindlink.bc.ca (Mike Quigley)
# From: Vladimir Sovetov (sova@bank.kemerovo.su)
# Interesting thing to note about the album title.
# In France they say _Zut Alors_ when mean _Goddamned_.
# So it seems that the only language Frank have no time to abuse
# is Russian. Ne zappelos', tovarischee :-(
#
# From: U001350@vm.uci.kun.nl (Jan van Kemenade)
# The explanation that was given a while ago for the 'Zoot Allures'
# title (from the french : Zut Alors) is confirmed by what FZ says
# on the boot Titties & Beer (Zoot Allures live in Paris) :
# 'And now from our almost french title album Zoot Allures ..'
#
# From: jarvey@mail1.sas.upenn.edu (Jason M Arvey)
# I'd say it is pretty much certain. "Zut alors", I thought, was
# merely a mild exclamation, sort of like "Dammit!" or "DOH!" for you
# Simpsons fans. There are other pun titles by Zappa: the obvious Sheik
# Yerbouti/Shake your boody is one. Some say that Grand Wazoo is a pun of
# Grand Oiseau -- Big Bird in France. Yet another is "Aybe Sea" off of
# Burnt Weenie Sandwich -- it's pronounced ABC (There is no real Aybe Sea,
# I looked).
#Front-cover mistery :-)
#
# From: JOHNSCIALLI@delphi.com
# From left to right: Patrick O'Hearn, Terry Bozzio, FZ, Eddie Jobson.
# I am not familiar with the answers altho I've seen some speculation on
# affz. I don't remember the details but the photo had to do with some time
# period aother than that album.
Wind Up Workin' In A Gas Station
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This here song might offend you some.
If it does, it's because you're dumb.
That's the way it is where I come from.
If you been there too, let me see your thumb.
Let me see your thumb. [Let me see your thumb]
Let me see your thumb. [Let me see your thumb]
Show me your thumb if your really dumb.
# From: harring@helios.phy.ohiou.edu (Peter B. Harrington)
# The thumb reference explains an obvious way to identify anyone who makes
# a living working on automobiles. Automechanics typically have black
# grease under the finger and thumb nails. In addtion, the thumb has a
# tendency to take some abuse in this occupation, and after a while will
# have a hammered on appearance. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle would be proud.
#
# From: jsuder@moose.uvm.edu (Jane P. Suder)
# Speaking from personal experience? I think the grease thing is not
# exactly right, although they do have dem greeeesy fingerz.... but the
# hammered thumb thing might be it.....
#
# From: linetramp@delphi.com
# As a general rule, the thumbs and fingers of mechanics are noticably
# scarred and calloused from working with cast iron and stamped steel. A
# seemingly permanent black stain from the carbon in grease and oil is also
# common in that line of work. In addition, mechanics are seldom regarded
# as members of the intellectual elite, so the stigma of a black, scarred
# thumb could translate to "destined for a lifetime of failure and
# mediocrity". i.e. "Wind up working in a gas station"...
#
# From: wilds@netcom.com (William D. Sterling)
# I recall, back in the 50's the big joke on the playground was to say:
# Look up (victim looks up)
# Look down (victim looks down)
# See my thumb? (victim nods "yes")
# You're dumb. (end of joke).
Hey now, better make a decision.
Be a moron, and keep your position.
You oughta know now, all your education,
won't help you no-how.
^^^
# From: Robert Moore
# In this sentence it is used in the sense of "anyhow" or "anyway".
# Many uneducated people in this country use the phrase "no-how" instead of
# "anyhow" or "anyway" as in the phrase "I don't care if the library
# burned down - I never went there no-how".
Many da camper wants to buy some white. [Wind up workin' in a gas station]
# From: sweet@skat.usc.edu (Rob Sweet)
# The most mysterious line in the song was clarified for me on this
# newsgroup sometime back. It's Frank doing a pseudo-German accent saying:
#
# "Manny de camper wants to buy some white."
#
# Apparently a reference to white gas, something nearly every camper needs.
#
# From: fnord@panix.com (Cliff Heller)
# It refers to white gas, which is something like propane that an RV would
# require. This is verified in the interview that the editors of Society
# Pages conducted with FZ.
#
# From: Jack Fleming
# White gas is a fuel used in camp stoves & lanterns. It is basically pure
# gasoline (no poisonous additives like lead). Coleman was the
# manufacturer of gas stoves & lanterns.
The Torture Never Stops
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
# From: Vladimir Sovetov (sova@bank.kemerovo.su)
# Interesting to note that this very, very long song :-) was first time
# performed in April 11, 1975 at Claremont College, California FZ concert
# by Don Van Vliet ( aka Captain Beefheart ) under the name
# Why Doesn't Somebody Get Him a Pepsi?
Wonderful Wino
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Give me a five dollar bill, and an overcoat too.
#CC
# From: Robert Moore
# This connects with You Are What You Is
A five dollar bill, and an overcoat too,
a five dollar bill, and a Florscheim shoe.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
# From: fnord@panix.com (Cliff Heller)
# Famous U.S. shoemaker.
#
# From: Rob Sweet ( sweet@skat.usc.edu )
# "Florcshiem" is a shoe manufacturer and retailer. Kinda like Kinney's.
#
# From:
# Florsheim is a brand of mens shoes that have been around for 75
# years and they are of a pretty conservative fashion. When working in a
# Florsheim retailer most of our customers were Business men/Frumpy old guy
# types. A dirty overcoat and a worn out old Florsheim shoe would probably
# make perfect "Wino-wear". Then again I could be wrong, hope this helps.
Disco Boy
~~~~~~~~~
Disco boy, do the bump every night, 'til the disco girl
who's really right, gonna fall for your line,
and feed you a box full of chicken delight.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
# From: fnord@panix.com (Cliff Heller)
# Chicken Delight was a fried chicken fast foodery, similar to Kentucky
# Fried. I can't explain it, but the above lyrical excerpt really captures
# the 70's.
#
A disco drink, a disco wink,
you never go duty that's what you think.
You never go duty that's what you think.
You never go duty that's what you think.
Duty. Go duty!
^^^^^^^^^^^^^
# From: fnord@panix.com (Cliff Heller)
# You never go doody. Children's slang for shit. I always thought that
# lyric was on the stupid side.
#
# From: Gregorie@LFGMS.logica.com (Martin Gregorie)
# Slang round here used to say 'A girl like that don't shit' if she was
# really a cracker. Maybe this explains the 'never go doody' reference?
#
# From: C. Gordon Keeble [gordo] (ck7263@csc.albany.edu)
# Yeah, it's something like saying "You think your shit don't stink."
#
# From: Robert Moore
# But there is yet LOTS more in the folklore of doody. Lots of American
# males between 8 and 50 truly enjoy a certain amount of "bathroom and
# otherwise gutter humor" and find it extremely hilarious (myself included).
# Things like sitting around talking about tremendous shits you have had (or
# found in restrooms), farts of Blessed Memory, times you had to take a dump
# real bad and almost didn't make it (i.e. you nearly had a "brown-out" as
# in Pound For A Brown); stuff like that. Anyway, in almost 100% of females
# of similar age this sort of humor is highly unappreciated - you have to go
# "out with the guys" to find sympathetic ears - this is why it usually
# becomes "a guy thing". Most women act as if they don't even have a
# butthole, much less periodically extrude waste materials through it. This
# ties in with Broken Hearts Are For Assholes. Evidently Frank shared at
# least some affinity with this kind of "gutter humor" as references of this
# nature abound in Frank's music - a good example is the line "Don't let your
# meat loaf - heh heh heh" from The Blue Light (Tinseltown Rebellion). Oh
# and by the way, it's DOODY, not "Duty".
#
# From: Paul Adel <75613.34@compuserve.com>
# Never go doody, thats what you think - a reflection on disco boys self
# image, i.e. he thinks he so clean, polished, sexy that he denies
# association with bodily functions. Note also that in Japan, women's rest
# rooms are equipped with noise machines that mask the sound of bodily
# functions because of sensitivity about self image.
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