jumbo go away - has frank offended someone ?

[charp]

Hello.
What I want to know is - in so far as Zappa is thought to have 'offensive' lyrics, just how pernicious do you think these lyrics are?
I love most of Zappa's lyrics, but on this one I would have to agree with the real Ben Watson and say that this song goes a bit too far.
What do you think of Zappa's response in Watson's book, where he says (from memory) "Well i'm that the one that's gonna hit her. Guy's name is Denny Walley. It happened." compared to Walley's more jovial account of the songs origin that he gives on the Zappa.com site?
I'm sorry but this song is one that has always spoiled my enjoyment of Frank's music a little - and if it doesn't offend you, which Zappa song does?

[SOFA]

if it doesn't offend you, which Zappa song does?

Okay, I'll weigh in on this one...
I've not been personally offended (embarrassed, guillt or shame ridden, negatively affected) by any of Frank's lyrics - ever. The closest I have possibly come is when I have felt discomfort wondering how others - like, my daughter maybe - might be perceiving them (especially as it is usually via me that they are exposed to Frank).
When I consider his entire canon, I find a very small percentage 'offense worthy'. Ya know? I mean, for every "Bobby Brown" there's 4 or 5 "Plastic People" - at least, from my perspective.
But then, your "offense level" is kinda a personal thing - like your "faith", or your "fetishes"; it's something only you can appreciate, in the fullness that it means to you. What you find offensive, or sexy, or depraved, or common, may not be what I find as such...
I never really understood all the flap over lyrics - they are just words after all, with no power other than what you grant...
No?

[Chris]

Frank documented the behavior of his musicians -- as well as other aberrations in society -- all through his career, and this confused some listeners, because he never actually told people what to think about the situations in the lyrics; he just presented them and let the listener decide if there was a problem, what the problem was, and how, perhaps, it might be prevented in the listener's own life.

"Magdalena," "Fine Girl," "Enema Bandit" and others were provided without any grand "moral at the end," Frank's supposition being that anyone inclined to think about these social problems would be smart enough to come to his own conclusion after hearing about the characters.

Aside from that....fuck, lighten up, man. It's a funny song about a fat chick. (I say this in a jocular manner, not an insulting one....okay?)

[charp]

You guys are both right, of course.
I've always admired Zappa's honesty and his tactic of "anti love songs" - but thats just the one song thats always bothered me. Funny how it's that one and not the song about enemas administered at gunpoint.

Do you think it means Zappas satire is effective if he still has the power to offend/shock reasonable people? After all who is Marilyn Manson going to offend with his antics other than seriously uptight fundamentalists?  

[Chris]

Zappa's stuff can all happen (and has all happened) in real life. It's disturbing because he didn't make it up for shock value -- he's just reporting what goes on, and what a major chunk of society prefers to ignore. Frank's axiom seems to be that only through direct confrontation with what bothers us can we overcome it.

In 1971, Frank wrote a blurb for the 200 Motels press kit that read, in part, "We make a special art in an environment hostile to dreamers." Dreams reflect those bits of reality that a person's too uncomfortable with (or trained against) to really think about during his waking hours; they act as housecleaning defenses against the insanity potentially caused by the accumulation of disturbing mental baggage.

Zappa's words deal with things that are too touchy to be confronted on a level of mass consciousness (or too raw-nerved or embedded for authorities to address appropriately or change). Dreams are, after all, where we encounter our real fears; a lot of the bad-guy characters in Frank's songs do ridiculous things because they're afraid of meeting their insecurities face-to-face.

The composer frequently admonished those who would keep others (or their own kids) ignorant of "taboo" things instead of educating them and rendering them prepared to fend for themselves. Zappa dug up the dirt, always preferring the real "meat" of the matter rather than dealing with vegetables. He encouraged keeping everything out in the open, with nothing made secret or shrouded in mystery to become either damaging to the individual spirit or exploited for cash.

[Lonesome Cowboy Squirt]

Very astute observations, Chris and Sofa!  


Aside from that....fuck, lighten up, man. It's a funny song about a fat chick.

For the sake of being a little more specific:  it's a funny song about a fat chick that doesn't wash her pudendum enough and refuses to take "No" for an answer.

Most of the song presents the protagonist's (Denny's) requests for Jumbo to stop.  The bridge section makes it clear that the long-term relationship Jumbo's apparently searching for is just not going to happen with him.  She is even warned in the third verse before he actually "gives her a smack."

Sure, it's certainly not a nice thing to do, but if you ask me she got fair warning.

[kookie]

Absolute LCS.........and the fat chick has worms.....yucksville!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[benedict]

The only song that makes me feel uncomfortable is Suicde Chump. I can understand Franks view on it and I think the song is consistant with what he says in the Real FZ book (I can't remember the exact line and I can't be bother to dig it out but it's something along the lines of "life can throw shit at you - ignore it").  I think it's the calusness of that song that I find difficult.

I personal think that if some one wants to bite the big one then let them - it's none of my business.

Cheers
Ben