cccxxxiii. ZAPPA, Frank (1940-1993)
from Zappatite: Frank Zappa's Tastiest Tracks.
This is a greatest hits album -- the song is originally from FZ's debut album Freak Out! (1966).
Written just a year after the Watts riots, the song encapsulated ideas that are still as pertinent today as they were nearly 60 years ago.
The story goes that Tom Wilson -- a talent scout for MGM -- heard the band playing this song in a club, and thinking that they were a "white blues band," convinced his bosses to sign him up. Zappa remarked that during the actual recording sessions, when Wilson realized how weird the rest of the music was, he could be seen frantically grabbing the phone and making a call to his bosses.
"Um, this might not be what we expected."
**
Well, I'm about to get up sick
From watchin' my TV
Been checkin' out the news until my eyeballs fail to see
I mean to say that every day is just another rotten mess
And when it's gonna change, my friends, is anybody's guess
So I'm watchin' and I'm waitin'
Hopin' for the best
Every think I'll go to prayin'
Every time I hear 'em sayin'
That there's no way to delay that trouble comin' every day
No way to delay that trouble coming' every day
Wednesday I watched the riot, I seen the cops out on the street
Watched 'em throwin' rocks and stuff and chokin' in the heat
Listened to reports about the whiskey passin' round
Seen the smoke and fire and the market burnin' down
Watched while everybody on his street would take a turn
To stomp and smash and bash and crash and slash and bust and burn
And I'm watchin' and I'm waitin'
Hopin' for the best
Even think I'll go to prayin'
Every time I hear them sayin'
That there's no way to delay that trouble comin' every day
No way to delay that trouble coming' every day
Well, you can cool it you can heat it
'Cause baby, I don't need it
Take your TV tube and eat it
And all that phony stuff on sports and all the unconfirmed reports
You know I watched that rotten box until my head began to hurt
From checkin' out the way the newsmen stay they get the dirt
Before the guys on channel so-and-so, further they assert
That any show they'll interrupt
To bring you news if it comes up
They say that if the place blows up
They'll be the first to tell
Because the boys they got downtown are workin' hard and doin' swell
And if anybody gets the news
Before it hits the street
They say that no one blabs it faster
Their coverage can't be beat
And if another woman driver
Gets machine-gunned from her seat
They'll send some joker with a brownie and you'll see it all complete
So I'm watchin' and I'm waitin'
Hopin' for the best
Even think I'll go to prayin'
Every time I hear them sayin'
That there's no way to delay that trouble comin' every day
No way to delay that trouble coming' every day
Hey, you know something people?
I'm not black but there's a whole lots of times I wish I could say I'm not white
Well, I seen the fires burnin' and the local people turnin'
On the merchants and the shops
Who used to sell their broom and mops
And every other household item
Watched the mob just turn and bite 'em
And they say it served 'em right
Because a few of them were white
And it's the same across the nation
Black and white discrimination
Yellin' "you can't understand me!"
And all that other jazz they hand me
In the papers and TV and all that mass stupidity
That seems to grow more every day
Each time you hear some nitwit say
He want to go and do you in
'Cause the color of your skin
Just don't appeal to him
No matter if it's black of white
Because he's out for blood tonight
You know we gotta sit around at home
And watch this thing begin
But I bet there won't be many here to see it really end
'Cause the fire in the street ain't like the fire in the heart
And in the eyes of all these people
Don't you know that this could start
On any street, in any town
In any state if any clown
Decides that now's the time fight
For some ideal he thinks is right
And if a million more agree
There ain't no great society
As it applies to you and me
Our country isn't free
And the law refuse to see if all that you can ever be
Is just a lousy janitor
Unless your uncle owns a store
You know that five in every four
Just won't amount to nothin' more
Than watchin' rats go across the floor
And make up songs about being poor
Blow your harmonica, son!
