Saturday, September 3, 2022

ccclxvii. ZAPPA, Frank: Flakes

ccclxvii. ZAPPA, Frank (1940-1993)

Flakes (1979)

FZ, guitar, vocals
Davey Moire, backing vocals
Napoleon Murphy Brock, backing vocals
Andre Lewis, backing vocals
Randy Thornton, backing vocals
Adrian Belew, guitar, backing vocals, Bob Dylan impersonation
Tommy Mars, keyboards, backing vocals
Peter Wolf, keyboards
Patrick O'Hearn, bass, backing vocals
Terry Bozzio, drums, backing vocals
Ed Mann, percussion, backing vocals
(6:40)



Live from January 25, 1978 at the Hammersmith Odeon, London, England.

One of FZ's cleverest songs, about lazy union workers in California. The other 49 have their fair share, as well ...

**

Flakes, flakes
Flakes, flakes
They don't do no good
They never be workin' when they oughta should
They waste your time
They're wastin' mine
California's got the most of them
Boy, they got a host of them

Swear to God they got the most
At every business on the coast, yeah
Swear to God they got the most
At every business on the coast
They got the flakes

Flakes, flakes

They can't fix your brakes
You ask 'em, "where's my motor?"
"Well, it was eaten by snakes"
You can stab and shoot and spit
But they won't be fixin' it
They're lyin' and lazy
They can be drivin' you crazy

Swear to God they got the most
At every business on the coast, yeah
Swear to God they got the most
At every business on the coast
Take it away, Bob

(Adrian Belew as Bob Dylan):

I asked as nice as I could
If my job would
Somehow be finished by Friday
Well, the whole damn weekend came and went, Frankie
(Wanna buy some mandies, Bob?)
You know what, they didn't do nothin'
But they charged me double for Sunday

Now, you know, no matter what you do
They gonna cheat and rob you
And then they'll give you a bill
That'll get your senses reelin'
And if you do not pay
They got computer collectors
That'll get you so crazy
'Til your head'll go through the ceilin'
Yes it will

**

I am a moron and this is my wife
She's frosting a cake with a paper knife
All what we got here's American made
It's a little bit cheesy, but it's nicely displayed

Well, we don't get excited when it crumbles and breaks
We just get on the phone and call up some Flakes
They rush on over and wreck it some more
And we are so dumb, they're linin' up at our door

Well, my toilet went crazy yesterday afternoon
The plumber he says, "never flush a tampoon"
This great information cost me half a week's pay
And the toilet blew up later on the next day, ay, ay

Yay, yay, yay
Yay, yay, yay
Yay, yay, yay
Blew up the next day
Woo

One, two, three, four

Ooh, ooh, ooh

Flakes, flakes
Ooh, ooh, ooh
Flakes, flakes
Ooh, ooh, ooh
Flakes, flakes
Ooh, ooh, ooh
One, two, three, four (flakes)

Ah, ah, ah, ah (bow, dow, dow, dow)
Ah, ah, ah, ah (bow, dow, dow, dow)
Ah, ah, ah, ah (bow, dow, dow, dow)
Ah, ah, ah, ah

We are millions and millions
We're coming to get you
We're protected by unions
So don't let it upset ya
Can't escape the conclusion
It's probably God's will
That civilization
Will grind to a standstill
And we are the people
Who will make it all happen
While your children is sleepin'
Your puppy is crappin'
You might call us flakes
Or something else you might coin us
We know you're so greedy
That you'll probably join us

We're coming to get you, we're coming to get you
We're coming to get you, we're coming to get you
We're coming to get you, we're coming to get you
We're coming to get you, we're coming to get you

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