Joe's Corsage

Interviewer: Who came up with the name "Mothers Of Invention"?
FZ: I did.
Interviewer: Just . . . ?
FZ: Well, it was sort of forced upon me because, uh, the group was originally called "The Mothers" and, uh, our original contract was with Verve Records, a subsidiary of MGM, and they refused to sign a group called "The Mothers" because they felt that the . . . that it was obscene. And so they wanted to change it to "The Mothers' Auxiliary." So, out of necessity, we became "The Mothers Of Invention." Is that pretty pat?
Interviewer: That's it.
FZ: That's what happened.

What you need is . . .

Motherly love
Motherly love
Forget about
The brotherly and other-ly love

Motherly love
Is just the thing for you
You know your Mothers' gonna love ya
Till ya don't know what to do
Whoa-oh . . .

Henry's got love
That'll drive ya mad
They're ravin' 'bout the way he do
No need to feel lonely . . .
No need to feel sad,
If he ever gets a hold on you
What you need is . . .

Motherly love
Motherly love
Forget about
The brotherly and other-ly love
Motherly love
Is just the thing for you
You know your Mothers' gonna love ya
Till ya don't know what to do
Whoa-oh . . .

Nature's been good
To Roy over here
Don't think he's really shy
Watch your step
If he comes near
Because he'll rock ya till ya sweat and cry
What you need is . . .

Motherly love
Motherly love
Forget about
The brotherly and other-ly love
Motherly love
Is just the thing for you
You know your Mothers' gonna love ya
Till ya don't know what to do
Whoa-oh . . .

Nature's been good
To Jimmy Black
There's a thousand know that's true
He'll bite your neck
And scratch your back
Till ya don't know what to do
What you need is . . .

Motherly love
Motherly love
Forget about
The brotherly and other-ly love
Motherly love
Is just the thing for you
You know your Mothers' gonna love ya
Till ya don't know what to do
Whoa-oh . . .

Plastic people
You gotta go
(Chee poppa doodly woppa)

Plastic people
You gotta go
(Yeah!)

A fine little girl
She waits for me
She's as plastic
As she can be
She paints her face
With plastic goo
And wrecks her hair
With some shampoo

Plastic people
You gotta go
(Chee poppa doodly woppa)

Plastic people
You gotta go

Three nights and days
I walk the streets
This town is full
Of plastic creeps
Their shoes are brown
To match their suits
They got no balls
They got no roots . . . because they're

Plastic people
You gotta go
(Wop wop wop doody wop wop)

Plastic people
You gotta go
(O-oh!)

Take a day
Walk around
Watch the plastics
Run your town
Then go home
And check yourself
You think I'm singing
'Bout someone else . . . but you're

Plastic people
You gotta go
(Bye bye! Bye bye!)

Plastic people
You gotta go

Chee poppa doodly woppa
Chee poppa doodly woppa
Chee poppa doodly
(This is fun!)
Doodly doodly doodly doodly woppa
Chee poppa doodly woppa
(Hey hey hey!)
Poppa doodly woppa
Chee poppa doodly woppa
(YOU'RE THE FREAKS!)

This is the sensitive part . . .

Me see a neon
Moon above
I searched for years
And found no love
I'm sure that love
Will never be
A product of
Plasticity

Plastic people
You gotta go
(Bye bye! Bye bye!)

Plastic people
You gotta go
(And I'm not fooling you)

Plastic people
I said, you gotta go
(Bop, bop, bop)

Plastic people, bop, bop
Plastic people, bop, bop
Made it out and bop bop bop
And you can fade it, da da da

Any way the wind blows
Is fine with me
Any way the wind blows
It don't matter to me
'Cause I'm thru with the fussin'
And the fightin' with you
I went out and found a woman
That treats me oh so true
She treats me like she loves me now
I'm never ever blue
Any way the wind blows
Any way the wind blows
Any way the wind blows

Now that I am free
From my troubles of the past
Took me much too long to see
That our romance couldn't last
Now I'm gonna go away
And leave you standing at the door
'Cause you don't even know
What love is for
I'll tell you, pretty baby,
I won't be back no more
Any way the wind blows
Any way the wind blows
Any way the wind blows

Any way the wind blows
Any way the wind blows
Any way the wind blows

She is my heart and soul
And she loves me tenderly
Now my story can be told
Just how good she is to me
Yeah, she treats me like she loves me
And she never makes me cry
I'm gonna stick with her
Till the day I die
She's not like you, baby
She would never ever lie
Any way the wind blows
Any way the wind blows
Any way the wind blows

Paul Buff?: Okay, ready?
FZ: Okay, yeah.
Paul Buff?: Here we go, take five.
FZ: All right. Sounds like a hit already. One, two, one, two, three, four . . .

Ain't got no heart
I ain't got no heart
To give away

I sit and laugh
At fools in love
There ain't no such thing
As love
No angels singing
Up above today

Girl I don't believe
Girl I don't believe
In what you say

You say your heart is only mine
I say to you:
"You must be blind!"
What makes you think that you're
SO FINE?
That I would throw away
The 'groovy' life I lead?
'Cause, baby, what you got, yeah,
It sure ain't what I need

Girl you'd better go
Girl you'd better go away
I think that life with you would be
Just not quite the thing for me
Why is it so hard to see my way?

Why should I be stuck with you
It's just not what I want to do
Why should an embrace or two
Make me such a part of you?
I ain't got no heart to give away

Boogie!

Interviewer: How did the group get together?
FZ: They were working, uh . . . the lead singer Ray, the bass player Roy, and one of the drummers, Jim, were all working in a bar, in a small town in California, with some other players, and there was a fight between Ray and the guitar player they had at that time, and they needed a substitute guitar player and they called me up. I went down there, and I started working with 'em, and I thought it sounded pretty good.

I'm talkin' 'bout my baby
Not your baby
Say my babe
She's so fine
I'm talkin' 'bout my baby
Not your baby
Say my babe
She's so fine
She's right there to love me
People, come rain or shine

Well, I love her
Don't you love her
Say I love her
You hear
Well, I love her
Don't you love her
Say I love her
You hear
She upsets my soul
When she whispers sweet things in my ear

I love the way she walk
I love the way she talk
She makes me feel so good
Just like a grown man should
She never make me cry
And here's why
She's my babe
She's my babe

Well, nothing could be better
Than to see her in a sweater
And a real tight skirt
That won't quit
Nothing could be better
Than to see her in a sweater
And a tight skirt
That won't quit
She walks to the phone
People, let me tell you, that's it

Wow! Go . . .

Hey!

Nothing could be better
Than to see her in a sweater
And a real tight skirt
That won't quit
Nothing could be better
Than to see her in a sweater
And a tight skirt
That won't quit
She walks to the phone
People, let me tell you, that's it

My-y-y-y-y babe
Oh, oh-oh-oh, my babe
My-y-y-y-y babe
Oh, oh-oh-oh, my babe
My-y-y-y-y babe
She's my babe
She's my babe

My-y-y-y-y babe
Oh, oh-oh-oh, my babe
My-y-y-y-y babe
Oh, oh-oh-oh, my babe
My-y-y-y-y babe
She's my babe
She's my babe
Wow!

Gracias.

 

Well, I'm goin' to Chicago
That's the last place my baby stayed (Hitch hike)
Hitch hike (Hitch hike, baby)
I've got my bags all packed and ready
Gonna leave this old town right away (Hitch hike)
Hey hey
I've got to find that girl
If I have to hitch hike 'round the world
Hitch hike, baby

Mmm, Chicago city
That's what the sign on the highway read (Hitch hike)
Hitch hike (Hitch hike, baby)
I've got to make it to that street corner
Down to 6th and 3rd (Hitch hike)
Hey hey (Hitch hike, baby)
I've got to find that girl
If I have to hitch hike 'round the world
Hitch hike, baby

Hitch hike (Hitch hike)
Hitch hike, baby (Hitch hike, baby)
Hitch hike (Hitch hike)
Hitch hike, baby (Hitch hike, baby)
Hitch hike (Hitch hike)
Hitch hike, baby (Hitch hike, baby)
Hitch hike
Aw, hitch hike . . . come on now

Well, I'm going to St. Louis
But my next stop just might be L.A. (Hitch hike)
What I say (Hitch hike, baby)
I've got no money in my pocket
So I'm gonna have to hitch hike all the way (Hitch hike)
Hey hey (Hitch hike, baby)
I've got to find that girl
If I have to hitch hike 'round the world
Hitch hike, baby

Hitch hike (Hitch hike)
Hitch hike, baby (Hitch hike, baby)
Hitch hike (Hitch hike)
Hitch hike, children (Hitch hike, baby)
Hitch hike
Hitch hike, baby
Aw, hitch hike
Aw, hitch hike
Come on

Yeah, I'm going to St. Louis
But my next stop just might be L.A. (Hitch hike)
What I say (Hitch hike, baby)
I've got no money in my pocket
So I'm gonna have to hitch hike all the way (Hitch hike)
Hey hey (Hitch hike, baby)
I've got to find that girl
If I have to hitch hike 'round the world
Hitch hike, baby

Hitch hike (Hitch hike)
Hitch hike, baby (Hitch hike, baby)
Hitch hike (Hitch hike)
Hitch hike, children (Hitch hike, baby)
Hitch hike (Hitch hike)
Hitch hike, baby (Hitch hike, baby)
Hitch hike
Aw, hitch hike
Come on now

Going back again to see that girl
I left behind me when I went out
To see this great big world
I hope that she feels the same about me
As she did before I went out
To see this great big world
I know I love that girl
And I hope that she still wants me to be
Her one and only guy
Going back to see that girl I love
And I'm so happy I could cry

Going back to take her in my arms again
And tell her that I'm not
Gonna leave her anymore
I love her so much
I just can't wait until I touch
Her and I'm not gonna leave her anymore
I know I love that girl
And I hope that she still wants me to be
Her one and only guy
Going back to see that girl I love
And I'm so happy I could cry

I'm looking forward to that day
When she will love me in her way
All day long I sit and pray
Someday soon I'll hear her say

Looking forward to that day
When she will love me in her way
All day long I sit and pray
Someday soon I'll hear her say

You have been away so long
I missed you so much since you've gone
And now you are standing at my door
I love you so much
I just can't wait until I touch
You, dear, and now you are standing at my door
Please, let me take you in my arms
And squeeze you, baby, and don't mind
The tear that's in my eye
'Cause, darling, you've come back with me
I'm so happy I could cry
I'm so happy I could cry
I'm so happy I could cry

A year ago today
Is when you went away
And now you come back knockin' on my door
And you say you're back to stay,
But I say . . .

Go cry
On somebody else's shoulder
I'm somewhat wiser now
One whole year older
I sure don't need you now
I don't love you
Anymore

You cheated me baby,
And told some dirty lies about me
Fooled around with all those other guys
That's why I had to set you free
I sure don't need you now
I don't love you
Anymore

A year ago today
You went, went away
Now you come knockin'
Knockin' on my door, oh, baby
I don't need you
And I, I, I don't love you
So dry your eyes
Go cry someplace else
Who needs you?

Go cry
On somebody else's shoulder
I'm somewhat wiser now
One whole year older
I sure don't need you now
I don't love you
Anymore (yeah, yeah, oh, oh)

Go ahead and cry
Let the tears fall out of your eye
Let 'em fall on your dress
Who cares if they make a mess?
I took you to the root beer stand
And then I held your hand
We had a teen-age love
And I thought it was charp
It was really so grand . . . but

You cheated me baby
And told some dirty lies about me
Fooled around with all those other guys
That's why I had to set you free
I sure don't need you now
I don't love you
Anymore
Anymore
Whoa, oh, baby
Anymore, mama
I don't need you
I don't want you
I don't love you
I really don't care for you
I don't love you anymore
Oh yeah

When I won your love
I was very glad
Every happiness in the world
Belonged to me
Then our love was lost
And you went away
Now I shed my tears
In lonely misery

I know now that you never ever
Really loved me
It hurts me now to think you never ever
Really cared
I sit and ask myself a thousand times
To try and find
What really happened
To the love
That we shared

How could I be such a fool
How could I believe
All those lies you told me
How could I be taken in
By your sweet face
You spoiled our love
You ruined my life
I'm so tore down
I'm a terrible disgrace

But there will come a time
And you'll regret the way
You treated me
As if I was a fool
And didn't know
The many times you lied
About your love for me
Someone else is gonna know
That your love was just a show

How could I be such a fool
How could I believe
All those lies you told me
How could I be taken in
By your sweet face
You spoiled our love
You ruined my life
I'm so tore down
I'm a terrible disgrace

But there will come a time
And you'll regret the way
You treated me
As if I was a fool
And didn't know
The many times you lied
About your love for me
Someone else is gonna know
That your love was just a show

How could I be such a fool?

FZ:

The story of the . . . the music of the Mothers is the story of, uh . . . a combination of what I knew about music from . . . from my studies plus the musical capabilites of the players in the group as I found them, you know, which had . . . . Somewhere along the line, I had to teach them a lot of what they didn't know about music.

I started out playing rhythm & blues when I was about 14 or 15 years old in San Diego. And, uh . . . I was playing nothing but blues 'til I was 18 and, you know, I was really honking and I started out playing drums with a band and got tired of listening to other people's guitar solos. Took up a guitar and started playing lead right away. Then I spent, uh . . . the early part of my musical teen childhood doing the same thing that most of the, uh . . . uh, white blues bands are, uh, pulling down heavy bread for. But in those days it was, you know . . . it was the underground music, uh . . . the unpopular underground music because the kids, uh, then wanted to hear, uh . . . you know, sweeter, easier stuff. They didn't go for hard, screaming blues or Chicago, uh, you know, weirdness. Nobody knew who the Howlin' Wolf was, nobody . . . you know, Muddy Waters, what the fuck is that? And, uh, so I grew up on that stuff but simultaneously buying, uh, classical albums and, uh, going to the library to study music. I had albums of Stravinsky and Varèse and Webern and Bartók. And I never bought anything el . . . I never bought any Beethoven or, uh, Mozart or anything like that because I didn't like the way it sounded, it was too weak.

So . . . eventually I started hearing a little folk music. I didn't like most of the commercial folk music that was around. My taste in folk music was, uh, sea shanties and, uh . . . uh, Middle Eastern stuff. I like Indian music, I like, uh . . . Arab music. So, that . . . that was all my own personal taste-making, uh, influences.

The original guys in the band had been brought up on nothing but rhythm & blues. Now, rhythm & blues branches out into about four different categories the way we grew up with it. There was the ooh-wah ballad, you know, with the high falsetto and the grunting bass and all that stuff. That type. There's a Chicago blues type with the harmonica and, you know, and the funky-ness. There was a Texas type with a, you know . . . rock, uh, Bobby, uh, "Blue" Bland type thing. And then there was the hard drive type James Brown shit. And offshoots of the, uh . . . of each one of those, like in the ooh-wah classification you've got the uptempo singers where the . . . like Hank Ballard and the Midnighters and the Royales. They had a different type of a thing.

Uh . . . all the other guys in the group grew up with just that and had no knowledge whatsoever of any kind of classical music, uh, or serious music, the . . . uh, above and beyond Mozart or, uh, Beethoven or, you know, standard concert hall, uh . . . warhorses. And even that, they didn't give a shit about and they weren't interested at all in folk music. And, uh . . . so I had quite a bit of trouble in the beginning, eh . . . just making them aware that there were other kinds of music that we could be playing. To top it off, we were in a, uh . . . very sterile area. We . . . we kept getting fired because we'd playing anything other than "Wooly Bully" or, uh . . . you know . . . uh, "Twist and Shout" or the rest of that stuff. We'd lost job after job.

Interviewer:

When . . . when is this that you're talking about exactly?

FZ:

Two years ago.

Interviewer:

In '65?

FZ:

Yeah. And, uh . . . so it was . . . it was rough keeping it together because there's lots of times that, uh . . . the guys wanted to quit, I mean, everybody's quit at least 200 times. So . . . we finally got a chance to come into L.A. and the reason we stood out from the bands in Los Angeles, you know, why we would attract any attention at all at that point . . . 'cuz, uh, we were working out in the sticks, this whole thing was developing out, uh, away from any, uh . . . you know, any urban civilization. We were really, you know, just out there with the Okies.

And we got to town, we expected to find all kinds of, you know . . . uh, all the bands gotta be really far-out. Well, they weren't, they were bullshit and they had no balls, you know, they weren't funky, they weren't, uh, tasteful, they weren't nothin'. They were just, you know, plastic, folk-rock, teenage puker bands. And they were making a lot of bread. And we came on the scene . . . and, uh, we were loud and we were coarse and we were strange and if anybody in the audience ever gave us any trouble, we'd tell 'em to fuck off. And . . . we made our reputation doing it that way.