Songs Mentioning FZ & The Mothers

This is an obviously incomplete list. Román

Eric Burdon & The Animals—Winds Of Change (September, 1967)

"Winds Of Change" (Eric Burdon/Vic Briggs/John Weider/Barry Jenkins/Danny McCulloch)

Then came the Beatles, Rolling Stones
Whole new thing was going on.
Frank Zappa zapped
Mamas and Papas knew where it was at
They all listened to Ravi Shankar .
Now that we got Jimi Hendrix
We know where we are (and Louis Jordan smiled )
And the winds of change go on blowing, blowing,
Gathering more and more leaves in its path,
As time goes past

 

John MayallBlues From Laurel Canyon (November, 1968)

"2401" (John Mayall)

There's a hero living at 2401
And all around a family circus in the sun
Got his Mothers working while you're having fun
Trying to change the system, many things that must be done

Where did Moon go? Better call a GTO
In the red room Pam is planning where to go
Gail and Pauline, who is prowling round your door?
A maniac, The Raven. Could he have his gun back? No!

2401, got myself a place to stay
On the railroad, Kansas nearer every day
Miss Christine cooking, looking very gay
How do you say a Thank You? How do you ever tear yourself away?

 

Nitty Gritty Dirt Band—Alive (1969)

"Goodnight My Love, Pleasant Dreams" (George Motola/John Marascalco)

...Manuel of Manuel & The Renegades, or it might have been Ruben of Ruben & The Jets, or it might have been anybody like that, you know, whatever school you went to, and he announces, 'Girl's choice. This is the last dance.'"

 

Supersister—Present From Nancy (1970)

"Corporation Combo Boys" (Robert Jan Stips)

Sometimes we even are progressive
And we listen with attention
To the Mothers Of Invention

 

Imus In The Morning (single, 1971)

"The Ballad Of Rick (Don't Call Me Ricky Cause I'm A Veteran) Nelson" (Don Imus)

But along came The Beatles and the Fifth Dimension
The Stones and Dylan and the Mothers Of Invention
And they ruined it all from Nashville to Napa
Now when I grow up I want to be just like Frank Zappa
(Hey waitress, give me a Ruben & The Jets.)

 

Deep Purple—Machine Head (March, 1972)

"Smoke On The Water" (Ritchie Blackmore/Ian Gillan/Roger Glover/Jon Lord/Ian Paice)

We all came out to Montreux
On the Lake Geneva shoreline
To make records with a mobile
We didn't have much time
Frank Zappa and the Mothers
Were at the best place around
But some stupid with a flare gun
Burned the place to the ground

 

Funkadelic—Standing On The Verge Of Getting It On (April, 1974)

"Alice In My Fantasies" (Hazel Grace Cook/George Clinton)

Alice in my fantasies, uh, promised to do
All kind of freaky things to me, said
She would, uh, suck my soul, if I'd lick her emotion
The freak said, I would even owe her my devotion
I said, "Uh, lady, be my dog
And I'll be your tree, and you can pee on me"
Mama said, never eat yellow snow
So away we go

 

Chicago—Chicago X (June, 1976)

"Scrapbook" (Robert Lamm)

We played the pier on Venice beach
The crowd called out for more
Zappa and the Mothers next
We finished with a roar

 

Godley & Creme—L (August, 1978)

"Art School Canteen" (Kevin Godley/Lol Creme)

Does getting into Zappa
Mean getting out of Zen
Sex has reared its ugly head at last
But it didn't look ugly then
Begin the Beguine
Art school canteen

 

Barclay James Harvest—XII (September, 1978)

"A Tale Of Two Sixties (Classics)" (John Lees)

I'm cutting out now before the New Wave
Takes my surf board flair
Remember the time when Zappa said
"Punk, where you going with that
Flower in your hair?"

 

Wild Man Fischer—Pronounced Normal (March, 1981)

"Frank" (Wild Man Fischer)

Frank's got money in the bank
Frank's got women he can spank
Frank's has lots of neat guitars
People buy him drinks at bars
Frank has fans around the globe
Frank has initials on his robe
I think about him all the time
You could say he's on my mind
Frank's got money in the bank
Frank owns my publishing rights
Frank doesn't let me sleep at night
Frank has a record in the Top 10
Frank used to be a good friend
I think about him all the time
You can say he's on my mind
Frank's got money in the bank
Frank has kids and a wife
Frank has a very interesting life
I think about him all the time
You could say he's on my mind
Frank's got money in the bank
Frank rides around in limousines
Frank wears fashionable jeans
Frank and I talk and talk and talk
Frank has made lots of people surprised
Frank creeps into my dreams
I wake up sometimes and I scream
I think about him all the time
You could say he's on my mind
I think about him all the time
You could say he's on my mind
Frank, do you think about me
And how it used to be?
Remember?
Goodbye, Frank

 

George Harrison—Somewhere In England (June, 1981)

"Blood From A Clone" (George Harrison)

They say they like it, but, now in the market it
May not go well as it's too laid back.
You need some oomph-papa, nothing like Frank Zappa
And not New Wave they don't play that crap

 

Ramones—Mondo Bizarro (September, 1992)

"Censorshit" (Joey Ramone)

Tipper, what's that sticker sticking on my CD?
Is that some kind of warning to protect me?
Freedom of choice needs a stronger, stronger voice.
You can stamp out the source, but you
Can't stop creative thoughts.

Ah, Tipper come on, ain't you been getting it on?
Ask Ozzy, Zappa or me.
We'll show you what it's like to be free.

Ah, Tipper come on, it's just a smoke
Screen for the real problems.
S&L deficit, the homeless, the environment.

Hey, hey all you senators wives.
Better take a good look at your
Own lives.
Before you go preaching to me.
Your definitions of obscenity.

Ah, Tipper come on, ain't you been getting it on?
Ask Ozzy, Zappa or me.
We'll show you what it's like to be free.

The irony it seems it seems to me
It's un-American policy.
Yeah, we've come so far but still only to
Find people like you with ignorant minds.

Ah, Tipper come on, ain't you been getting it on?
Ask Ozzy, Zappa or me.
We'll show you what it's like to be free.

Ah, Tipper come on, it's just a smoke
Screen for the real problems.
S&L deficit, the homeless, the environment

 

Wild Man Fischer—The Fischer King (November, 1999)

"I'm Sorry, Frank Zappa" (Wild Man Fischer)

I'm sorry so sorry
please accept my apologies
I'm sorry, Frank Zappa
if I threw a bottle at your wife
I'm sorry, so sorry
please accept my apologies
I'm sorry if it almost hit Moon Unit
but she was just a baby

 

The Stooges—The Weirdness (March, 2007)

"Mexican Guy" (Iggy Pop/Ron Asheton/Scott Asheton)

I've been sitting on the corner of Hollywood and Vine
Where I saw Scarface in '75
I saw Chuck Berry at Gone With The Wind
He had a little whitey snuggling up to him
The street was kind of dirty but the street had soul
Saw Bobby Boy drinking to the Monster Mash show
I saw Frank Zappa eat a lonely hot dog
Heard Wild Thing played by The Troggs

The brain police are watching my back
My sanity is under attack
I've got a crazy look in my eye
Since my girl ran off with a Mexican guy

 

The Red Hot Chili Peppers—I'm With You (August, 2011)

"Happiness Loves Company" (Anthony Kiedis/Flea/Chad Smith/Josh Klinghoffer)

Make time for love and your happiness
The mothers of invention are the best
We all know and struggle with some loneliness
A tender mess for everyone, I guess

 

 

Additional informants: Kjell Knudde, Charles Ulrich, Javier Marcote.

Research, compilation and maintenance by Román García Albertos
http://globalia.net/donlope/fz/
This page updated: 2019-06-07