SONG TITLE: MY GUITAR WANTS TO KILL YOUR MAMA
PERFORMER: FRANK ZAPPA
SONGWRITER: FRANK ZAPPA
YEAR OF RELEASE: 1970
COMMENTS: Ol' Frank was known for stylistic experiments, forcing all kinds of unrelated musical styles together in unorthodox ways into weird song structures, and most of all for being ironically detached and sarcastic in his outlook. Perhaps this song is an example of the exception that proves the rule, for it is a basic blues rock song with obviously personal and sincere lyrics.
"My Guitar" tells the story of a long haired freak expressing his repeated frustration and humiliation at the hands of a girlfriend's ignorant and hostile parents. "I get so tired of sneaking around just to get to your back door. I crawl past the garbage in the alley then your mama jumps out screaming "Don't come back no more." I CAN'T TAKE IT!" The murderously inclined guitar expresses itself through some nasty distorted blues riffing worthy of Jimi Hendrix, though Hendrix would never have stuck an acoustic flamenco guitar solo in the middle of such a mix. Anyway, Frank rams his message home with short and insistently repeated guitar and horn riffs as part of one basically (sorta) straight blues jam.
I guess you'd say I prefer my guitars to be homicidal rather than gently weeping (as per the George Harrison song).
Article comments
1 - Bill Sherman
One of the highpoints of the spotty-but-interesting Weasels Ripped My Flesh album, which also included an even more straightforward blues cut (Little Richards "Directly From My Heart To You") and the lyrically keen "Oh No." I love the squonking horns on this track.
Actually, I think Zappa could regularly be quite touching when it came to songs about freaks-vs.-straights (perhaps the only conflict that he fully appreciated). Even as sardonic a release as We're Only In It For The Money contains a moment of surprising sadness in the song "Mom and Dad," which ends with Zappa mournfully considering the death of a hippie at the hands of police. You might consider the scenario to be paranoid or exaggerated (back in the day when it was first released, I remember thinking so), but the sentiment rings true.
2 - Andrew Duncalfe
I guess Frank was somewhat before my time; I've come across his name in numerous places, but I don't remember ever hearing his music. However, I did come across the G3 (Joe Satriani, Eric Johnson, Steve Vai) cover of this song, and it's pretty good. Homicidal guitars, indeed.
3 - fangsign
My favorite Zappa song has to be "Sexual Harassment in the Workplace" from "Strictly Commercial". It really shows how great of a guitar player Zappa really was. Easily Top 5 in my book.
4 - Mark Saleski
favorite Zappa song: Peaches En Regalia...no wait...Big Swifty (from Stage Vol 2)...no wait...Cosmic Debris...ah forget it!
5 - Dave
HERE is a page that talks about the inspiration for the title of the WEASELS RIPPED MY FLESH album.