ZAPPA THE SOCIAL CRITIC: Zappa's lyrics

Zappa's lyrics are the most obvious manifestation of his views of American society.  His songs ALWAYS say something, even when he's not saying anything at all.  Songs like "Wowie Zowie" (Freak Out!) were lyrically fluff and satirized bubblegum pop were Zappa's way of infiltrating and mocking the society from the inside, by mocking the music that they cherished and listened to, while not giving his music the chance and even criticizing it for being something negative, simply because it was different.  Zappa, in fact, was often openly bitter about not getting the kind of commercial love that other bands like The Beatles got, although he specifically provoked in such a way to NOT curry favour from the masses.  This is an interesting paradox, and something that he seemed bent on doing throughout his career, especially because any interview or any exposure for him and the Mothers was something that he welcomed with open arms.

Where he DID bring those obvious lyrics to the forefront, he still had a habit of mocking, but not just mocking the music of the time that he considered superficial and nonsensical.  For Zappa, music was meant to have meaning, and he injected meaning into what I now call his musical critiques of American society.  Songs like "Trouble Every Day" (Freak Out!) and "Plastic People" (Absolutely Free) are prime examples of such work, for they both deal with the artificiality, racism, hypocrisy and myopia of the societal morals and values that were pumped down people's throats at the time.  Zappa made a point of leading a witch hunt, through his music, to "out" the pillars of American society for their wicked ways behind doors and their bible-thumping, sanctimonious behaviour in public.