Frank Zappa - Joe's Garage Lyrics
Frank zappa (lead guitar, vocals)Warren cucurullo (rhythm guitar, vocals)Denny walley (slide guitar, vocals)Ike willis (lead vocals)Peter wolf (keyboards)Tommy mars (keyboards)Arthur barrow (bass, vocals)Ed mann (percussion)Vinnie colaiuta (drums)Jeff (tenor saxophone)Marginal chagrin (baritone saxophone)Stumuk (bass saxophone)Dale bozzio (vocals)Al malkin (vocals)Craig steward (harmonica)A boring old garage in a residential area with a teen-age band rehearsing in it. joe (the main character in the central scrutinizers special presentation) sings to us of the trials and tribulatOf garage-band husbandry.Central scrutinizer:We take you now, to a garage, in canoga park.Frank zappa:(it makes its own sauce...)Joe:It wasnt very largeThere was just enough room to cram the drumsIn the corner over by the dodgeIt was a fifty-fourWith a mashed up doorAnd a cheesy little ampWith a sign on the front said fender champAnd a second hand guitarIt was a stratocaster with a whammy barAt this point, larry (a guy who will eventually give up music and earn a respectable living as a roadie for a group called toad-o) joins in the song...Larry:We could jam in joes garageHis mama was screaminHis dad was madWe was playin the same old songIn the afternoon n sometimes we wouldPlay it all night longIt was all we knew, n easy tooSo we wouldnt get it wrongAll we did was bend the string like...Hey!Down in joes garageWe didnt have no dope or lsdBut a coupla quartsa beerWould fix it so the intonationWould not offend yer earAnd the same old chords goin over n overBecame a symphonyWe would play it again n again n againcause it sounded good to meOne more time!We could jam in joes garageHis mama was screamin,Turn it down!We was playing the same old songIn the afternoon n sometimes we wouldPlay it all night longIt was all we knew, and easy tooSo we wouldnt get it wrongEven if you played it on a saxophoneWe thought we was pretty goodWe talked about keepin the band togethern we figured that we shouldcause about this time we was gettin the eyeFrom the girls in the neighborhoodTheyd all come over n dance aroundLike...Twenty teen-age girls dashIn and go stomp-clap,Stomp-clap-clap...So we picked out a stupid nameHad some cards printed up for a coupla bucksn we was on our way to fameGot matching suits n beatle bootsn a sign on the back of the carn we was ready to work in a go-go barOne two three fourLets see if you got some more!People seemed to like our songThey got up n danced n made a lotta noiseAn it wasnt fore very longA guy from a company we cant nameSaid we oughta take his penn sign on the line for a real good timeBut he didnt tell us whenThese good times would be somethinThat was really happeninSo the band broke upAn it looks likeWe will never play again...Joe:Guess you only get one chance in lifeTo play a song that goes like...(and, as the band plays their little song,Mrs. borg (who keeps her son sy,In the closet with the vacuum cleaner)Screams out the window...Mrs. borg:Turn it down!Turn it down!I have children sleeping here...Dont you boys know any nice songs?Joe:(speculating on the future)Well the years was rollin by, yeahHeavy metal n glitter rockHad caught the public eye, yeahSnotty boys with lipstick onWas really flyin high, yeahn then they got that disco thingn new wave came alongn all of a sudden I thought the timeHad come for that old songWe used to play in joes garageAnd if I am not wrongYou will soon be dancin to...Central scrutinizer:The white zone isFor loading andUnloading only. if youGotta load or unload,Go to the whiteZone. youll love it...Joe:Well the years was rollin by (etc.)...Mrs. borg:Im calling the police!I did it! theyll be here...shortly!Officer butzis:This is the police...Mrs. borg:Im not joking around anymoreOfficer butzis:We have the garage surroundedIf you give yourself upWe will not harm youOr hurt you neitherMrs. borg:Youll see themOfficer butzis:This is the policeMrs. borg:There they are, theyre coming!Officer butzis:Give yourself upWe will not harm youMrs. borg:Listen to that mess, would you?Officer butzis:This is the policeGive yourself upWe have the garage surroundedMrs. borg:Everday this goes on around here!Officer butzis:We will not harm you, or maim you(swat team 4, move in!)Mrs. borg:He used cut my grass...He was very nice boy...Thats disgusting!!Central scrutinizer:This is the central scrutinizer...That was joes first confrontation with the law.Naturally, we were easy on him.One of our friendly counselors gave himA do-nut...and told him toStick closer to church-oriented social activities.
