Look Out Plastic People, the Mothers Have Arrived

By ?

Source: KWFB/98 Hitline, December 8, 1965
taken from Los Angeles Free Press advertisement, September, 1966

“We, The Mothers, promise to assist whatever public we come in contact with, in a swift and orderly return to realistic values.”

Those are the words of Frank Zappa, lead Mother.

“We consider most people of today, “Plastics.” They have no respect for the finer things in life, no concern for mankind. This is more than the usual complaint of lack of humanism. These people have no soul.”

The Mothers consider themselves a group of singing social workers exercising free speech through music. They have found that through music they can speak more freely to reach more people.

“We consider ourselves therapeutic workers massaging the brains of people dancing to our music with the lyrics to our songs. We sing songs with feeling like they were done in the . late Fifties in El Monte Legion Stadium, not the commercial noise that is being put out today,” said Frank.

Some examples of lyrics from the Mothers songs are: “Take your little white plastic boots and melt them down and send them back to the shoe store... Take your little white plastic hat and crumple it up and send it back to the hat store...”

“We get so tired of playing for these phony people in blue Velour sweatshirts and Poor Boy sweaters. They are trying so hard to be cool and think they are so in. And of course they go to the Go Go Clubs to be discovered,” said Frank.

The other Mothers are Cherokee Jim Black, drums; Roy Estrada, bass; Ray Collins, harmonica-singer; Henry Vestine, guitar.

A description of today’s world through the eyes of the Mothers can be found in the last verse of their song “Watts Riot.”

“We got to sit around at home and watch this thing begin...

But I’ll bet there won’t be many live to see it really end

Cause the fire in the street ain’t like the fire in the heart

And in the eyes of all these s people don’t you know that this could start.

On any street, in any town, in any state

If any clown decides that now’s the time to fight for what he thinks is right

And if a million more agree there ain’t no great society as it applies to you and me

And that our country isn’t free, and that the law refuse to see

If all that you can ever be is a lousy janitor unless your uncle owns a store

You know that live in every four just won’t amount to nothin more

They’ll watch the rats go around the floor

And make up songs about bein poor...

Read by OCR software. If you spot errors, let me know afka (at) afka.net