A Soundtrack for my Life

Sheik Yerbouti (Shake Your Booty) is a double vinyl album by Frank Zappa featuring material recorded in 1977 and 1978. It was released on March 3, 1979 and re-issued on compact disc on May 9, 1995. The title is a play on words; Zappa appears on the cover in character in Arab headdress, and the name, meant to resemble an Arabic transcription, is pronounced like the title of KC and the Sunshine Band’s 1976 disco hit “Shake Your Booty”.

Sheik Yerbouti represented a major turning point in Zappa’s career. The first album to be released on his own eponymous label after his departure from Warner Bros. Records, it emphasized the comedic aspect of his lyrics more than ever before, beginning a period of increased record sales and mainstream media attention.

The album featured more of Zappa’s satirical and otherwise humorous or offensive material. “I Have Been in You” pokes fun at Peter Frampton’s 1977 hit “I’m in You” while maintaining a sexually driven structure. “Dancin’ Fool”, a Grammy nominee, became a popular disco hit despite its obvious parodical reflection of disco music. “Flakes” includes a parody of Bob Dylan. “Jewish Princess”, a humorous look at Jewish stereotyping, attracted attention from the Anti-Defamation League, to which Zappa denied an apology, arguing: “Well, I didn’t make up the idea of a Jewish Princess. They exist, so I wrote a song about them”.

Some of Zappa’s solos from the album began life as improvisations from Zappa’s earlier work. “Rat Tomago” was edited from a performance of “The Torture Never Stops”, which originally appeared on Zoot Allures; “The Sheik Yerbouti Tango” likewise from a live “Little House I Used to Live In”, originally a Burnt Weeny Sandwich track. The song “City of Tiny Lites” featured an animation video made by Bruce Bickford which featured on the Old Grey Whistle Test.

Almost entirely live, the album features two short studio recordings, both falling under a minute, which open and close “Rat Tomago”. “Rubber Shirt” was heavily doctored by Zappa in the studio using bits and pieces of Terry Bozzio and Patrick O’Hearn’s drum and bass playing, respectively. Aside from some overdubs, these are the only exceptions.

I Have Been In You

This is only the intro — I cannot get the actual song, but it pretty much explains Zappa’s frustration with what passed as “rock” music and record companies.  (He REALLY hated Warner Brothers)

Bobby Brown

During the late 1970s, Frank Zappa put the emphasis in his work on sociological studies of odd human behavior, a trend that existed since his early days with the Mothers of Invention, but developed into his main concern by the time of Sheik Yerbouti. “Bobby Brown” belongs to this category.

The main character used to be a successful specimen of white male: cute, attending a “famous school,” ambitious and popular: “I am the American dream.” After his studies he is going to “get a good job ‘n’ be real rich.” But the Womans Liberation movement had such consequences that he turned to homosexuality and sadomasochism. Now the American dream has “a spindle up [his] butt till it makes [him] scream.”

Some people saw homophobic traits in “Bobby Brown,” but that does not reflect Frank Zappas outlook and integrity. There are actually three victims in this song. The first target is the inanity of the American dream itself: that high school boy is an egocentric piece of trash. Feminists are second, the kind that tries to turn women into men, and/or, vice-versa. Zappa would use the same topic in the track “Harry-As-A-Boy” on Thing-Fish. The third target of the song is alternative sexual practices - not homosexuality itself. Activities such as golden showers and the use of a device called the “tower of power” (a gigantic dildo fixed to a stool, as he explained in interviews) were something Zappa could not understand.

A straightforward medium-tempo song, “Bobby Brown” became a crowd favorite, mostly because of the funny vocals (a phenomenon similar to the success of Zappas hits “Dancin’ Fool” and “Catholic Girls”). Starting in October 1977 it remained a regular live feature up to and including Zappa’s last tour in 1988.

Hey there, people, I’m Bobby Brown
They say I’m the cutest boy in town
My car is fast, my teeth is shiney
I tell all the girls they can kiss my heinie
Here I am at a famous school
I’m dressin’ sharp ‘n’ I’m
actin’ cool
I got a cheerleader here wants to help with my paper
Let her do all the work ‘n’ maybe later I’ll rape her

Oh God I am the American dream
I do not think I’m too extreme
An’ I’m a handsome sonofabitch
I’m gonna get a good job ‘n’ be real rich

(get a good get a good get a good get a good job)

Women’s Liberation
Came creepin’ across the nation
I tell you people I was not ready
When I fucked this dyke by the name of Freddie
She made a little speech then,
Aw, she tried to make me say “when”
She had my balls in a vice, but she left the dick
I guess it’s still hooked on, but now it shoots too quick

Oh God I am the American dream
But now I smell like Vaseline
An’ I’m a miserable sonofabitch
Am I a boy or a lady…I don’t know which

(I wonder wonder wonder wonder)

So I went out ‘n’ bought me a leisure suit
I jingle my change, but I’m still kinda cute
Got a job doin’ radio promo
An’ none of the jocks can even tell I’m a homo
Eventually me ‘n’ a friend
Sorta drifted along into S&M
I can take about an hour on the tower of power
‘Long as I gets a little golden shower
Oh God I am the American dream
With a spindle up my butt till it makes me scream
An’ I’ll do anything to get a head
I lay awake nights sayin’, “Thank you, Fred!”
Oh God, oh God, I’m so fantastic!
Thanks to Freddie, I’m a sexual spastic
And my name is Bobby Brown
Watch me now, I’m goin down,
And my name is Bobby Brown
Watch me now, I’m goin down,
And my name is Bobby Brown
Watch me now, I’m goin down….

Jewish Princess

I want a nasty little Jewish Princess
With long phony nails and a hairdo that rinses
A horny little Jewish Princess
With a garlic aroma that could level Tacoma
Lonely inside
Well, she can swallow my pride

I want a hairy little Jewish Princess
With a brand new nose, who knows where it goes
I want a steamy little Jewish Princess
With over-worked gums, who squeaks when she cums
I don’t want no troll
I just want a Yemenite hole

I want a darling little Jewish Princess
Who don’t know shit about cooking and is arrogant looking
A vicious little Jewish Princess
To specifically happen with a pee-pee that’s snapin’
All up inside I just want a princess to ride

Awright, back to the fop… everybody twist!

I want a funky little Jewish Princess
A grinder; a bumper, with a pre-moistened dumper
A brazen little Jewish Princess
With titanic tits, and sand-blasted zits
She can even be poor
So long as she does it with four on the floor (Vapor-lock)

I want a dainty little Jewish Princess
With a couple of sisters who can raise a few blisters
A fragile little Jewish Princess
With Roumanian thighs, who weasels ‘n’ lies
For two or three nights
Won’t someone send me a princess who bites
Won’t someone send me a princess who bites
Won’t someone send me a princess who bites
Won’t someone send me a princess who bites

Other Related Posts

• No Related Posts