124. FRANK ZAPPA: Uncle Bernie's Farm

A detailed analysis of the above Frank Zappa composition.

Uncle Bernie's Farm

LYRICS

Other Official Versions:

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We always felt this track has an uncanny CC affinity with the line of questioning pursued by Senator Paula Hawkins about what kind of toys his kids play with ("Porn Wars" from Frank Zappa Meets The Mothers Of Prevention) -- this track immediately popped into our mind the first time we heard that!

Here's a little list of what we call "Squeezing Stuff Into Tiny Musical Spaces"

1. mommy up -- three-syllables of "mommy crying"
2. daddy too
3. ouch
4. airplane glue -- psssst
5. scarf your buddy's arm -- sharp maraca-type sounds [what kind of "scarfing" are we talking about here, anyway?]
6. nation you can buy -- once again, listen REAL carefully -- you can hear someone (Ray?) saying something and we observe that it seems to crack FZ up, again -- he does not make it through the next verse without laughing!
7. anything but cry -- several things here: a crying sound, and another "remark" from someone (Ray?) (We hear the word "nice something-or-other" (sounds like "nice ceiling"?)
8. dollar in his hand -- check his wallet
9. toys in every store -- think this'll sell in New York?

Creep who makes that toy

Over this fermata, FZ describes the toy; the vamp continues; about three or four separate vocal layers here -- intestines stuffed back into his ... brass knuckles ... with sound effects ... we got a '39 Chevy ...

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