Bobby Brown (song)

Last updated
"Bobby Brown"
FZBobbyBrownCover.jpg
Single by Frank Zappa
from the album Sheik Yerbouti
ReleasedMarch 3, 1979
Recorded1978
Genre
Length2:49
Label CBS
Songwriter(s) Frank Zappa
Producer(s) Frank Zappa
Frank Zappa singles chronology
"Dancin' Fool"
(1979)		"Bobby Brown"
(1979)		"Joe's Garage"
(1979)
Audio sample

"Bobby Brown (Goes Down)" is a song by American musician Frank Zappa released on his double album Sheik Yerbouti (1979). The song was successful in Europe, where it was a number-one-hit in Norway and Sweden, number 4 in Germany, and was featured on the vinyl and European CD version of Zappa's best of compilation, Strictly Commercial (1995). [2]

Contents

Plot

The song centers on Bobby Brown, a college age student whose life is the archetypical American Dream until a traumatic encounter with Freddie, a dyke from the women's liberation movement, transforms him into a leisure suit-wearing, closeted homosexual who works in radio promotions and engages in S&M. [3]

Zappa was astounded by the song's surprise success in Europe given its pervasive vulgarity, and in an interview with Swedish radio, he remarked that he once suggested to his record label that they should hire an anthropologist to find out how and why it became so popular there. [3]

Track listing

Version 1:

A. "Bobby Brown" – 2:43 [4]
B. "Baby Snakes" – 1:50

Version 2:

A. "Bobby Brown" – 2:43 [5]
B. "Stick It Out" – 4:33

Chart positions

Weekly charts

Chart (1979–1991)Peak
position
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40) [6] 2
Norway (VG-lista) [7] 1
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan) [8] 1
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade) [9] 5
West Germany (GfK) [10] 4

Year-end charts

Chart (1980)Position
West Germany (Official German Charts) [11] 6
Chart (1991)Position
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40) [12] 7

Decade-end charts

Chart (1990–1999)Position
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40) [13] 34

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Austria (IFPI Austria) [14] Gold50,000*
Norway (IFPI Norway) [15] Gold5,000*
Sweden (GLF) [16] Gold25,000^
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland) [17] Gold25,000^

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ↑ Wiebe, David Andrew (March 30, 2022). "Music Genres List - 67 Top Music Styles With Examples". Music Industry How To. Retrieved May 20, 2023.
  2. ↑ "Zappa interviews". home.swipnet.se. Archived from the original on 2013-05-09. Retrieved 27 April 2013.
  3. 1 2 "Zappa explain the secret meaning of the words to Bobby Brown". Nightflite. 1980. Archived from the original on 9 May 2013. Retrieved 7 December 2012.
  4. ↑ Bobby Brown at Discogs (list of releases)
  5. ↑ Frank-Zappa-Bobby-Brown at Discogs (list of releases)
  6. ↑ "Frank Zappa – Bobby Brown" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved November 7, 2015.
  7. ↑ "Frank Zappa – Bobby Brown". VG-lista. Retrieved November 7, 2015.
  8. ↑ "Frank Zappa – Bobby Brown". Singles Top 100. Retrieved November 7, 2015.
  9. ↑ "Frank Zappa – Bobby Brown". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved November 7, 2015.
  10. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Frank Zappa – Bobby Brown" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved May 21, 2019.
  11. ↑ "Top 100 Single–Jahrescharts". Offizielle Deutsche Charts (in German). Retrieved May 23, 2019.
  12. ↑ "Jahreshitparade Singles 1991". Hung Medien Austrian Charts Portal (in German). Retrieved May 23, 2019.
  13. ↑ "Bestenlisten – Singles 1990er". Hung Medien Austrian Charts Portal (in German). Retrieved May 23, 2019.
  14. ↑ "Austrian single certifications – Frank Zappa – Bobby Brown Goes Down (Si)" (in German). IFPI Austria. Retrieved November 7, 2015.
  15. ↑ "Norwegian single certifications – Frank Zappa – Bobby Brown Goes Down" (in Norwegian). IFPI Norway. Retrieved November 7, 2015.
  16. ↑ "Swedish single certifications – Frank Zappa – Bobby Brown" (in Swedish). Swedish Recording Industry Association. Search for "Frank Zappa", then press "Sök" to see the search results. Select "Bobby Brown Download" and press "Visa" to see the charting positions and certification awards. Archived from the original on December 26, 2015. Retrieved November 7, 2015.
  17. ↑ "Swiss single certifications – Frank Zappa – Bobby Brown" (in German). Swiss Music Charts. Archived from the original on November 7, 2015. Retrieved November 7, 2015.
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