Wind Up Workin' in a Gas Station

Last updated
"Wind Up Workin' in a Gas Station"
Song by Frank Zappa
from the album Zoot Allures
RecordedMay–June 1976
Studio Record Plant Studios, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Genre Rock, hard rock, comedy rock
Length2:29
Label Warner
Songwriter(s) Frank Zappa
Producer(s) Frank Zappa
Official audio
"Wind Up Workin' in a Gas Station" on YouTube

"Wind Up Workin' in a Gas Station" is the opening song on Frank Zappa's 1976 album Zoot Allures . The song contains a fake German accent from Zappa as a result of Zappa's fascination with the German culture. In concert, the extensive repetition of the lines "Show me your thumb if you're really dumb" was given the response by the audience members putting both thumbs firmly in the air. Despite the lyrics being pessimistic, the song became a fan favorite. A live version, recorded in autumn 1976 with the female lead vocals of Lady Bianca, was published 1992 in You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore, Vol. 6 . [1] [2]

Contents

Meaning

The song attacks the American school system explaining that even with the highest education, many people will still end up with low pay jobs such as working at a gas station. [3] The "show me your thumb" lines are believed to be a reference to a Gulf gasoline commercial from the 1960s, in which end a gas-station employee putting up his thumb in order to suggest that Gulf is good. [4]

Personnel

Musicians

Production staff

Related Research Articles

<i>Sheik Yerbouti</i> 1979 live album with studio elements by Frank Zappa

Sheik Yerbouti is a double album by American musician Frank Zappa, released in March 1979 as the first release on Zappa Records, distributed by Phonogram Inc. in the United States and Canada. The album was released in other countries by CBS Records. It is mostly made up of live material recorded in 1977 and 1978, with extensive overdubs added in the studio. In an October 1978 interview, Zappa gave the working album title as Martian Love Secrets. It was later released on a single CD.

<i>Frank Zappa Plays the Music of Frank Zappa: A Memorial Tribute</i> 1996 compilation album by Frank Zappa

Frank Zappa Plays the Music of Frank Zappa: A Memorial Tribute is a posthumous album by Frank Zappa.

<i>Shut Up n Play Yer Guitar</i> 1981 triple album by Frank Zappa

Shut Up 'n Play Yer Guitar is a series of three albums - Shut Up 'n Play Yer Guitar, Shut Up 'n Play Yer Guitar Some More, and Return of the Son of Shut Up 'n Play Yer Guitar - released by Frank Zappa in 1981. The albums consist solely of electric guitar instrumentals and improvised solos (mostly) played live by Zappa and featuring a wide variety of backing musicians.

<i>Thing-Fish</i> 1984 studio album by Frank Zappa

Thing-Fish is an album by American musician Frank Zappa, originally released as a triple album box set on Barking Pumpkin Records in 1984. It was billed as a cast recording for a proposed musical of the same name, which was ultimately not produced by Zappa, but later performed partially in 2003, ten years after his death.

<i>Bongo Fury</i> 1975 live album with studio elements by Frank Zappa and The Mothers with Captain Beefheart

Bongo Fury is a collaborative album by American artists Frank Zappa, Captain Beefheart, and Zappa's band the Mothers, released in October 1975. The live portions were recorded on May 20 and 21, 1975, at the Armadillo World Headquarters in Austin, Texas. Tracks 5, 6 and 9 are studio tracks recorded in January 1975 during the sessions which produced One Size Fits All (1975) and much of Studio Tan (1978).

<i>Zoot Allures</i> 1976 studio album by Frank Zappa

Zoot Allures is the 22nd album by the American rock musician Frank Zappa, released in October 1976 and his only release on the Warner Bros. Records label. Due to a lawsuit with his former manager Herb Cohen, Zappa's recording contract was temporarily reassigned from DiscReet Records to Warner Bros.

<i>You Cant Do That on Stage Anymore, Vol. 6</i> 1992 live album by Frank Zappa

You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore, Vol. 6 is the last of six double-disc collection volumes of live performances by Frank Zappa recorded between 1970 and 1988. All of the material on disc one has a sexual theme. Zappa used the monologue in "Is That Guy Kidding or What?" to ridicule Peter Frampton's album I'm in You with its double entendre title and pop pretensions. Disc two includes performances from Zappa's shows between 1976 and 1981 at the Palladium in New York City, as well as material like "The Illinois Enema Bandit" and "Strictly Genteel" that he frequently used as closing songs at concerts. It was released on October 23, 1992, under the label Rykodisc.

<i>FZ:OZ</i> Frank Zappa album

FZ:OZ is a live album by Frank Zappa, released in 2002 as a two-CD set and is the first release on the Vaulternative Records label from the Zappa Family Trust. It contains almost all of the January 20, 1976 concert at the Hordern Pavilion in Sydney, Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Valley Girl (song)</span> 1982 single by Frank and Moon Zappa

"Valley Girl" is a song by American musician Frank Zappa, released as the sole single from his 1982 album Ship Arriving Too Late to Save a Drowning Witch and featuring his then-14-year-old daughter Moon. Though Zappa intended it to mockingly satirize San Fernando Valley teen culture, the song's success inadvertently popularized the "valley girl" stereotype and its associated mannerisms. The song was also nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal at the 25th Annual Grammy Awards.

<i>Strictly Genteel</i> 1997 compilation album by Frank Zappa

Strictly Genteel is a compilation album by Frank Zappa. It focuses on Zappa's "classical" and "serious" compositions, and as such is something of a companion to the previous Rykodisc-produced compilation, Strictly Commercial, which focused on "rock" songs with vocals. It was released in 1997.

<i>You Are What You Is</i> 1981 studio album by Frank Zappa

You Are What You Is is a 1981 double album by American musician Frank Zappa. His 34th album, it consists of three musical suites which encompass pop, doo-wop, jazz, hard rock, reggae, soul, blues, new wave and country. The album's lyrics satirize a number of topics, including hippies, socialites, fashion, narcotics use, cultural appropriation, religion, televangelists and the military draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trouble Every Day (song)</span> 1966 single by the Mothers of Invention

"Trouble Every Day" is a song by the Mothers of Invention, released on their 1966 debut album Freak Out!

<i>Philly 76</i> 2009 live album by Frank Zappa

Philly '76 is a live album by Frank Zappa, recorded on October 29, 1976 at the Spectrum in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and released by the Zappa Family Trust on December 21, 2009 to commemorate Frank Zappa's 69th birthday. It is the fourth installment on the Vaulternative Records label that is dedicated to the posthumous release of complete Zappa concerts, following the releases of FZ:OZ (2002), Buffalo (2007) and Wazoo (2007).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dancin' Fool</span> 1979 single by Frank Zappa

"Dancin' Fool" is a song by Frank Zappa from his 1979 album Sheik Yerbouti. It was the first of two singles released from the album, followed by the second single "Bobby Brown ." The song premiered on stage on the 30th of October 1977.

"Advance Romance" is a Frank Zappa song originally from his live album with Captain Beefheart, Bongo Fury. Other versions of the song can be found on You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore, Vol. 3, You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore, Vol. 5, and Make a Jazz Noise Here. It is a humorous parody of typical love songs and is sung by Napoleon Murphy Brock with George Duke. The song was played from 1975 to 1976 and from 1982 to 1988 making the song one of Zappa's most performed. Almost all of Zappa's lineups after its release on Bongo Fury played this song in concert.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Don't Wanna Get Drafted</span> 1980 single by Frank Zappa

"I Don't Wanna Get Drafted" is a 1980 single by American musician Frank Zappa. The song peaked at #103 US Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 and #68 on the Cash Box charts, but more successfully reached #3 in Sweden. The original single version has never been reissued on LP or CD.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sofa (Frank Zappa song)</span> 1975 single by Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention

"Sofa" is a composition by American musician Frank Zappa, released in 1975 on One Size Fits All. In 1993, the year of Zappa's death, Steve Vai covered "Sofa" for Zappa's tribute album Zappa's Universe. The cover won a Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance in 1994. This was Vai's first of three Grammies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Disco Boy (song)</span> 1976 single by Frank Zappa

"Disco Boy" is a single composed by musician Frank Zappa from his 1976 album Zoot Allures. It was featured on Frank Zappa's best of album Strictly Commercial.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Find Her Finer</span> 1976 single by Frank Zappa

"Find Her Finer" is a 1976 single by Frank Zappa from the album Zoot Allures. The song was recorded with Zappa's lips extremely close to the microphone, creating an intimate sound. Roy Estrada provided falsetto vocals to create a comic effect to the song. It was intended to be the lead single for Zoot Allures, but failed to chart, unlike its other single "Disco Boy". A live and sped up jazz version can also be found on the album The Best Band You Never Heard in Your Life. It was played in concert in 1976 and 1988.

"The Torture Never Stops" is a song by Frank Zappa from the 1976 album Zoot Allures. Other versions appear on Zappa in New York, Thing-Fish, You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore, Vol. 1, You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore, Vol. 4, The Best Band You Never Heard in Your Life, FZ:OZ, Cheap Thrills, Buffalo, Philly '76, and Hammersmith Odeon.

References

  1. François Couture. "Wind Up Workin' in a Gas Station - Frank Zappa : Listen, Appearances, Song Review". AllMusic. Retrieved 2012-09-17.
  2. Tawa, Nicholas E. (2005-02-28). Supremely American: Popular Song in the 20th Century : Styles and Singers ... - Nicholas E. Tawa - Google Books. ISBN   9780810852952 . Retrieved 2012-09-17.
  3. Lowe, Kelly Fisher (October 2007). The Words and Music of Frank Zappa - Kelly Fisher Lowe - Google Books. ISBN   978-0803260054 . Retrieved 2012-09-17.
  4. Albert-Jan Pool (January 18, 2010). "Zoot Allures - 1. Wind Up Workin' In A Gas Station". .donlope.net. Retrieved 26 September 2024.