Frank Zappa - Let's Make The Water Turn Black Lyrics






[includes a fragment from Ronnie Sings]

Now believe me when I tell you that my song is really true
I want everyone to listen and believe
It's about some little people from a long time ago
And all the things the neighbors didn't know
Early in the morning Daddy Dinky went to work
Selling lamps & chairs to San Ber'dino squares
And I still remember Mama with her apron & her pad
Feeding all the boys at Ed's Cafe!

Whizzing & pasting & pooting through the day...
(Ronnie helping Kenny helping burn his poots away!)
And all the while on a shelf in the shed:
KENNY'S LITTLE CREATURES ON DISPLAY!

Ronnie saves his numies on a window in his room
(A marvel to be seen: dysentery green)
While Kenny & his buddies had a game out in the back:
LET'S MAKE THE WATER TURN BLACK

We see them after school in a world of their own
(To some it might seem creepy what they do...)
The neighbors on the right sat & watched them every night
(I bet you'd do the same if they was you)

Whizzing & pasting & pooting through the day...
(Ronnie helping Kenny helping burn his poots away!)
And all the while on a shelf in the shed:
KENNY'S LITTLE CREATURES ON DISPLAY!

Ronnie's in the Army now & Kenny's taking pills
Oh! How they yearn to see a bomber burn!
Color flashing, thunder crashing, dynamite machine!
(Wait till the fire turns green... wait till the fire turns green)
WAIT TILL THE FIRE TURNS GREEN!

This would be a little bit of vocal teen-age heaven, right here on Earth!

[Ronnie Williams: (backwards)] Dodn-do-do-dodn-dodn-dodn-dada





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Frank Zappa Let's Make The Water Turn Black Comments
  1. M.... M....

    Always make me think of South Park

  2. s.... ....

    oh how they yearn, to see a bomber burn...

  3. s.... ....

    the craziest part is ronny & kenny were frank's childhood friends.

  4. P.... D....

    On a shelf in the shed. Kennies little creatures on display.

  5. F.... B....

    My first expierience of good music. Thanx to my older Sister!

  6. p.... ....

    Who sings on this one? And the most part of this album? Roy Estrada? (I know Zappa sings some too) If so, I think he should have more credit on vocals because he had a great PopSike voice which suits this album amazingly well.

    p.... ....

    pracm Zappa is credited as lead vocals.

    p.... ....

    @Frank F On the other hand Roy only sang "boy soprano" vocals and lots out of tune for that matter. Hole In The Sky, anyone? Not sure how that vocals made in some albums. Yet again, Ray could that parts terrifically, just listen to the aaa-aaahhsss in the Apostrophe album... (ie Nanook Rubs It)

    p.... ....

    @pracm Your knowledge far surpasses mine,I just knew the album credits Zappa as lead vocals lol

    p.... ....

    @Frank F It's all good. I always thought that there were some uncredited vocalists but maybe it was all Zappa.

  7. B.... ....

    Frank told a story to an interviewer about an MGM executive telling him that they couldn't release this song on an album. Turns out he thought that the reference to "Mama with her apron and her pad" was about a sanitary napkin. Frank wondered what kind of sick mind could dream that up.

    B.... ....

    I Read somewhere he was in some country and they were Giving him an award fer this song and they were playing this in the background when he noticed they cut that line out of the song.......he said he didn't deserve the award and gave it back citing they should give it to the guy who cut up my song

    B.... ....

    @brian leblanc Yeah, I've read about that too.

  8. A.... ....

    The best song for singing around a campfire in the woods.

  9. t.... .....

    GENIAL SONG

  10. R.... M....

    I’m not sure how true this is, but apparently Frank Zappa wrote this song about some mega weird neighbors of his that lived down the street, and when he was at their house one day, found out that they were all into bottling their fluids. Kept them all in sealed jam jars in the garage. Hope it is true, weirdness of the highest kind. Milo

    R.... M....

    One one of Frank's albums (one of the posthumous ones, I believe, either Ronnie or Kenny talks about the story behind this song. Yes, it's true.

    R.... M....

    Bob, I live in Adelaide which is in South Australia and believe me, there’s certain suburbs ( but I won’t say which ones ) over here in which that sort of behaviour would actually be considered quite normal. Milo

    R.... M....

    Also the Bottles with 'their fluids' apparently seemed to have something swimming in there which zappa described as freak tadpoles

    R.... M....

    Galaxy , that is as deliciously repulsive as I could have hoped.
    I got your reply a bit later than the first, otherwise I would have used in my radio show. Cheers. Milo

  11. M.... B....

    My parents were really into Zappa and had a bunch of Mother's records... I really love about half of their work and still listen to Joe's Garage, Sheik Yerbouti, and Apostrophe often.

  12. Z.... C....

    Ronnie's booger story, the inspiration behind this song. And notice how even as weird as the story is, how well spoken Ronnie was back in the 60s. Eloquent but bizarre.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d6GV-n-4LHg

  13. B.... R....

    she must be a classly lady.

  14. B.... R....

    it's a cartoon set to music, & ronny & kenny are real people.

  15. B.... R....

    this is it for this true song!?

    B.... R....

    Yes it's based on a true story

    B.... R....

    That's it for the other one

  16. B.... R....

    one of my favorite mother's tunes. first heard it on doctor demento show in the 70s

    B.... R....

    Brad Roblling one of my mother’s favorite tunes

  17. S.... ....

    I don't think I've ever replayed a song over and over this many times before

    S.... ....

    10 times in a row right now^

    S.... ....

    I've listened and enjoyed Zappa for the last 40 years or so. Youtube has introduced me to so many works I've never heard of before including this one. I'm on my 20th replay. Such a great tune and beat.

    S.... ....

    @Worldwide Aircraft Ferry That's really awesome. My father is a huge Zappa fan, and I didn't really understand Zappa's music before, but a couple years ago I found out Dweezil would be performing near me and I decided to check him out. Since then I've been hooked and YouTube has allowed me to explore Zappa (and Captain Beefheart of course) in depth.

    S.... ....

    Haha, I know, same here. My husband and I got stuck on this song once when we did acid. It was amazing.

    S.... ....

    I'd listen to this forever