Zappa, Frank - Toads Of The Short Forest Lyrics






[includes a quote from You Oughta Be In Pictures (Heyman/Suesse)]

[FZ:] At this very moment on stage we have drummer A playing in 7/8, drummer B playing in 3/4, the bass playing in 3/4, the organ playing in 5/8, the tambourine playing in 3/4, and the alto sax blowing his nose

HANDS UP!
POO-LAAAH!

[FZ:] Thank you





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Zappa, Frank Toads Of The Short Forest Comments
  1. M.... B....

    Blah blah blah

  2. F.... ....

    People always misuse the phrase "ahead of his time," and many have used it for Zappa. Wrong. He was of his own time, very often of the most unusual, odd, and complex.

  3. h.... ....

    He wrote this piece after he found out he had crabs. It makes more sense when you know that.

  4. T.... N....

    Inspired salamanders in the sun, by Steve Vai?

  5. e.... s....

    A composer is a guy who goes around forcing his will on unsuspecting air molecules, often with the assistance of unsuspecting musicians.
    Frank Zappa

  6. r.... m....

    1st half:
    Whitney Studios, Glendale
    c. August, 1969

    FZ—guitar
    Lowell George—guitar?
    Max Bennett—bass
    John Guerin—drums

    2nd half:
    Thee Image, Miami Beach, Florida
    February 7-9, 1969

    FZ—guitar
    Lowell George—guitar
    Don Preston—keyboards
    Ian Underwood—woodwinds
    Bunk Gardner—woodwinds
    Motorhead Sherwood—baritone sax & tambourine
    Buzz Gardner—trumpet & flugel horn
    Roy Estrada—bass
    Jimmy Carl Black—drums
    Art Tripp—drums

  7. P.... O....

    At this very moment on stage, we have drummer A playing in 7/8, drummer B playing in 3/4, the bass playing in 3/4, the organ playing in 5/8, the tambourine playing in 3/4, and the alto sax blowing his nose...

  8. t.... ....

    Zappa was amazing in a lot of ways, not the least of which was his penchant for taking studio snippets and concert snippets, and combining them in the service of an aesthetic that made perfect sense to him (and which the rest of us who cared enough to do so had to rationalize, analyze, and explain).
    This is a case in point:
    The first portion is a studio recording of a really nice (and nicely-orchestrated) Jazz Waltz, with Renaissance overtones....
    ...and then, at 1:01, we are transported to a live recording of extraordinarily disciplined dissonance, with the Mothers of Invention playing incredibly complex stuff with incredible precision, accompanied by the laconic voice of FZ explaining to the audience what they're hearing...
    ...and you realize that Zappa's narration is, itself, part of the composition.
    Obviously, he's a genius (and although he's been deceased for over 20 years, I can't imagine NOT referring to Frank Zappa in the present tense), and, just as obviously, we never fully get him, but we never stop trying to, because it is SO worth the effort.

  9. W.... J....

    Greatest sax work of that decade

  10. W.... D....

    3:42 was Always a Favorite part of Mine!

  11. T.... G....

    American Toads are the most precious friendly little amphibians. I keep them as pets and their company in my life cannot be measured.

  12. P.... S....

    The conceptual continuity of this song is that it's title is indicated in the lyrics of The Adventures of Greggory Peccary "..GREGGERY takes a bumpy trail off the main SHORT FOREST ROAD." & Camorillo Brillo "...She ruled the toads of the short forrest."

    P.... S....

    Phillip S yeah, but what is YOUR conceptual continuity?

    P.... S....

    In G.Peccary lyrics there was indicated Big Swifty and other songs

  13. r.... s....

    Frank Zappa's guitar solos always make me fly.

  14. m.... ....

    arabesque dude

  15. O.... D....

    these are a few of my favorite things....

  16. P.... R....

    this song is about pubic hair infestation............but y'all KNEW that, right?

    P.... R....

    +Paul Robinson - i've always suspected but never had confirmation - another clue for the kiddies, it's referenced in camarillo brillo, she rules them crabs

    P.... R....

    Paul Robinson this is about crabs? Crazy bastards!

  17. a.... ....

    Real math rock

  18. C.... F....

    Wish the first half was longer.

    C.... F....

    Yeah..it's a great instrumental !!

    C.... F....

    It will be, on the new Hot Rats box set (if you can afford it :-( )

  19. T.... ....

    I always imagine that you're just walkin' along looking at some toads, when suddenly at 1:00 an elephant appears

  20. A.... S....

    One of Zappa's best pieces. The first part of the song is probably Billy Mundi on drums (uncredited). Art Tripp and JC Black drums on live portion. The same goes for King Kong from Uncle Meat album, according to Art Tripp, the studio version by Mundi and live by Tripp/Black.

  21. K.... ....

    genius...RIP!

    K.... ....

    Right the eff on!  I just listened to Twenty Small Cigars on this site.  Check it out!  LOVE FZ!!

  22. t.... d....

    vision in my head. the toads seemed friendy at first. but then the music portriaed the toads to seem insane, mean little bastards that do nuthing but run around and cause havoc

    t.... d....

    Well whaddya expect, Zappa later explains that the toads are ruled by that witch with the Camarillo Brillo (along with every newt in Idaho). :D

    t.... d....

    If im not mistaken, Frank said this song is about genital warts lmao

  23. p.... ....

    It means High Quality, big guy.

  24. m.... g....

    Jimmy Carl Black (now deceased)

  25. d.... c....

    Remington micro screen can suck a bag of weasel flesh

  26. A.... R....

    Jimmy Carl Black.

  27. A.... R....

    Who was the indian of the group ?


    FRAAAANK ZAAAAAAPPAAAA

    A.... R....

    Injin Joe.

    A.... R....

    Jimmy Carl Black

  28. 3.... ....

    napolean murphy brock there, no?

  29. c.... ....

    Amazing. Also amazing that nearly 2,000 people have checked this out. Even more amazing that the rest of the population have not.

  30. s.... ....

    Super groovy! I mean that in a jazz sense.

  31. R.... F....

    Thème totalement génial et la seule version dans la discographie "officielle" du Maître. Frank is the best!