frank zappa, “trouble every day,”
from: the mothers of invention, freak out!, 1966
Frank Zappa is not one artist, he is many. There is the modernist classical composer, the pachuco-loving acolyte, the free-jazz influenced guitar soloist, the musique concrète experimenter, the comedic novelty songwriter, the droll and gimlet-eyed culture commentator, the incisive social critic, and more. Often he wrapped one or more of these influences together in single compositions or entire records.
This particular example from the Mothers of Invention’s first album falls squarely into the domain of social criticism (although the solo guitar work, even at this early stage, is distinctly Zappa). “Trouble Every Day” was inspired by the Watts Riots of 1965, a series of violent confrontations between the Los Angeles police and residents of Watts and other Black neighborhoods in South-Central Los Angeles. The lyrics ring as true today, perhaps more so, than when the song was first released.
-Walter Henritze-