Frank Zappa Quotes

Frank Zappa (1940-1993) was an American musician, composer, and bandleader known for his distinctive style that blended rock, jazz, classical, and experimental music. He was not only a talented guitarist but also a prolific composer and a satirical social commentator.

Zappa gained prominence in the 1960s as the leader of the band The Mothers of Invention. The band's debut album, "Freak Out!" (1966), is considered one of the earliest examples of concept albums and was known for its musical complexity and humorous lyrics. Zappa's music often featured intricate compositions, odd time signatures, and a mix of genres that pushed the boundaries of rock music.

Throughout his career, Zappa released a vast number of albums, each showcasing his eclectic musical tastes and sharp wit. Some of his notable albums include "We're Only in It for the Money" (1968), "Hot Rats" (1969), "Over-Nite Sensation" (1973), and "Apostrophe (')" (1974).

Zappa was also a staunch advocate for freedom of speech and fought against music censorship. He famously testified before the United States Senate in 1985 during a hearing on "explicit content" in music, expressing his concerns about artistic expression and censorship.

In addition to his music, Zappa was known for his innovative use of recording technology and his involvement in various film projects. He released a concert film called "200 Motels" (1971) and directed the film "Baby Snakes" (1979), which documented live performances and behind-the-scenes footage.

Frank Zappa's legacy continues to influence musicians across genres, and his work is celebrated for its uniqueness, complexity, and fearless approach to pushing artistic boundaries. He passed away on December 4, 1993, due to prostate cancer, but his music and ideas live on through his extensive discography and the ongoing appreciation of his fans.

Frank Zappa Quotes

Here are 50 quotes attributed to Frank Zappa:

1. "Without deviation from the norm, progress is not possible."

2. "So many books, so little time."

3. "The most important thing in art is the frame. For painting: literally; for other arts: figuratively—because, without this humble appliance, you can't know where The Art stops and The Real World begins."

4. "Music is the only religion that delivers the goods."

5. "Communism doesn't work because people like to own stuff."

6. "The United States is a nation of laws: badly written and randomly enforced."

7. "Politics is the entertainment branch of industry."

8. "If you want to get laid, go to college. If you want an education, go to the library."

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

10. "Information is not knowledge. Knowledge is not wisdom. Wisdom is not truth. Truth is not beauty. Beauty is not love. Love is not music. Music is THE BEST."

11. "The computer can't tell you the emotional story. It can give you the exact mathematical design, but what's missing is the eyebrows."

12. "Art is making something out of nothing and selling it."

13. "If you want to get together in any exclusive situation and have people love you, fine— but to hang all this desperate sociology on the idea of The Cloud-Guy who has The Big Book, who knows if you've been bad or good—is ridiculous."

14. "Take the Kama Sutra. How many people died from the Kama Sutra as opposed to the Bible? Who wins?"

15. "Remember there's a big difference between kneeling down and bending over."

16. "You can't be a real country unless you have a beer and an airline—it helps if you have some kind of a football team, or some nuclear weapons, but at the very least you need a beer."

17. "There is no such thing as a dirty word. Nor is there a word so powerful, that it's going to send the listener to the lake of fire upon hearing it."

18. "The only difference between a cult and a religion is the amount of real estate they own."

19. "The universe consists of 5% protons, 5% neutrons, 5% electrons and 85% morons."

20. "Stupidity has a certain charm—ignorance does not."

21. "There is more stupidity than hydrogen in the universe, and it has a longer shelf life."

22. "If you don't want your kids to be stupid, tell them stories about you not being stupid."

23. "The first thing you have to do if you want to raise nice kids, is you have to talk to them like they are people instead of talking to them like they're property."

24. "There are more love songs than anything else. If songs could make you do something, we'd all love one another."

25. "Without music to decorate it, time is just a bunch of boring production deadlines or dates by which bills must be paid."

26. "Modern Americans behave as if intelligence were some sort of hideous deformity."

27. "People make a lot of fuss about my kids having such supposedly 'strange names', but the fact is that no matter what first names I might have given them, it is the last name that is going to get them in trouble."

28. "The computer can't tell you the emotional story. It can give you the exact mathematical design, but what's missing is the eyebrows."

29. "Everybody believes in something and everybody, by virtue of the fact that they believe in something, use that something to support their own existence."

30. "The more boring a child is, the more the parents, when showing off the child, receive adulation for being good parents—because they have a tame child-creature in their house."

31. "When you're born you get a ticket to the freak show. When you're born in America, you get a front row seat."

32. "Beauty is a pair of shoes that makes you wanna die."

33. "I'm the one who's got to die when it's time for me to die, so let me live my life the way I want to."

34. "Don't worry about what anybody else is going to do. The best way to predict the future is to invent it."

35. "There is a big difference between breaking the law and having a crime in your heart."

36. "There's a big difference between kneeling down and bending over."

37. "If you're not doing something different, you're not doing anything."

38. "The computer can't tell you the emotional story. It can give you the exact mathematical design, but what's missing is the eyebrows."

39. "If you want to get laid, go to college. If you want an education, go to the library."

40. "Some scientists claim that hydrogen, because it is so plentiful, is the basic building block of the universe. I dispute that. I say there is more stupidity than hydrogen, and that is the basic building block of the universe."

41. "Without deviation from the norm, progress is not possible."

42. "It's not getting any smarter out there. You have to come to terms with stupidity, and make it work for you."

43. "People make a lot of fuss about my kids having such supposedly 'strange names', but the fact is that no matter what first names I might have given them, it is the last name that is going to get them in trouble."

44. "Jazz is not dead, it just smells funny."

45. "If you want to get together in any exclusive situation and have people love you, fine— but to hang all this desperate sociology on the idea of The Cloud-Guy who has The Big Book, who knows if you've been bad or good—is ridiculous."

46. "There is no such thing as a dirty word. Nor is there a word so powerful, that it's going to send the listener to the lake of fire upon hearing it."

47. "The only difference between a cult and a religion is the amount of real estate they own."

48. "Music is always a commentary on society."

49. "The universe consists of 5% protons, 5% neutrons, 5% electrons and 85% morons."

50. "Art is making something out of nothing and selling it."

Please note that Frank Zappa was known for his wit and humor, and many of his quotes reflect his unique perspective on various subjects.

Frank Zappa Quotes

**Frank Zappa Quotes on Life:**

1. "The most important thing in art is the frame. For painting: literally; for other arts: figuratively—because, without this humble appliance, you can't know where The Art stops and The Real World begins."

2. "The universe consists of 5% protons, 5% neutrons, 5% electrons, and 85% morons."

3. "When you're born you get a ticket to the freak show. When you're born in America, you get a front-row seat."

4. "Don't worry about what anybody else is going to do. The best way to predict the future is to invent it."

5. "It's not getting any smarter out there. You have to come to terms with stupidity, and make it work for you."

**Frank Zappa Quotes on Music:**

1. "Music is the only religion that delivers the goods."

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

3. "Without music to decorate it, time is just a bunch of boring production deadlines or dates by which bills must be paid."

4. "The computer can't tell you the emotional story. It can give you the exact mathematical design, but what's missing is the eyebrows."

5. "Jazz is not dead, it just smells funny."

**Frank Zappa Quotes on Politics:**

1. "The United States is a nation of laws: badly written and randomly enforced."

2. "Politics is the entertainment branch of industry."

3. "Communism doesn't work because people like to own stuff."

4. "If you're not doing something different, you're not doing anything."

5. "Modern Americans behave as if intelligence were some sort of hideous deformity."

**Frank Zappa Quotes on Politics and Entertainment:**

1. "Politics is the entertainment branch of industry."

2. "The more boring a child is, the more the parents, when showing off the child, receive adulation for being good parents—because they have a tame child-creature in their house."

**Frank Zappa Quotes on Information and Knowledge:**

1. "Information is not knowledge. Knowledge is not wisdom. Wisdom is not truth. Truth is not beauty. Beauty is not love. Love is not music. Music is THE BEST."

2. "The computer can't tell you the emotional story. It can give you the exact mathematical design, but what's missing is the eyebrows."

**Frank Zappa Quotes on Music Being the Best:**

1. "Information is not knowledge. Knowledge is not wisdom. Wisdom is not truth. Truth is not beauty. Beauty is not love. Love is not music. Music is THE BEST."

**Frank Zappa Quotes on Censorship:**

1. "There is no such thing as a dirty word. Nor is there a word so powerful, that it's going to send the listener to the lake of fire upon hearing it."

2. "The only difference between a cult and a religion is the amount of real estate they own."

Please note that these quotes reflect Frank Zappa's unique perspective on these topics and often contain his characteristic humor and wit.