"Watermelon in Easter Hay", full name "Playing a Guitar Solo With This Band is Like Trying To Grow a Watermelon in Easter Hay",[1] by Frank Zappa, is the penultimate song on the 1979 concept album Joe's Garage. The main character from this three-part rock opera is faced with the banning of all music after being repeatedly raped in prison, and copes after his release by imagining guitar solos in his head for the entire third act of the album. As he "begins to feel depressed now, he knows the end is near",[2] this song acts as the character's final goodbye to music as he moves on with his life, detailed in "A Little Green Rosetta", the next and final song of the album.
| "Watermelon in Easter Hay" | |
|---|---|
| Song by Frank Zappa | |
| from the album Joe's Garage Acts II & III | |
| Released | November 19, 1979 |
| Recorded | Village Recorders, LA Spring 1979 |
| Genre | Instrumental rock, hard rock, progressive rock |
| Length | 9:08 |
| Label | Zappa Records |
| Songwriter(s) | Frank Zappa |
| Producer(s) | Frank Zappa |
The song is introduced by opening narration by Zappa as the Central Scrutinizer, which then gives way to a guitar solo. This guitar solo is the only guitar solo specifically recorded for the album, as every other guitar solo was xenochronous—overdubbed from older live recordings.[3]: 154 [3]: 381 The entire song consists of two alternating harmonies: A and B / E (This could also be thought of as an E major 7th sus 2), linked by a G#. This simplicity is made more interesting by the emphasis in the solo on the note D#, a tritone above the bass A, which conveys the harmony A#11. The 9/4 time signature keeps the two-chord harmonic structure sounding fresh.[4]
Reception and legacy
editIn their review of the album, Down Beat magazine criticized the song,[5]: 376 but subsequent reviewers have championed the song as Zappa's masterpiece. Kelly Fisher Lowe called it the "crowning achievement of the album" and "one of the most gorgeous pieces of music ever produced".[3]: 159 Zappa told Neil Slaven that he thought it was "the best song on the album".[5]: 376 The song's title is thought to have come from a saying used by Zappa while recording the album: "Playing a guitar solo with this band is like trying to grow a watermelon in Easter hay".[1] After Zappa died, "Watermelon in Easter Hay" became known as one of his signature songs, and his son Dweezil Zappa later referred to it as "the best solo Zappa ever played".[6]: 90–91
Personnel
edit- Frank Zappa – lead guitar
- Warren Cuccurullo – rhythm guitar
- Denny Walley – slide guitar
- Peter Wolf – keyboards
- Tommy Mars – keyboards
- Arthur Barrow – bass
- Ed Mann – percussion
- Vinnie Colaiuta – drums
In popular culture
editFilm
edit- "Watermelon in Easter Hay" was the ending credit song in Alfonso Cuarón's 2001 road film Y Tu Mamá También.
- "Watermelon in Easter Hay" was used in Deathwish Skateboards full length video "UNCROSSED" as the featured track during skateboarder Jamie Foy's skate part in the film. [7]
References
edit- ^ a b "Star Special radio transcript". Retrieved 14 October 2017.
- ^ "Joe's Garage Acts I, II & III".
- ^ a b c Lowe, Kelly Fisher (2007). The Words and Music of Frank Zappa. University of Nebraska Press. ISBN 978-0-8032-6005-4.
- ^ "The 'Watermelon in Easter Hay' Paradigm Analysis". 21 March 2020.
- ^ a b Slaven, Niel (1997). Electric Don Quixote: The Definitive Story Of Frank Zappa. Music Sales Group. ISBN 0-85712-043-3.
- ^ Drenching, T.H.F. (2005). "'Watermelon In Easter Hay': The Function of the Reverb Unit & the Poverty of the Individual Spirit". In Watson, Ben; Leslie, Esther (eds.). Academy Zappa: Proceedings of the First International Conference of Esemplastic Zappology. SAF Publishing Ltd. ISBN 978-0-946719-79-2.
- ^ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: Deathwish Skateboards' "UNCROSSED" Full Length Video. YouTube.