Is ‘Bobby Brown’ the most problematic Frank Zappa song?
Making his name as one of the most distinctive musicians of his generation, fusing a misanthropic outlook with undoubted musical ability and a penchant for surrealism, Frank Zappa was no stranger to controversy. Whilst many moments in his oeuvre spring to mind for their apparently offensive nature, one stands out from the rest, with it often deemed his most problematic song.
As fans of the late hippie-hater will know, ‘Bobby Brown’, taken from the 1979 album Sheik Yerbouti, has a contentious history. One of Zappa’s best-known songs, the track secured considerably more success in Europe than in his native America, given that its overtly sexual content caused such a stir that US radio stations refused to play it.
There’s no real surprise that ‘Bobby Brown’ wasn’t played on the airwaves in the predominantly Christian country of America, as some of the lyrics are so lewd and offensive that if it were released today, Zappa would have undoubtedly faced serious and scrutinous questions. Whilst this satirical number was Frank Zappa writing as a character and not as himself, it’s hard not to feel your stomach churn at points.
The track follows the titular Bobby Brown, a misogynistic and wealthy student described as “the cutest boy in town”, whose life represents the American dream. Even in the first verse, we are alerted to the horrific side of this character when he says: “I’ve got a cheerleader here / Wants to help with my paper / Let her do all the work / And maybe later I’ll rape her”. Even for the outwardly misanthropic Zappa, this is dark.
Things then take another horrendous turn when Brown engages in a sexual encounter that proves to be traumatic with Freddie, a “d**e” from the women’s liberation movement. It’s so monumental that it changes the trajectory of his life. Zappa then moves away from the quintessential American dream that the character outlines in the first chorus.
This encounter with Freddie leaves Brown questioning his sexuality. He becomes a closeted homosexual donning a leisure suit and secures a job in radio promotion, with more questions about actual sexual orientation propping up the song. One segment after his evolution states: “I can take about an hour on the tower of power / As long as I get a little golden shower / Oh God, I am the American dream / With a spindle up my butt ’til it makes me scream / And I’ll do anything to get ahead / I lay awake nights, sayin’, ‘thank you, Fred'”. It must be noted that “I’ll do anything to get ahead” is a sexual entendre.
Whilst the graphic discussion of golden showers and an article placed up Brown’s rectum might be enough to make the faint-hearted wince, I’m sure most can agree that the following lines are beyond the pale, despite the era in which the song was written. Zappa sings: “Thanks to Freddie, I’m a sexual s*****c / And my name is Bobby Brown”.
When speaking to the Swedish radio programme Nightflight, Zappa explained the song’s meaning. He also provided what appears to be a critical account of the women’s liberation movement when discussing the origins ‘Bobby Brown’.
Zappa said: “So, you get the idea that Bobby Brown [is] in this song as the result of following the advice of Women’s Liberation, has wound up sitting on a stool with a thing up his *** while somebody ****** on him. And that’s why I think that’s unusual that the song is so popular here. I mean, when I go to a disco and see people dancing the ‘Bobby Brown’, I had to laugh”.
Defending the problematic nature of the song, Zappa maiwntained that “words can’t hurt you” and that there’s nothing in it to offend anyone’s religion. He also claimed that the track examines “things that are real”.
Zappa continued: “Let’s be honest about it. Words can’t hurt you, and there’s nothing in that song that should offend anybody’s religious sensibilities. That song talks about things that are real, you know. And if you [are] going to live in a world and deal with the world in a real way, you should face up to what actually goes on. The story of Bobby Brown may not be something that happens every day in Sweden, but I wouldn’t be surprised if there are few Bobby Browns out there. And somebody should write about them.”
Whilst ‘Bobby Brown’ might be considered by many to be Frank Zappa’s most problematic song, it seems, in his classic approach, that was the point entirely. By his own admission, Zappa was – rightly or wrongly – attempting to write about what he believed occurs in some societies, despite the obscene and vulgar nature of his lyrics.
