Joe’s Garage – Frank Zappa

We take you now
To a garage in Canoga Park

(It makes it’s own sauce if you care to look)

It wasn’t very large
There was just enough room to cram the drums
In the corner over by the Dodge
It was a fifty-four
With a mashed up door
And a cheesy, little amp
With a sign on the front said, “Fender Champ”
And a second hand guitar
It was a Stratocaster with a whammy bar

We could jam in Joe’s garage
His mama was screamin’
His dad was mad
We was playin’ the same old song
In the afternoon and sometimes we would
Play it all night long
It was all we knew and easy too
So, we wouldn’t get it wrong
All we did was bend the string like

Hey!
Down in Joe’s garage
We didn’t have no dope or LSD
But a couple a-quarts a-beer
Would fix it so the intonation
Would not offend your ear
And the same old chords goin’ over and over
Became a symphony
We could play it again and again and again
‘Cause it sounded good to me
One more time

We could jam in Joe’s garage
His mama was screamin’
“Turn it down!”
We was playing the same old song
In the afternoon and sometimes we would
Play it all night long
It was all we knew and easy too
So, we wouldn’t get it wrong
Even if you played it on a saxophone

We thought we was pretty good
We talked about keepin’ the band together
And we figured that we should
‘Cause about this time we was gettin’ the eye
From the girls in the neighborhood
They’d all come over and dance around like

So, we picked out a stupid name
Had some cards printed up for a couple a-bucks
And we was on our way to fame
Got matching suits and Beatle boots
And a sign on the back of the car
And we was ready to work in a go-go bar

1, 2, 3, 4
Let’s see if you’ve got some more

People seemed to like our song
They got up and danced and made a lotta noise
And it wasn’t ‘fore very long
A guy from a company we can’t name

Said we oughta take his pen
And sign on the line for a real good time
But he didn’t tell us when
These good times would be somethin’

That was really happenin’
So, the band broke up
And it looks like
We will never play again

Guess you only get one chance in life
To play a song that goes like

Turn it down!
Turn it down!
I have children sleeping here
Don’t you boys know any nice songs?

Well, the years was rollin’ by, yeah
Heavy metal and glitter rock
Had caught the public eye, yeah
Snotty boys with lipstick on

Was really flyin’ high, yeah
And then they got that disco thing
And new wave came along
And all of a sudden I thought the time

Had come for that old song
We used to play in Joe’s garage
And if I am not wrong
You will soon be dancin’ to the

(The white zone is for loading)
(And unloading only)
(If you gotta load or unload)
(Go to the white zone)

I said, “The years was rollin’ by”, yeah
The years was rollin’ by
(I am calling the police!)
So, those years are rollin’ by
(I did it, they’ll be here shortly!)
Those years was rollin’ by, yeah
(This is the police)
Those years are rollin’ by
(I’m not joking around anymore)
(Come out, we have the garage surrounded)
Those years are rollin’ by
(Give yourselves up)
(We will not harm you)
I said, “Those years are rollin’ by”
(Or hurt you neither)
(You’ll see them; there they are, they’re coming)
(This is the police)
(Give yourself up)
Those years are rollin’ by
(We will not harm you)
(Listen to that mess, would you?)
(This is the police)
(Give yourself up)
(We have the garage surrounded)
(Everyday this goes on around here!)
Those years are rollin’ by
(We will not harm you)
(Or maim you)
(SWAT team four, move in!)
I said, “Those years are slidin’ by”
(He used cut my grass, he was a very nice boy)
(This is the police)
(Come out with your hands up)

This is the central scrutinizer
That was Joe’s first confrontation with the law
Naturally, we are easy on him
One of our friendly counsellors gave him
A do-nut
And told him to
Stick closer to church-oriented social activities