Watermelon In Easter Hay by Frank Zappa

Album: Joe's Garage, Act III (1979)

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Songfacts®:

This guitar solo runs to 9 minutes, 9 seconds, and is the penultimate track on this somewhat off-beat concept album, which was composed and arranged in its entirety by Zappa. There are no lyrics as such but there is a spoken introduction, which turns profane. The song demonstrates Zappa's talents as a composer and a guitarist. >>>
Suggestion credit:
Alexander Baron - London, England
Nick Feldman of Wang Chung is a big fan of this song, calling it "one of Zappa's instrumental masterpieces."

"It has a melancholy, yearning quality rather unusual in much of his other work," Feldman told Songfacts. "It is deceptively simple although of course the time signatures are not straightforward and his guitar playing is more direct but very atmospheric and even restrained."

Comments: 7

Pete W from Cv2 3npAbsolutely love this Track ,always thought it was called the Last Imaginary Guitar solo though
AnonymousHey Sorin, I too want this song to be played at my send-off, including the intro! My wife says it's the sexiest solo she's ever heard.
Sorin from Toronto, CanadaOne of the best guitar solo ever, and I mean it. So much depth, sound out of this world, tempo is perfect. One of the very few songs I'd would like to be sent off on, when that time comes.
Dan Burnette from Chicago, IlAt first I didn't care for part two, but as times passed I pretty much only listen to acts II & III and once you get it the latter LPs the better.
Jeff B from Boston, MaFor me, this is the only worthwhile track of all of Joe's Garage Parts 2 and 3. Part 1 started off very strongly (until it petered out into filler with "Lucille"), but these two albums are nothing but puerile, typical Zappa sex mongering with the occasional guitar solo. This pieces works beautifully by itself, but it's spoiled by Zappa's amateurish introduction, where he lapses into a laughing fit and keeps it as a take. Clearly, by the time he was at this point recording the album he didn't care anymore.
Miles from Vancouver, CanadaAlso, Act III of Joe's Garage is based on Zappa's personal experiences. He had been arrested for unauthorizedly recording pornographic sounds, and without his guitar in jail, he could only imagine the guitar notes he'd want to play during his incarceration.
Miles from Vancouver, CanadaThe complete title of the guitar solo is actually "Trying To Play A Solo With These Guys Is Like Trying To Grow A Watermelon In Easter Hay." That would have been too long...

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