Page type: lyric reference
Artist: Frank Zappa
Canonical path: /frank-zappa/you-are-what-you-is-in-album-thing-fish
Related lyric paths: 6
Video embedded: yes
Lyric guide
You Are What You Is (in album Thing-fish)
Read You Are What You Is (in album Thing-fish) lyrics by Frank Zappa on LyroVerse, with linked artist context and related song paths.
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Curated by Ethan Walker
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Lyrics
You Are What You Is (in album Thing-fish)
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Frank Zappa (guitar, synclavier)
Steve Vai (guitar)
Ray White (guitar, vocals)
Tommy Mars (keyboards)
Chuck Wild (piano)
Arthur Barrow (bass)
Scott Thunes (bass)
Jay Anderson (string bass)
Ed Mann (percussion)
Chad Wackerman (drums)
Ike Willis (vocals)
Terry Bozzio (vocals)
Dale Bozzio (vocals)
Napoleon Murphy Brock (vocals)
Bob Harris (vocals)
Johnny "Guitar" Watson (vocals)
ENSEMBLE: (displaying Dummy #1)
Do you know what you are?
THING-FISH:
Dat what I ast ya!
ENSEMBLE:
You are what you is You is what you am
THING-FISH:
And DAT de trufe!
ENSEMBLE:
(A cow don't make ham...)
THING-FISH:
I meant dat now!
ENSEMBLE:
You ain't what you're not
THING-FISH:
Not even hardly...
ENSEMBLE:
So see what you got
THING-FISH:
And you got a lot o' lookin' t'do, junior!
ENSEMBLE:
You are what you is
THING-FISH:
Dat entirely TOO CORRECT!
ENSEMBLE:
An' that's all it 'tis!
THING-FISH:
Uh-HUHHHH!
ENSEMBLE:
A foolish young man
THING-FISH:
Bring dat dummy ovuh heah 'n show it to 'em!
ENSEMBLE:
Stashed away in SAN QUENTIM Ate de mys'try potatoes
THING-FISH:
Told ya 'bout dem 'taters!
ENSEMBLE:
EVIL PRINCE was inventin' Now he talk like de THING-FISH
THING-FISH: (manipulating the dummy)
("Hmmmm, Saffiiiee!")
ENSEMBLE:
An' he look like a MAMMY!
THING-FISH: (manipulating the dummy)
("See de mammy, now! See de mammy, now!")
ENSEMBLE:
His fav'rit CO-LOG-NUMM...
THING-FISH:
Smell like...
SISTER POTATO HEAD BOBBY BROWN, SISTER GHENGHIS ADONIS OSMOSIS, SISTER JASMINE NOXEMA TAPIOCA:
CHITLINS!
ENSEMBLE:
Is de one dey call 'SAMMY'!
THING-FISH:
One-Adam-Twelve...see de mammy...
ENSEMBLE:
He finally layin'
THING-FISH:
Armed 'n dangerous, reproach wit cautium!
ENSEMBLE:
De whole thang down, 'Cept de NIVEA LOTIUM!
THING-FISH:
Rub it on good, now!
ENSEMBLE:
An de ROYAL CROWN!
THING-FISH:
Take good care o' dat "ASH"!
ENSEMBLE:
Do you know what you are?
THING-FISH:
You's a wimp...she's a shrew!
ENSEMBLE:
You are what you is
THING-FISH:
Got dat?
ENSEMBLE:
You is what you am
THING-FISH:
One-Adam-Twelve, see de mammy agin'!
ENSEMBLE:
(A cow don't make ham...)
THING-FISH:
And it never will...
ENSEMBLE:
You ain't what you're not,
THING-FISH:
Unless SCIENCE do somethin' 'bout it!
ENSEMBLE:
So see what you got!
THING-FISH:
I KNOW dey woikin' on it...
ENSEMBLE:
You are what you is,
THING-FISH:
Underneath VIRGINIA!
ENSEMBLE:
An' that's all it 'tis!
THING-FISH:
BOOG-BOOGMMM, Dano..."MAMMY ONE"! They toss dummy #1 into the wings, an d introduce dummy #2 to HARRY & RHONDA. Their torture-chairs, (on a rolling platform), are wheeled to center stage. The action takes place all around them.
ENSEMBLE: (showing Dummy #2)
A foolish young man
Of de negro persuasion
Devoted his life
To become a caucasian
He stopped eating pork
He stopped eating greens
He trade his dashiki
SISTER OWL-GONKWIN-JANE COW-HOON: (manipulating the dummy)
("Uhuru!")
ENSEMBLE:
For some Jordache Jeans!
He learned to play golf
An' he got a good score
Now he says to himself:
"I AIN'T NO..."
THING-FISH:
"NIGNINT!"
ENSEMBLE:
NO MORE...HEY! HEY! HEY!"
THING-FISH:
One-Adam-Twelve, see de "NIGNINT" wit knife... proceed wif cautium...knife may be open...
ENSEMBLE:
BWANA MA-COO-BAH
HARRY:
All Right! Let's go!
ENSEMBLE:
MERCEDES BAINNNZZZZZ!
ENSEMBLE:
Who is who?
SISTER OWL-GONKWIN-JANE COW-HOON: (singing)
I don't know...
ENSEMBLE:
'N what is what
SISTER OWL-GONKWIN-JANE COW-HOON:
Somethin' I just don't know...
ENSEMBLE:
'N why is this
SISTER OWL-GONKWIN-JANE COW-HOON:
Tell me now...
ENSEMBLE:
Appropriot
SISTER OWL-GONKWIN-JANE COW-HOON:
That's a funny pronunciation, If'n ever I heard one!
ENSEMBLE:
If you don't like
SISTER OWL-GONKWIN-JANE COW-HOON:
Where'd you get that word?
ENSEMBLE:
What you has got
SISTER OWL-GONKWIN-JANE COW-HOON:
Appropriot? The word is not!
ENSEMBLE:
Drop it in the dirt
SISTER OWL-GONKWIN-JANE COW-HOON:
Drop it, yeah!
ENSEMBLE:
'N let it rot
SISTER OWL-GONKWIN-JANE COW-HOON:
I can smell it now!
ENSEMBLE:
Someone else
SISTER OWL-GONKWIN-JANE COW-HOON:
Here de come, here de come!
ENSEMBLE:
Will surely come
SISTER OWL-GONKWIN-JANE COW-HOON:
I told you he was comin'!
ENSEMBLE:
'N pick it up
SISTER OWL-GONKWIN-JANE COW-HOON:
That's right!
ENSEMBLE:
'Cause he wants some
SISTER OWL-GONKWIN-JANE COW-HOON:
An' he wants it for free!
ENSEMBLE:
And when one day
SISTER OWL-GONKWIN-JANE COW-HOON:
There will come a day!
ENSEMBLE:
You wonder who
SISTER OWL-GONKWIN-JANE COW-HOON:
I wonder too!
ENSEMBLE:
You used to was
SISTER OWL-GONKWIN-JANE COW-HOON:
Who I was, anyway!
ENSEMBLE:
'N what you do
SISTER OWL-GONKWIN-JANE COW-HOON:
I used to work at the post office!
ENSEMBLE:
You'll scratch your head
SISTER OWL-GONKWIN-JANE COW-HOON:
But I don't wanna un-do my doo!
ENSEMBLE:
'N look around
SISTER OWL-GONKWIN-JANE COW-HOON:
To see what's goin' on!
ENSEMBLE:
But what you lost
SISTER OWL-GONKWIN-JANE COW-HOON:
Can't seem to find it!
ENSEMBLE:
Will not be found
SISTER OWL-GONKWIN-JANE COW-HOON:
A Mercedes Benz!
ENSEMBLE:
Do you know what you are?
SISTER OWL-GONKWIN-JANE COW-HOON:
I know!
ENSEMBLE:
You are what you is
SISTER OWL-GONKWIN-JANE COW-HOON:
I'm the kinda guy...
ENSEMBLE:
You is what you am
SISTER OWL-GONKWIN-JANE COW-HOON:
That ought to be drivin'
ENSEMBLE:
A cow don't make ham
SISTER OWL-GONKWIN-JANE COW-HOON:
A four-fifty SLC...
ENSEMBLE:
You ain't what you're not
SISTER OWL-GONKWIN-JANE COW-HOON:
A big ol' RED ONE!
ENSEMBLE:
So see what you got
SISTER OWL-GONKWIN-JANE COW-HOON:
With some golf clubs stickin' out de trunk!
ENSEMBLE:
You are what you is
SISTER OWL-GONKWIN-JANE COW-HOON:
I'm gwine down to de links on Saturday mornin'!
ENSEMBLE:
An' that's all it is
SISTER OWL-GONKWIN-JANE COW-HOON:
Gimme a five dollar bill!
ENSEMBLE:
YOU ARE WHAT YOU IS
SISTER OWL-GONKWIN-JANE COW-HOON:
And an overcoat too...
ENSEMBLE:
AN' THAT'S ALL IT IS
SISTER OWL-GONKWIN-JANE COW-HOON:
Where's my waitress, yeahhhh!
ENSEMBLE:
YOU ARE WHAT YOU IS
SISTER OWL-GONKWIN-JANE COW-HOON:
Robbie, take me to Greek Town!
ENSEMBLE:
AN' THAT'S ALL IT IS
SISTER OWL-GONKWIN-JANE COW-HOON:
I'm harder than yer husband; Harder than yer husband!
ENSEMBLE:
YOU ARE WHAT YOU IS
SISTER OWL-GONKWIN-JANE COW-HOON:
I'm goin' down to White Street, to the Mudd Club, y'all!
ENSEMBLE:
AN' THAT'S ALL IT IS
SISTER OWL-GONKWIN-JANE COW-HOON:
I'm goin' down 'n work the wall! 'N work the floor
ENSEMBLE:
YOU ARE WHAT YOU IS
SISTER OWL-GONKWIN-JANE COW-HOON:
'N work the pipe, 'N work the wall some more!
ENSEMBLE:
AN' THAT'S ALL IT IS
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Who performs "You Are What You Is (in album Thing-fish)"?
Frank Zappa performs "You Are What You Is (in album Thing-fish)", and this lyric page sits inside the Frank Zappa catalog on LyroVerse.
Are there related songs to explore after "You Are What You Is (in album Thing-fish)"?
Yes. The related section below points to Dong Work For Yuda and St. Alfonzo's Pancake Breakfast with a short reason for opening each page next.
Where can I find more songs by Frank Zappa?
Use the artist link near the top of the page or the related paths section below to keep moving through Frank Zappa's lyric pages.
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