Holding The Group Back

Frank Zappa

Guitar vocals

Ian Underwood

Alto saxophone piano

Bunk Gardner

Tenor saxophone clarinet

Motorhead Sherwood

Baritone saxophone tambourine

Roy Estrada

Bass vocals

Don Preston

Electric piano

Arthur Tripp

Drums percussion

Jimmy Carl Black

Drums

Members of The BBC Symphony Orchestra

Just a few weeks before this show the Pope had announced a ban on birth control pills

In spite of the persistent rumors that the Vatican had major financial holdings in a Swiss company that manufactured the little devils

To commemorate this Roy Estrada strides on stage wearing a floor length chain mail dress with enormous aluminum tits and an ornate Catholic ceremonial head dress He is carrying a childs plastic sand bucket filled with SMARTYS

The British equivalent of M&Ms

The inscription on the bucket reads NO MORE UGLY BABIES While chanting in Latin he hurls fistfuls of candy into the audience in lieu of birth control pills

He approaches Ian in his robotically transformed state and begs for an audition as an opera singer with Ians new group claiming that he has to leave The Mothers he's holding the group back because he's a Mexican

He actually used to think this was true and told me so on several occasions

FZ：

Then from out of the corner from the stage comes Roy Ralph Estrada perturbed at the present situation within the Mothers

Roy Estrada：

Domino Domino Vo bisqu u u um

Domino Vo bisqu u u um

Amen

Domino Vo bisqum

Hallelujah

Et cum spiritu tuo

Ian I don't think I qualify for the Mothers

FZ：

They're making up their lines as they go along isn't it thrilling

Ian：

Why Roy

Roy：

Because I don't think I'm qualified I think I'm holding the group back because I'm a Mexican and also because I don't play bass good

Ian：

I don't care how you can play bass but we have no Mexicans in this group

Roy：

And I wanna join your group

Ian：

No Mexicans

Roy：

I can sing opera I cut my hair I got all my s**t together here I can do it

Ian：

I don't care how you look you gotta be able to cut the part

Roy：

I can sing please please give me a chance

Ian：

I don't believe you can sing

Roy：

Please please hear my plea please Ian please I can do it give me a chance Please please Oh oh oh please

Ian：

Okay mexican okay Mexican sing this note

Roy：

You think everything is gonna be alright

Ian：

Okay you passed the first part of the audition now you gotta sing Roy：

Mi mi mi mi mi