Provided to YouTube by Universal Music GroupDumb All Over · Frank ZappaYou Are What You Is℗ 1981 Zappa Family Trust, Under exclusive license to Universal Mus...
Larry says it is all ok, Larry says this is the way
Whoever we are
Wherever we’re from
We shoulda noticed by now
Our behavior is dumb
And if our chances
Expect to improve
It’s gonna take a lot more
Than tryin’ to remove
The other race
Or the other whatever
From the face
Of the planet altogether
They call it the earth
Which is a dumb kinda name
But they named it right
'Cause we behave the same…
We are dumb all over
Dumb all over,
Yes we are
Dumb all over,
Near 'n far
Dumb all over,
Black 'n white
People, we is not wrapped tight
Nurds on the left
Nurds on the right
Religous fanatics
On the air every night
Sayin’ the bible
Tells the story
Makes the details
Sound real gory
'Bout what to do
If the geeks over there
Don’t believe in the book
We got over here
You can’t run a race
Without no feet
'N pretty soon
There won’t be no street
For dummies to jog on
Or doggies to dog on
Religous fanatics
Can make it be all gone
(I mean it won’t blow up
'N disappear
It’ll just look ugly
For a thousand years…)
You can’t run a country
By a book of religion
Not by a heap
Or a lump or a smidgeon
Of foolish rules
Of ancient date
Designed to make
You all feel great
While you fold, spindle
And mutilate
Those unbelievers
From a neighboring state
To arms! to arms!
Hooray! that’s great
Two legs ain’t bad
Unless there’s a crate
They ship the parts
To mama in
For souvenirs: two ears (get down!)
Not his, not hers, (but what the hey?)
The good book says:
(“it gotta be that way!”)
But their book says:
“Revenge the crusades…
With whips 'n chains
'N hand grenades…”
Two arms? two arms?
Have another and another
Our God says:
“There ain’t no other!”
Our God says
“It’s all okay!”
Our God says
“This is the way!”
It says in the book:
"Burn 'n destroy…
'N repent, 'n redeem
'N revenge, 'n deploy
'N rumble thee forth
To the land of the unbelieving scum on the other side
'Cause they don’t go for what’s in the book
'N that makes 'em bad
So verily we must choppeth them up
And stompeth them down
Or rent a nice french bomb
To poof them out of existance
While leaving their real estate just where we need it
To use again
For temples in which to praise our god
(“cause he can really take care of business!”)
And when his humble tv servant
With humble white hair
And humble glasses
And a nice brown suit
And maybe a blond wife who takes phone calls
Tells us our God says
It’s okay to do this stuff
Then we gotta do it,
‘Cause if we don’t do it,
We ain’t gwine up to hebbin!
(Depending on which book you’re using at the
Time… can’t use theirs… it don’t work
…it’s all lies… gotta use mine…)
Ain’t that right?
That’s what they say
Every night…
Every day…
Hey, we can’t really be dumb
If we’re just following god’s orders
Hey, let’s get serious…
God knows what he’s doin’
He wrote this book here
An’ the book says:
He made us all to be just like him,"
So…
If we’re dumb…
Then God is dumb…
(An’ maybe even a little ugly on the side)
I had Zappa on cassette on my walkman cycling to school in '85 on repeat…Sheik Yerbouti, other side Tinseltown Rebellion. Yo mama, Flakes and Wild Love, Easy Meat, Blue Light, Pick me i’m clean. To me it did have a big impact on composing music myself.
I have seen him live in Rotterdam , Broadway the hard way.
I never had the chance to see him, and glad that you did. This particular song stood out to me on an album of mostly great songs (I never cared for the conehead song) as outrageous in the best way, an indictment of humanity. Years later I see no flaw in the critique unfortunately.
Whoever we are Wherever we’re from We shoulda noticed by now Our behavior is dumb And if our chances Expect to improve It’s gonna take a lot more Than tryin’ to remove The other race Or the other whatever From the face Of the planet altogether
They call it the earth Which is a dumb kinda name But they named it right 'Cause we behave the same… We are dumb all over Dumb all over, Yes we are Dumb all over, Near 'n far Dumb all over, Black 'n white People, we is not wrapped tight
Nurds on the left Nurds on the right Religous fanatics On the air every night Sayin’ the bible Tells the story Makes the details Sound real gory 'Bout what to do If the geeks over there Don’t believe in the book We got over here
You can’t run a race Without no feet 'N pretty soon There won’t be no street For dummies to jog on Or doggies to dog on Religous fanatics Can make it be all gone (I mean it won’t blow up 'N disappear It’ll just look ugly For a thousand years…)
You can’t run a country By a book of religion Not by a heap Or a lump or a smidgeon Of foolish rules Of ancient date Designed to make You all feel great While you fold, spindle And mutilate Those unbelievers From a neighboring state
To arms! to arms! Hooray! that’s great Two legs ain’t bad Unless there’s a crate They ship the parts To mama in For souvenirs: two ears (get down!) Not his, not hers, (but what the hey?) The good book says: (“it gotta be that way!”) But their book says: “Revenge the crusades… With whips 'n chains 'N hand grenades…” Two arms? two arms? Have another and another Our God says: “There ain’t no other!” Our God says “It’s all okay!” Our God says “This is the way!”
It says in the book: "Burn 'n destroy… 'N repent, 'n redeem 'N revenge, 'n deploy 'N rumble thee forth To the land of the unbelieving scum on the other side 'Cause they don’t go for what’s in the book 'N that makes 'em bad So verily we must choppeth them up And stompeth them down Or rent a nice french bomb To poof them out of existance While leaving their real estate just where we need it To use again For temples in which to praise our god (“cause he can really take care of business!”)
And when his humble tv servant With humble white hair And humble glasses And a nice brown suit And maybe a blond wife who takes phone calls Tells us our God says It’s okay to do this stuff Then we gotta do it, ‘Cause if we don’t do it, We ain’t gwine up to hebbin! (Depending on which book you’re using at the Time… can’t use theirs… it don’t work …it’s all lies… gotta use mine…) Ain’t that right? That’s what they say Every night… Every day… Hey, we can’t really be dumb If we’re just following god’s orders Hey, let’s get serious… God knows what he’s doin’ He wrote this book here An’ the book says: He made us all to be just like him," So… If we’re dumb… Then God is dumb… (An’ maybe even a little ugly on the side)
I had Zappa on cassette on my walkman cycling to school in '85 on repeat…Sheik Yerbouti, other side Tinseltown Rebellion. Yo mama, Flakes and Wild Love, Easy Meat, Blue Light, Pick me i’m clean. To me it did have a big impact on composing music myself.
I have seen him live in Rotterdam , Broadway the hard way.
I never had the chance to see him, and glad that you did. This particular song stood out to me on an album of mostly great songs (I never cared for the conehead song) as outrageous in the best way, an indictment of humanity. Years later I see no flaw in the critique unfortunately.