Songfacts®:

• This song is about a guy who laments that acid rock (The Beatles, The 5th Dimension, and The Mothers of Invention) killed the popularity of country-fried rock 'n' roll singers like Ricky Nelson and Jimmy Burton.
• Howard Stern ridiculed this obscure song on his show because it is sung by rival radio host Don Imus.
• The line, "Waitress, get me a Rueben and the Jets, easy on the acid" is a reference to the album Cruising With Ruben And The Jets by Frank Zappa And The Mothers of Invention. >>

  Suggestion credit:
  Nick - Tampa, FL, for all above

Comments: 8

• Ben from Basingstoke, UkZappa didn't do drugs, not even "acid", didn't allow his band to perform or rehearse while on drugs, actually wrote songs about adverse effects of drug taking. Just saying.
• Durk from VancouverThe title and date are wrong. The song is actually called "The Ballad Of Rick (Don't Call Me Ricky Cause I'm A Veteran) Nelson". It was released as a single in 1971, credited to Imus In The Morning.
• Mike from Matawan, NjJas from Clifton, TX? You do realize what a friggin' hypocritical, ignoramous you are right? Here you just got done saying that that Don Imus has the right to criticize Frank Zappa and then rip me for expressing MY opinion??? Doesn't seem a little incongruous? I NEVER ONCE said Imus doesn't have a right to an opinion, he certainly does. All I'm saying is Zappa was musical genius and Imus is/was an ass. Now that's MY opinion or are you going to say that I don't have a right to it because I'm a 'no one'. This has nothing to do with politics either because believe it or not my politics align with 'The Don'. I'm probably the polar opposite of Zappa's politics. I also love how you try and attack people as 'under educated' when their opinion DARES differ from yours.
• Jas from Clifton, TxIt's amazing to me when I see all the hypocritical BS in the comments sections. I like Imus, I like Frank Zappa, Alice Cooper, KISS, all kinds of people. If Don Imus wants to criticize Zappa, so be it, I think Frank Zappa wouldn't have taken it to the ridiculous level you people have. Zappa was all about free speech. That works both ways, Imus can criticize Zappa, Zappa can criticize Jesus, and he did. Now as for Mike from Matawan, you're just an idiot. You can call Imus a "3rd rate disc jockey," all you want, but then what time does your nationally aired show come on? Better yet, when has anybody outside of your little neighbourhood even heard of you? Now we come to Roman in Canada. You can't say that Imus isn't qualified to criticize Zappa, but assume that you are qualified to criticize Imus. Free speech doesn't mean freedom to only hear what you want to hear. Guys like Imus and Stern own radio, whether you like it or not. Four people commenting on an obscure website doesn't really stack up against millions of listeners. I don't listen to Imus, I don't think he's a bad guy, I just don't listen to talk radio much, but I will gladly defend anyone in terms of their First Ammendment rights in the face of obviously under-educated and under-informed chumps who criticize someone for doing the same thing they're doing.
• Mike from Matawan, NjI hope that the first thing Frank Zappa does when he sees Don Imus in Pergatory, is to punch him in his fat,doughy, alcohol-ravaged face.
  
  Zappa was a musical genius. Imus is a 3rd rate disc jockey....at best. "How's your Donkey-Kong, baby?". Yeah, real friggin' funny Don. Bring back Dr. Billy Saul Hargiss. That at least was mildly amusing.
• Roman from Barrie, OnDon Imus and his notoriety are confined to the immediate coverage of his radio station; he does not play any music and certainly is not qualified to criticise Zappa let alone spin any of Frank's records
• Mark from Byrdstown, TnAcid rock...The Beatles? Huh? You guys dont have lots of great songs or singers in here that I want to look up but yet you blow space on a song by the waste of skin called Don Imus??? What universe am I in ??
• Holly from Nyc, United Stateshehe frank zappa rocks.
  don't eat the yellow snow!

see more comments

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