Catholic Girls

Album: Joe's Garage (1979)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • It is quite likely Zappa wrote this particular song as a riposte to "Jewish Princess," which the ADL sought to have banned but succeeded only in generating publicity for. If one accepts the unlikely proposition that "Jewish Princess" is anti-Semitic, then "Catholic Girls" should have seen Zappa burned at the stake. It may be that the Church decided to treat it with contempt, or ignore it, or perhaps they genuinely didn't notice.

    Mary's transition on this triple concept album from Catholic girl to crew slut, to the rather sad contestant in a wet T-shirt contest is rapid, so perhaps Zappa was making a social point. Then again, perhaps he was just sticking up two fingers up to the world as he often did. "Catholic Girls" runs to 4 minutes 26 seconds. >>
    Suggestion credit:
    Alexander Baron - London, England

Comments: 2

  • Gerald Fnord from Palos Verdes,ca.The line 'Kinda young, kinda wow!' was taken from a stupid, contemporaneous, television advertisement for a perfume called 'Charlie'.
  • Dan from North Haven, CtI grew up on frank's music and when I went to a catholic high school (class of 85) i was criticized by the head brother/principal/priest for wearing a zappa pin on my jacket (that's right folks, I started that fad in 1980) and he told me zappa was no good cuz he wrote a song about catholic girls going to CYO and were learning to give head there (paraphrasing). I was too much of a green horn to argue with him so I took the button off. If I was older and wiser I would have let him kow that I got my first ****job on a bus on a cyo field trip............thanks frank for all you gave us RIP
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Cheerleaders In Music Videos

Cheerleaders In Music VideosSong Writing

It started with a bouncy MTV classic. Nirvana and MCR made them scary, then Gwen, Avril and Madonna put on the pom poms.

Shaun Morgan of Seether

Shaun Morgan of SeetherSongwriter Interviews

Shaun breaks down the Seether songs, including the one about his brother, the one about Ozzy, and the one that may or may not be about his ex-girlfriend Amy Lee.

Real or Spinal Tap

Real or Spinal TapMusic Quiz

They sang about pink torpedoes and rocking you tonight tonight, but some real lyrics are just as ridiculous. See if you can tell which lyrics are real and which are Spinal Tap in this lyrics quiz.

Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull

Ian Anderson of Jethro TullSongwriter Interviews

The flautist frontman talks about touring with Led Zeppelin, his contribution to "Hotel California", and how he may have done the first MTV Unplugged.

Stan Ridgway

Stan RidgwaySongwriter Interviews

Go beyond the Wall of Voodoo with this cinematic songwriter.

Dar Williams

Dar WilliamsSongwriter Interviews

A popular contemporary folk singer, Williams still remembers the sticky note that changed her life in college.