Wet T-Shirt Nite

Album: Joe's Garage (1979)
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Songfacts®:

  • This song was retitled "Fembot In A Wet T-Shirt" when it was released on CD; another track from Frank Zappa's offbeat three-volume rock opera Joe's Garage, it can be enjoyed as part of the same, or simply as a fun track in its own right. During Act I, Catholic girl turned groupie Mary enters a wet T-shirt contest after being abandoned by the band, which is where we are now. While Ike Willis sings, Zappa plays, and along with former Playboy Bunny Dale Bozzio, does the compere's voice-over to a young but already world weary Mary. Groupie is probably not quite the right word for Mary; Zappa refers to her as a crew slut, the title of the fourth track on side one, but it seems unnecessarily cruel to use this phrase. In 1984, Zappa appeared on a TV show with his eldest daughter, where it was clear he had been extremely protective of her, even if he did give her the lunatic name Moon Unit, so it remains to be seen how seriously his so blatant misogyny is to be taken.
  • This song is full of humour and although not as extreme as some of Mr Zappa's innuendoes is probably not suitable for either young children or your local vicar. Running to 4 minutes 45 seconds, it segues into the instrumental "Toad-O-Line". >>
    Suggestion credit:
    Alexander Baron - London, England, for above 2

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