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Cosmik Debris Lyrics

Artist: Frank Zappa
Album: Apostrophe

Jim Gordon (drums)
John Guerin (drums)
Aynsley Dunbar (drums)
Ralph Humphrey (drums)
Jack Bruce (bass)
Erroneous (bass)
Tom Fowler (bass)
Frank Zappa (bass, lead vocals, guitar)
George Duke (keyboards, background vocals)
Don "Sugar Cane" Harris (violin)
Jean-Luc Ponty (violin)
Ruth Underwood (percussion)
Ian Underwood (saxophone)
Napoleon Murphy Brock (saxophone, background vocals)
Sal Marquez (trumpet)
Bruce Fowler (trombone)
Ray Collins (background vocals)
Kerry McNabb (background vocals)
Susie Glower (background vocals)
Debbie (background vocals)
Lynn (background vocals)
Ruben Ladron De Guevara (background vocals)
Robert Camarena (background vocals)

The mystery man came over
And he said "I'm outta sight!"
He said for a nominal service charge
I could reach nirvana tonight
If I was ready, willing and able
To pay him his regular fee
He would drop all the rest of
His pressing affairs and devote
His attention to me

But I said "Look here brother
who you jiving with that cosmik debris?
Now who you jiving with that cosmik debris?
Look here brother, don't waste your time on me"

The mystery man got nervous
And he fidget around a bit
He reached in the pocket of his mystery robe
And he whipped out a shaving kit
Now I thought it was a razor
And a can of foaming goo
But he told me right then when the top popped open
There was nothin' his box won't do
With the oil of Aphrodite, and the dust of the Grand Wazoo
He said "You might not believe this, little fella
But it'll cure your asthma too"

And I said "Look here brother
Who you jiving with that cosmik debris?
Now what kind of a guru are you, anyway?
Look here brother, don't waste your time on me"
(Don't waste your time)

"I've got troubles of my own", I said
"And you can't help me out
So, take your meditations and your preparations
And ram it up your snout!"
"But I got the crystal ball", he said
And held it to the ligh
So I snatched it, all away from him
And I showed him how to do it right

I wrapped a newspaper 'round my head
So I looked like I was deep
I said some mumbo-jumbo, then
I told him he was going to sleep
I robbed his rings and pocketwatch
And everything else I found
I had that sucker hypnotized
He couldn't even make a sound
I proceeded to tell him his future, then
As long as he was hanging around
I said "The price of meat has just gone up
And your old lady has just gone down!"

And I said "Look here brother-who you
Jiving with that cosmik debris?
Now is that a real poncho or is that a Sears poncho?
Don't you know, you could make more money as a butcher?
So, don't waste your time on me"
Don't waste it, don't waste your time on me
(Shanti)

Comments/Interpretations

by Seaumas on 3/28/2012 12:07am
this, to me, is Zappa's funniest and best 'slice o' life' song. And its not DaDa. I don't know who did it first, but Stevie Wonder did his "Mr. Know It All" about pretty much the same thing- or same person(?) I do know that Aynsley Dunbar did that fine drum time and Jack Bruce did the bouncy bass. They had played together before. It might have been a hit, but it was only aired on AOR stations like WBCN-FM.