The Torture Never Stops

Frank Zappa

About The Torture Never Stops

"The Torture Never Stops" is a song by Frank Zappa from the 1976 album Zoot Allures. Other versions appear on Zappa in New York, Thing-Fish, You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore, Vol. 1, You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore, Vol. 4, The Best Band You Never Heard in Your Life, FZ:OZ, Cheap Thrills, Buffalo, Philly '76, and Hammersmith Odeon. Zappa played "The Torture Never Stops" in concert from 1975 to 1978, in 1981 and again in 1988. The song debuted in 1975 as "Why Doesn't Somebody Get Him a Pepsi?" though few of the instrument parts were similar to the album version. Critics have written that while performing the song, Zappa comes off as calm yet passive-aggressive. Michel Delville, in his essay Frank Zappa, Captain Beefheart and the Secret History of Maximalism contrasted the tone of "The Torture Never Stops" with Brian Eno's album Ambient 1: Music for Airports. 


Year:
2009
13:31

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Flies all green and buzzin'
In this dungeon of despair
Prisoners grumblin
Piss they clothes
Scratch their matted hair
A tiny light from a window-hole
Hundred yards away
That all they ever get to know
'Bout the regular life in the day
'Bout the regular life in the day

Slime and rot and rats and snuck
Vomit on the floor
Fifty ugly soldier men
Holdin' spears by the iron door
Stinks so bad, stones are chokin'
Weepin' greenish drops
In the den where
The giant fire puffer works
And the torture never stops
The torture never stops, torture
The torture never stops
The torture never stops

Flies all green and buzzin'
In this dungeon of despair
An evil prince eats a steamin' pig
In a tumbers right near there
In the chambers right near there
He eats de snouts an trotters first!
The loins and the groins are then dispersed
His carvin' style is well rehearsed
He stands and shouts
All men be cursed (4x)
And disagree it, well no one durst
He the best of cause of all the woist
Best of cause of all the woist

He stinks so bad his stones been chokin'
Weepin' greenish drops
In the room with the iron maiden
And the torture never stops, torture
Torture never stops
Torture never stops, torture
Torture never stops

Flies all green and buzzin'
In dungeon of despair
Who are'll those people
That is shut away down there
Are they crazy
Are they sainted
Are they heroes someone painted
Someone painted
Are they -isms
Later ornated
Once they come they have been tainted
Once they come they have been tainted
Never been explained
Since at first it was created
But a dungeon and his kin'
Require naught but lockin' in
Of any anything that's been
Could be a her but it's probly a him
Could be a her but it's probly a him
Its what's the deal were dealin' in
Its what's the deal were dealin' in
An he stinks so bad it's hurt
To the pearl and the piles of blast
Any dungeon have a trailer
Were the torture never stops, torture
Torture never stops
Torture never stops, torture
Torture never stops
Torture never stops, talkin' to you
Torture never stops

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Frank Zappa

Frank Vincent Zappa (December 21, 1940 – December 4, 1993) was an American composer, singer-songwriter, guitarist, recording engineer, record producer and film director. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa wrote rock, jazz, orchestral and musique concrète works. He also directed feature-length films and music videos, and designed album covers. Zappa produced almost all of the more than 60 albums he released with the band The Mothers of Invention and as a solo artist. While in his teens, he acquired a taste for 20th-century classical composers such as Edgard Varèse, Igor Stravinsky, and Anton Webern along with 1950s rhythm and blues music. He began writing classical music in high school, while at the same time playing drums in rhythm and blues bands… more »

5 fans

Written by: Frank Vincent Zappa

Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind


10 facts about this song

Genre Classification
"The Torture Never Stops" is primarily classified under the experimental rock genre. This genre is known for pushing the boundaries of traditional rock music, incorporating various unique instruments and experimental sound techniques.
Album Inclusion
The song is part of Frank Zappa's album titled "Zoot Allures." Released in 1976, the album is Zappa's 22nd official album.
Running Time
The song has a total playtime of 9:45, making it one of the longest songs on the "Zoot Allures" album.
Captain Beefheart Collaboration
Don Van Vliet, famously known as Captain Beefheart, provided the harmonica parts for "The Torture Never Stops." Zappa and Beefheart were high school friends and worked together on multiple projects.
Lyrics Theme
The lyrics to "The Torture Never Stops" are considered quite graphic and depict scenes of pain and suffering. This is a common theme found in a number of Zappa's songs, which often feature a strong satirical tone.
Live Performances
"The Torture Never Stops" became a staple of Zappa's live performances. A notable performance of the song was included on the live album "Zappa in New York" in 1978.
Other Versions
Throughout his career, Zappa recorded multiple versions of "The Torture Never Stops," each with different lyrics and instrumental arrangements. The song was also included in the 1988 live album "The Best Band You Never Heard in Your Life."
Music Video
A conceptual music video for "The Torture Never Stops" was made, featuring creepy imagery of torture and satirical representations of societal harm.
Songwriting
Like most of Zappa's work, "The Torture Never Stops" was composed using a diverse range of musical styles and complex arrangements. The song shows an experimental juxtaposition of blues-inspired harmonica riffs and progressive rock structures.
Reception
While it was not a commercial hit, "The Torture Never Stops" has been critically acclaimed for its instrumental proficiency and powerful imagery, enhancing Zappa's reputation as a musical innovator.

Discuss the The Torture Never Stops Lyrics with the community:

1 Comment
  • minerva_9
    One of the greatest Zappa songs ever made For the aesthetics of guitar work. This was the song along with
    Black napkins were composition that put his guitar playing in the upper stratosphere. They were always trademark solo songs that he would absolutely get down on. Thanks Frank 
    LikeReply7 months ago

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