Brown Shoes Don't Make It

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“Brown Shoes Don't Make It”
Song by Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention
Album	Absolutely Free
Genre	Experimental rock
Length	7:30
Composer	Frank Zappa
Absolutely Free track listing
Son of Suzy Creamcheese (13) “Brown Shoes Don't Make It” (14) America Drinks and Goes Home (15)

Brown Shoes Don't Make It is a song from Frank Zappa's 1967 album Absolutely Free. It is one of his most widely renowned works, declared by the All music guide as "Zappa's first real masterpiece"^[1]. It is also considered one of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll. ^[2]

The lyrics start off as a general attack on suburban American society: TV, greed and conformity are all mocked openly in the song. It then shifts in tone, dealing with a city hall official having sex with a thirteen-year-old girl.

The music itself makes several stylistic shifts, covering hard rock, classical, psychedelic rock, music hall and jazz. It is cited by allmusic.com as being a "condensed two-hour musical". The song lasts 7:30 and is the fourteenth track on Absolutely Free.

The title was inspired by an event covered by Time Magazine reporter Hugh Sidey in 1966.^[3] The reporter correctly guessed that something was up when the fastidiously dressed President Lyndon B. Johnson made the fashion faux pas of wearing brown shoes with a gray suit. LBJ flew to Vietnam for a surprise public relations visit later that day.

A live version of this song is featured on the album Tinseltown Rebellion.

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[edit] External links

• Lyrics [1]

v • d • e Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention Main albums Freak Out! • Absolutely Free • We're Only in It for the Money • Lumpy Gravy • Cruising with Ruben & the Jets • Uncle Meat • Hot Rats • Burnt Weeny Sandwich • Weasels Ripped My Flesh • Chunga's Revenge • Fillmore East - June 1971 • 200 Motels • Just Another Band from L.A. • Waka/Jawaka • The Grand Wazoo • Over-Nite Sensation • Apostrophe (') • Roxy & Elsewhere • One Size Fits All • Bongo Fury • Zoot Allures • Zappa in New York • Studio Tan • Sleep Dirt • Sheik Yerbouti • Orchestral Favorites • Joe's Garage • Tinseltown Rebellion • Shut Up 'n Play Yer Guitar • You Are What You Is • Ship Arriving Too Late to Save a Drowning Witch • The Man from Utopia • Baby Snakes • London Symphony Orchestra, Vol. 1 • Boulez Conducts Zappa: The Perfect Stranger • Them or Us • Thing-Fish • Francesco Zappa • Frank Zappa Meets the Mothers of Prevention • Does Humor Belong in Music? • Jazz from Hell • London Symphony Orchestra, Vol. 2 • Guitar • You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore, Vol. 1 • You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore, Vol. 2 • Broadway the Hard Way • You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore, Vol. 3 • The Best Band You Never Heard in Your Life • You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore, Vol. 4 • Make a Jazz Noise Here • You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore, Vol. 5 • You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore, Vol. 6 • Playground Psychotics • Ahead of Their Time • The Yellow Shark Posthumous albums Civilization Phaze III • The Lost Episodes • Läther • Mystery Disc • Everything Is Healing Nicely • FZ:OZ • Halloween • Joe's Corsage • Joe's Domage • Joe's XMASage • Imaginary Diseases • Trance-Fusion • Buffalo • The Dub Room Special • Wazoo Compilations Mothermania • The Guitar World According to Frank Zappa • Strictly Commercial • Frank Zappa Plays the Music of Frank Zappa: A Memorial Tribute • Have I Offended Someone? • Strictly Genteel • QuAUDIOPHILIAc • The Frank Zappa AAAFNRAA Birthday Bundle Box sets The Old Masters Box One • The Old Masters Box Two • The Old Masters Box Three • Beat the Boots • Beat the Boots II • The MOFO Project/Object Films and videos 200 Motels • Baby Snakes • The Dub Room Special • Video from Hell • Does Humor Belong in Music? • The True Story of Frank Zappa's 200 Motels • The Amazing Mr. Bickford • Uncle Meat Related articles Cultural references to Frank Zappa • Frank Zappa discography • The Real Frank Zappa Book • The Rage and the Fury • Dance Me This • Zappa Plays Zappa