“Wonderful Wino” was written by “La Marr Bruister” for Jeff Simmons, “La Marr Bruister” in reality being a pseudonym for Simmons' former Mothers of Invention band mate Frank Zappa.
Zappa would later go on to record a version of this song that would appear on his 1976 album Zoot Allures.
L.A. in the summer of '69
I went downtown and bought some wine
Wasted my head on three quarts of juice
And now the grapes won't turn me loose
I'm a wino man
Don't you know I am?
36, 24, hips about 30
I seen a fine lady and I start talkin' dirty
She looked at me and raised her thumb
And said: "Jam down the road, you funky-ass bum"
I'm a wino man
Don't you know I am?
I, I went to the country
And while I was gone
A roller-headed lady
Caught me weedling on her lawn
I'm so ashamed, but I'm a wino man
I can't help myself
HELP ME SOMEBODY!
My saxophone playing
And my wino career are in a slump
'Cause I find myself now living
In a cardboard refrigerator box down by the Houston dump
And I'm so ashamed
I've been drinkin' all night and my eyes are all in red
Crashed in the gutter and bugs in my head
Bugs in my clothes, been scratchin' like a dog
I can't stand water, and I stink like a hog
Give me fi-i-ive bucks and a hot meal
Give me FIVE bucks and a hot meal
Oh, maybe an overcoat or two
Wonderful Wino was written by Frank Zappa & Jeff Simmons.
Wonderful Wino was produced by Chris Huston & Frank Zappa.
Jeff Simmons released Wonderful Wino on Sun Feb 09 1969.