☝️ Key Points
- The song lyrics tell the humorous and absurd story of a man who plans to move to Montana to operate a dental floss farm
- The protagonist also describes how he could raise bees to use the wax in the dental floss, and mentions riding the border with a pair of heavy, zircon-encrusted tweezers
- The text seems to be a parody of the American dream and plays with the idea of freedom and independence in the context of the American West
- It is a commentary on consumer culture, as it turns something as mundane as dental floss into something that can be harvested and sold
- The text displays confidence and self-reflection by acknowledging that his plan to grow dental floss may seem silly, but he explains that he doesn't care what other people think
Interpretation
The lyrics to 'Montana' by
Frank Zappa are an absurd and humorous text that tells the story of a man who plans to move to Montana to run a dental floss farm. The protagonist dreams of being his own boss and growing his 'lonely dental floss'.
It is also mentioned that he could raise bees, but he would leave the honey for someone else and instead use the wax for his dental floss. The absurdity of the song continues when he talks about riding a small horse and riding along the border with a pair of heavy, zircon-encrusted tweezers.
The lyrics seem to be a parody of the American dream of going your own way and being successful, regardless of how ridiculous or unrealistic the endeavor may be. Zappa also plays with the idea of freedom and independence in the context of the American West, using the imagery of cowboys and the open prairie, but in an absurd, comedic context. It is also a kind of commentary on consumer culture by turning something as everyday and mundane as dental floss into something that can be harvested and sold.
The text also contains a sense of self-confidence and self-reflection when he points out that people might think his plan to grow dental floss is silly, but he explains that he doesn't care what people think. This could be interpreted as a message to follow your own path, regardless of others' opinions.