"Ship Arriving Too Late to Save a Drowning Witch" is the 20th studio album by American musician Frank Zappa, released on May 3, 1982. The album is predominantly made up of rock and comedy rock, but also incorporates elements of heavy metal and art rock. Its cover is notable for its distinctive artwork, which was adapted by Zappa from a drawing by his 14-year-old daughter, future cartoonist Dweezil Zappa.
The album includes only six tracks. The most famous of these is "Valley Girl," recorded with Moon Unit Zappa, Zappa's eldest daughter. "Valley Girl" is a social satire of the vapid speech and pretentious, materialistic lifestyle attributed to Southern California's San Fernando Valley, mocking the dialect and slang of the time. The song stood out for its lyrics and new wave style, which led to its success, peaking at number 32 on the Billboard charts, becoming a surprise hit.
Overall, the album is a mix of dense rock passages and silly humor that is quintessentially Zappa. Despite the album's brevity, it encompasses a wide range of music styles, lyrics that possess both intriguing wit and scathing sarcasm, and is a sharp, radically original, and largely unprecedented representation of the unique artistry of Frank Zappa.
