"Muffin Man" is a song recorded live by Frank Zappa

Frank Zappa

Frank Vincent Zappa was an American composer, singer-songwriter, electric guitarist, 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...

. It appears on his 1975 mostly live album Bongo Fury

Bongo Fury

Bongo Fury is a mostly live album released by Frank Zappa and Captain Beefheart in 1975. The live portions were recorded on May 20 & 21, 1975 at the Armadillo World Headquarters in Austin, Texas...

made with Captain Beefheart

Captain Beefheart

Don Van Vliet January 15, 1941 December 17, 2010) was an American musician, singer-songwriter and artist best known by the stage name Captain Beefheart. His musical work was conducted with a rotating ensemble of musicians called The Magic Band, active between 1965 and 1982, with whom he recorded 12...

 (Don Van Vliet). The song begins with studio-recorded spoken word

Spoken word

Spoken word is a form of poetry that often uses alliterated prose or verse and occasionally uses metered verse to express social commentary. Traditionally it is in the first person, is from the poet’s point of view and is themed in current events....

 lyrics delivered by Zappa and is followed by the chorus

Refrain

A refrain is the line or lines that are repeated in music or in verse; the "chorus" of a song...

. Directly after this, a lengthy guitar solo is performed by Frank Zappa and a repeat of the chorus with backing vocals from Captain Beefheart.

The song closes the album, as well as the compilation Strictly Commercial

Strictly Commercial

Strictly Commercial is a compilation album by Frank Zappa. It was released in 1995 , two years after his death.-Side one:#"Peaches en Regalia"#"Don't Eat the Yellow Snow" #"Dancin' Fool"...

, and was also used as a finale in concerts for many years afterwards.

An alternative live version of "Muffin Man" appears on disc one (track 22) of the compilation You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore, Vol. 6

You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore, Vol. 6

You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore, Vol. 6 is the last of six double disc collection volumes of live performances by Frank Zappa recorded between 1970 and 1988. All of the material on Disc one has a sexual theme. It was released on October 23, 1992 under the label Rykodisc.-Disc one:#"The M.O.I...

.

This song also appears on the 2009 album released by the Zappa Family Trust Philly '76, the 2002 album FZ:OZ

FZ:OZ

FZ:OZ is a live album by Frank Zappa, released in 2002 as a two-CD set and is the first release on the Vaulternative Records label from the Zappa Family Trust...

and the 2003 album Halloween.

Frank Zappa's son, Dweezil, along with his Zappa Plays Zappa (ZPZ) band, have featured "Muffin Man" on many concert tours. In 2008 and again in late 2010, they offered video footage of Frank Zappa playing "Muffin Man," along with isolated Frank Zappa guitar parts, so Dweezil and ZPZ accompanied live Frank Zappa and his extended guitar solo.