He started his career as a gospel singer touring Texas with The Spiritual Five in the 1950's but started gigging solo in Dallas in local R&B clubs with the bands of Big Bo Thomas and Frank Shelton. By the mid 60's he was recording soulful rock n roll with an emphasis on bluesy balladry. Z.Z Hill's style is somewhat reminiscent of other southern blues & soul singers like Percy Sledge, Bobby Bland and his biggest influence B.B King, which is supposedly where he got the idea to shorten his name to Z.Z.
He started hitting his commercial stride with early 70's hits including Chokin' Kind, Don't Make Me Pay For His Mistakes, and Faithful and True. While signed to Columbia, "Love Is So Good When You're Stealing It," spent 18 weeks on the Billboard R&B chart in the summer of 1977. Cheatin' In The Next Room was released in early 1982 and broke into the top 20 nationally, spending a total of 20 weeks on the charts.
His song Down Home Blues helped propel a 1982 album of the same name to stay on the Billboard soul album chart for nearly two years. Songs like "Someone Else Is Steppin In" and "Open House" have become R&B/Southern soul standards. During his career his songs were generally produced, arranged and/or provided by other talented writers and R&B legends including Lamont Dozier, Swamp Dogg, Dan Penn, Gary U.S Bonds, Denise LaSalle and Allen Toussaint.
Z. Z Hill's career was cut short when he died suddenly of a heart attack, after a road accident in 1984[ at the age of 48.
I Need Someone
Z.Z. Hill Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Be led down each road I find I just wish I'd seen
The price tag for my heart breaking was it worth all that waiting
When I always knew just how I felt
Yea I'm looking back at the past and I feel regret
Don't wanna walk on the block seeing where we met
Try to forget that you went home with someone else instead
Maybe it's better if I never love never love
And you don't have to lose my trust lose my trust every time
Why am I always getting so attached so attached
When I know that we'll burn and crash burn and crash
Now I wish I could turn you back into someone I never had
You were different from the rest cuz you didn't hide
Imperfections round the edge edge
Bet they don't even love you
Half as much as I want to
You're rattan yea
I'm looking back at the past and I feel regret
Don't wanna walk on the block seeing where we met
Try to forget that you went home with someone else instead
Maybe it's better if I never love never love
So I don't have to open up open up
And you don't have to lose my trust lose my trust every time
Why am I always getting so attached so attached
When I know that we'll burn and crash burn and crash
Now I wish I could turn you back into someone I never had
I can't pretend I don't need ya
I can't pretend I don't love ya
I can't pretend I don't miss your touch
I want you so much
I can't go cry on your shoulder
Feel safe with you when I'm older
Just know I tried to come back for ya
Maybe it's better if I never love never love
So I don't have to open up open up
And you don't have to lose my trust lose my trust
Every time ooh
Never had ooh never had ooh never had ooh
Never had ooh never had ooh never had ooh
The lyrics to Z.Z. Hill's song "I Need Someone" express the singer's feelings of regret and hesitation about love. The singer gets his hopes up every time he meets someone new, but ultimately ends up with a broken heart. He wonders if it's worth it to keep putting himself through the pain and disappointment of love. The lyrics suggest that the singer has been hurt before and is afraid of being hurt again. He wishes he had never become attached to his past love because now he feels regret and misses her touch.
The song's chorus repeats the phrase "Maybe it's better if I never love," emphasizing the singer's reluctance to open himself up to love again. He knows that relationships inevitably end in heartbreak and loss of trust, but he can't help getting attached to people. He recognizes that his past lover had imperfections, but he still loved her more than anyone else could. Despite his reservations about love, the singer can't pretend that he doesn't need or miss his former lover.
Overall, the lyrics to "I Need Someone" convey a sense of ambivalence and uncertainty about love. The singer recognizes the risks and pain involved with loving someone, but he can't stop himself from feeling attached to others. The song highlights the emotional complexity of relationships and the difficulty of finding lasting love.
Line by Line Meaning
I get my hopes up every time and I don't wanna be
I don't want to keep getting my hopes up with relationships that don't work out.
Be led down each road I find I just wish I'd seen
I wish I could see the outcome of relationships before investing any time or emotions into them.
The price tag for my heart breaking was it worth all that waiting
Is the pain of heartbreak worth the waiting and hoping for a relationship to work out?
When I always knew just how I felt
I knew how I felt about the person, but still couldn't prevent the heartbreak.
Yea I'm looking back at the past and I feel regret
I am filled with regret as I look back on past relationships.
Don't wanna walk on the block seeing where we met
I don't want to revisit the place where I met my ex-partner.
Try to forget that you went home with someone else instead
I try to forget the pain of seeing you with someone else instead of me.
Maybe it's better if I never love never love
Perhaps it is better for me to avoid love altogether.
So I don't have to open up open up
So I don't have to be vulnerable to the pain of heartbreak.
And you don't have to lose my trust lose my trust every time
So that you don't have to go through the pain of losing my trust every time a relationship ends.
Why am I always getting so attached so attached
I ask myself why I always get so attached to people and relationships.
When I know that we'll burn and crash burn and crash
I know that the relationship will eventually fail and am setting myself up for heartbreak.
Now I wish I could turn you back into someone I never had
I wish that I could have never met you and avoided the pain of our failed relationship.
You were different from the rest cuz you didn't hide
You were unique because you didn't try to hide your flaws like others did.
Imperfections round the edge edge
Your imperfections made you unique and special.
Bet they don't even love you
I bet that others don't love and appreciate you the way I did.
Half as much as I want to
I realize that I loved you more than others may have loved you.
You're rattan yea
You are unmatched and incomparable to anyone else.
I can't pretend I don't need ya
I can't deny that I still have feelings for you.
I can't pretend I don't love ya
I can't deny that I am still in love with you.
I can't pretend I don't miss your touch
I can't deny that I miss the physical touch of being with you.
I want you so much
I still want to be with you despite the pain of our past relationship.
I can't go cry on your shoulder
I can't go to you for comfort and solace after the pain of our past relationship.
Feel safe with you when I'm older
I once felt safe with you and hoped we would grow old together.
Just know I tried to come back for ya
Despite the pain, I tried to come back and rebuild our relationship.
Never had ooh never had ooh never had ooh
I now wish that I had never met you and avoided the pain of our past relationship.
Lyrics © DistroKid
Written by: Jennifer Zhang
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Henrietta Parks
DOESNT EVERYBODY NEED THAT SPECIAL PERSON IN THEIR LIFE!!! GREAT ZZ 2019!!!
Patricia Brown
Yes indeed
sweet sue
I need more music like this
JR_REAVES1775
my favorite blues artist. Z.Z has so many great ones
Mette Hjorth Lindberg
REAVESWH
Ski Sosa313
REAVESWH Agree!!!!!
falisa mason
Just got introduced to this artist, love it
Helena lavtte rayford
falisa mason you just found real music
DJ Kountry Soul
🔥🔥🔥🔥
Dexter Cooper
The only thing that's missing on this track is the strings and trumpets like the original 45 version. But this one's a nice track too.