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.
Three Into Two Won't Go
Z.Z. Hill Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I′m tired of meeting you in secret places
Three or four times a week
Tired of being introduced as your cousin
To your suspicious friends that we sometimes
Meet
Feeling guilty and ashamed
Tired of checking into cheap motel rooms
Under false and fictitious names
I don′t have to be a scholar
Or have a Master degree
I don't have a diploma or a PhD
But there's one thing I know and baby that′s
Three into two won′t go
Three into two won't go
I drive by your house late at night
Just to see if your old man′s car's at home
I′m tired of calling and hanging up, baby
When a man answer the telephone
(I believe you know what I'm talking about)
Tired of watching the clock while
We′re gettin' it on (Gettin' it on)
Half doing my job so we
Can beat him back home
One more thing, baby, that′s on my mind
You′re carrying a babyIs it his or mine?
I know I'm gonna miss
(I know I′m gonna miss)
What I never really had
But too much of a good thing can also be bad
And there's one thing I know, baby
And that′s three into two won't go
Three into two won′t go
Baby! (Three into two won't go)
Somebody's gonna get hurt!
(Three into two won′t go)
As much as I love and wanna be with you
I got to quit you (Three into two won′t go)
Won't go (Three into two won′t go)
I'm here to tell you that
Three into two won′t go
(Three into two won't go)
Won't go (Three into two won′t go)
Won't go, baby
The lyrics of Z.Z. Hill's "Three Into Two Won't Go" delve into a tumultuous relationship filled with secrets, guilt, and conflicting emotions. The singer is weary of the clandestine nature of their meetings, being introduced as a mere cousin to the singer's suspicious friends, and the constant need for secrecy in their interactions. This sense of weariness is emphasized by the repetition of the word "tired" throughout the song, highlighting the emotional strain of the situation.
The singer expresses feelings of shame and guilt upon waking up in the morning, hinting at the moral dilemma of engaging in an affair. The use of cheap motel rooms and false names underscores the deceptive nature of their relationship, adding a layer of deceit and clandestine behavior. Despite lacking formal education or credentials, the singer asserts their awareness of a fundamental truth - that three individuals cannot fit into a relationship designed for two.
The lyrics also touch upon themes of jealousy and suspicion, as the singer drives by the partner's house late at night to check for signs of the partner's spouse. The frustration of calling and encountering another man on the phone further adds to the complex dynamics of the love triangle. The singer grapples with the urgency of their encounters, rushing through intimate moments to avoid being discovered and confronted by the partner's significant other.
The poignant question of parentage arises as the singer wonders whether the impending baby belongs to them or the partner's spouse, adding another layer of uncertainty and emotional turmoil to the already strained affair. The realization that they must walk away from the relationship, despite their love and desire to be with the partner, culminates in the repeated assertion that "three into two won't go." The song ultimately serves as a poignant reflection on the impossibility of sustaining a relationship built on deception and infidelity, regardless of the depth of emotions involved.
Line by Line Meaning
Lord, have mercy
A plea for divine help or intervention in a difficult situation
I′m tired of meeting you in secret places
I am weary of having to keep our meetings hidden and away from public eye
Three or four times a week
Meeting frequent enough to be suspicious
Tired of being introduced as your cousin
Exhausted of the deception of being introduced as a relative instead of a lover
To your suspicious friends that we sometimes meet
Meeting friends who may question the true nature of our relationship
I'm tired of waking up in the morning, baby
Fatigued from starting each day with guilt and shame
Feeling guilty and ashamed
Experiencing remorse and embarrassment
Tired of checking into cheap motel rooms
Worn out from always staying in budget accommodations to hide our affair
Under false and fictitious names
Using aliases to conceal our true identities
I drive by your house late at night
Passing by your residence after dark to check for your husband's presence
Just to see if your old man's car's at home
Inquiring about your spouse's whereabouts through his vehicle
I'm tired of calling and hanging up, baby
Exhausted from dialing your number only to hang up when a man answers
When a man answer the telephone
When another male responds to the phone call
Tired of watching the clock while
Weary of keeping track of time while engaging in intimate activities
We're gettin' it on (Gettin' it on)
Engaging in sexual relations
Half doing my job so we
Only partially focused on the task at hand to ensure we finish before he returns
Can beat him back home
Trying to outpace your husband's return
One more thing, baby, that's on my mind
Another concern that is troubling me
You're carrying a babyIs it his or mine?
Questioning the paternity of the unborn child
I know I'm gonna miss
Anticipating the loss of something
What I never really had
Realizing that what was thought to be mine was never truly mine
But too much of a good thing can also be bad
Acknowledging that an excess of a pleasurable situation can lead to negative consequences
Baby! Somebody's gonna get hurt!
A warning that someone will end up getting emotionally or physically injured
As much as I love and wanna be with you
Despite my affection and desire to be with you
I got to quit you
I must end our relationship
Won't go, baby
Our current arrangement is not sustainable
I'm here to tell you that Three into two won't go
Expressing that a trio cannot be halved into a pair
Won't go
Cannot proceed
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
%Michelle Holmes
my mom has me listening to this music! ,bless her heart she had good taste in music RIP MOM &ZZ
T U
%Michelle Holmes Amen 🙏🏾
Lynette Gaston
ZZ Hills music will always be the shit
Michelle Holmes
I agree
Dimitri Jackson
These bums will never know!!!!
Stacy Williams
I love this omg so much I was born in 1973 but my mom god bless her soul she had me learn this song every time I hear this song I cry because I think of her. I was 17 when she passed away ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️😘😘😘😘💯💯💯💯💯
Tommy Welch
Me. To. I. Love. That son. If. You. To. Let me know Ok
Charlie Washington
😘
James Z. Williams
I was riding in my grandpa old cutlass the other day and he popped in this cassette and I've been hooked since.
travis roberson
ant nothing like that old school blues you can learn a lot about stuff