ZZ Top formed after Gibbons' previous band, Moving Sidewalks, disbanded in 1969. Within a year, they signed with London Records and released ZZ Top's First Album in 1971. Subsequent releases, such as Tres Hombres (1973) and Fandango! (1975), and the singles "La Grange" and "Tush", gained extensive radio airplay. By the mid-1970s, ZZ Top had become renowned in North America for their live act, including the Worldwide Texas Tour (1976โ1977), which was a critical and commercial success.
After a hiatus, ZZ Top returned in 1979 with a new musical direction and image, with Gibbons and Hill wearing sunglasses and matching chest-length beards. With the album El Loco (1981), they began to experiment with synthesizers and drum machines. They established a more mainstream sound and rose to international stardom with Eliminator (1983) and Afterburner (1985), which integrated influences from new wave, punk, and dance-rock. The popularity of these albums' music videos, including those for "Gimme All Your Lovin'", "Sharp Dressed Man", and "Legs", gave them mass exposure on television channel MTV and made them prominent artists in 1980s pop culture. The Afterburner tour set records for the highest-attended and highest-grossing concert tour of 1986.
After gaining additional acclaim with the release of their tenth album Recycler (1990), and its accompanying tour, the group's experimentation continued with mixed success on the albums Antenna (1994), Rhythmeen (1996), XXX (1999), and Mescalero (2003). They most recently released La Futura (2012) and Goin' 50 (2019), a compilation album commemorating the band's 50th anniversary. By the time of Hill's death in 2021, ZZ Top had become the longest-running band with an unchanged lineup in the history of popular music. Per Hill's wishes, he was replaced by their longtime guitar tech Elwood Francis on bass.
ZZ Top has released 15 studio albums and sold an estimated 50 million records worldwide. They have won three MTV Video Music Awards, and in 2004, the members were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 2015, Rolling Stone ranked Gibbons the 32nd greatest guitarist of all time. The band members have supported campaigns and charities including Childline, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, and a fundraiser for the Delta Blues Museum.
Studio albums
ZZ Top's First Album (1971)
Rio Grande Mud (1972)
Tres Hombres (1973)
Fandango! (1975)
Tejas (1976)
Degรผello (1979)
El Loco (1981)
Eliminator (1983)
Afterburner (1985)
Recycler (1990)
Antenna (1994)
Rhythmeen (1996)
XXX (1999)
Mescalero (2003)
La Futura (2012)
Brown sugar
ZZ Top Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Man, there's something gonna change your life
My friends, they all told me
Man, there's something gonna change your life
Gotta have that brown sugar
Man it's just gonna change my life
Man, I gotta have that brown sugar
Man, it's just gonna make me feel so right
There's something make me feel good
And it's gonna change my life
There's something make me feel good
And it's gonna change my life
I gotta have some of that Brown Sugar
Gotta try it before I die
Man it sure do save me
When there's no place left for me
Man it sure do save me
When there's no place left for me
Gotta have some of that Brown Sugar
As long as that's gonna set me free
Man, there's something make me feel good
And it's gonna change my life
Man, there's something make me feel good
And it's gonna change my life
I gotta have some of that Brown Sugar
Gotta try it before I die
The lyrics of ZZ Top's Brown Sugar depict an addiction to a particular kind of woman known as Brown Sugar. The singer claims that his friends have been hinting to him about something that will change his life and he believes that getting with Brown Sugar is what that change entails. He is convinced that once he gets a taste of Brown Sugar, his life will never be the same again and it will make him feel so good that he will have to try it before he dies. In his eyes, this woman is his savior, the thing that will set him free when there is no place left for him.
On a deeper level, Brown Sugar can be seen as a metaphor for drugs, alcohol, or any vice that people turn to when they are feeling lost. The song portrays the addictive nature of such substances and how they can become a means of escape for individuals who are struggling to find purpose in their lives. The lyrics suggest that the singer is fully aware of the danger of his addiction, but he cannot resist the allure of Brown Sugar, just like how many people are trapped in their addictions despite knowing the harm it can cause.
Line by Line Meaning
My friends, they all told me
The singer's friends warned him of a life-changing event
Man, there's something gonna change your life
The singer's friends believe in a force that will alter his life
Man, I gotta have that brown sugar
The singer desires a substance called Brown Sugar
Man it's just gonna make me feel so right
The artist believes Brown Sugar will provide a sense of fulfillment
There's something make me feel good
There is a source of pleasure that exists
And it's gonna change my life
This pleasure will have a significant impact on the singer's life
Gotta have some of that Brown Sugar
The singer is willing to try Brown Sugar
Gotta try it before I die
The artist wants to experience Brown Sugar before they die
Man it sure do save me
Brown Sugar has a beneficial impact on the artist's life
When there's no place left for me
Brown Sugar serves as a refuge for the artist in difficult times
As long as that's gonna set me free
The singer believes Brown Sugar liberates him
Lyrics ยฉ BMG Rights Management
Written by: BILLY GIBBONS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Angel Dominguez
R.I.P. Dusty Hill. Fantastic performance here. You will be sorely missed.
John Land
I agree he will be missed rip bro
Mark Morgan
My favort band
Tom Vincent
Just released, RAW
sabrandurango44 sabrandurango44
Didnt know man!sorry rip
Jim Trull
Love how this goes from a blues song to a special kind of ZZ Top rock. Dusty had a unique way of adding the bottom. He will really be missed. He had a special talent.
Carl Vandenberg
Loved how ZZ Top could always blend blues and rock into their own special sound.
Howard Mishne
50 years together and still kicking ass! Love these guys.
MC
Well said โค๏ธ
Maxx Bor
ะะฐัะบะพะปัะบะพ ะถะต ะพะฝะธ ะบัััะต ะผะฝะพะณะธั ัะพะฒัะตะผะตะฝะฝัั ัะพะบะตัะพะฒ! Always in my heart!