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 (1976–1977), 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)
Degüello (1979)
El Loco (1981)
Eliminator (1983)
Afterburner (1985)
Recycler (1990)
Antenna (1994)
Rhythmeen (1996)
XXX (1999)
Mescalero (2003)
La Futura (2012)
Give It Up
ZZ Top Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I bet Vegas and they took my clothes.
I bet Monte Carlo I was showin' my stuff,
I bet on you baby, now ain't that enough?
You got to give it up,
Give it up baby.
Give it up.
Well there's a few more things you should know about me,
I trained trigger single-handedly.
I invented see-through negligees,
And I bought the flying saucer off the Presley estate.
You got to give it up,
You got to give it up baby.
Give it up.
You got to give it up, baby, tell me where it's at.
I fell in love down in Mexico,
Thunderbird wine's the only way to go.
I been in love ten thousand times,
All you got to do is remember my line.
The lyrics to ZZ Top's "Give It Up" are all about taking risks and living life to the fullest. The singer starts off by talking about his gambling exploits, referencing betting on the Kentucky Derby, Vegas, and Monte Carlo. While he may have lost some bets along the way, he also won big by a nose in the Derby. But even though he's been around the world and seen a lot of things, the singer still finds the most excitement in his relationship. He encourages his partner to give in fully to their passion, singing "You got to give it up, Give it up baby. Give it up." The repeated refrain of "tell me where it's at" emphasizes that the singer wants his partner to be completely transparent and honest about their desires.
As the song progresses, we learn more about the singer's eclectic interests and accomplishments. He brags about training his own horse, inventing see-through lingerie, and even owning a flying saucer once owned by Elvis Presley. But ultimately, he insists that none of these things matter as much as the love he feels for his partner. The final verse brings the focus back to that love and the fun and frivolity that come with it, referencing a wild night of drinking Thunderbird wine in Mexico and all the times he's fallen in love.
Overall, "Give It Up" is a celebration of living life to the fullest and pursuing your passions, whether they involve gambling, inventing, or chasing love. Through it all, the singer emphasizes the importance of being honest and open about your desires and willing to take risks to get what you want.
Line by Line Meaning
I bet the derby and I won by a nose,
I placed a bet on a horse at the racetrack and luck was on my side, I won by a narrow margin.
I bet Vegas and they took my clothes.
I gambled in Las Vegas and ended up losing so much that I had to give up everything, including my clothes.
I bet Monte Carlo I was showin' my stuff,
I had so much confidence that I even wagered on my own abilities to impress others in Monte Carlo.
I bet on you baby, now ain't that enough?
I put my faith in you and our relationship, isn't that sufficient?
You got to give it up,
You need to let go.
Give it up baby.
Let go, my dear.
Give it up.
Relinquish control.
You got to give it up, baby, tell me where it's at.
You need to surrender, my love. Where do you stand?
Well there's a few more things you should know about me,
I have a few more intriguing details that I could share about myself.
I trained trigger single-handedly.
I trained a horse named Trigger all by myself.
I invented see-through negligees,
I came up with the concept of transparent lingerie.
And I bought the flying saucer off the Presley estate.
I acquired Elvis Presley's alleged flying saucer.
I fell in love down in Mexico,
I fell deeply in love during my time in Mexico.
Thunderbird wine's the only way to go.
Thunderbird wine is the best option when you want to get drunk.
I been in love ten thousand times,
I've experienced what it's like to be in love many times.
All you got to do is remember my line.
All you need to do is recall my words, my dear.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: FRANK BEARD, BILLY GIBBONS, DUSTY HILL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@jj9131
I bet the derby and I won by a nose,
I bet Vegas and they took my clothes.
I bet Monte Carlo I was showin' my stuff,
I bet on you baby, now ain't that enough?
You got to give it up,
Give it up baby.
Give it up.
You got to give it up, baby, tell me where it's at.
Well there's a few more things you should know about me,
I trained trigger single-handedly.
I invented see-through negligees,
And I bought the flying saucer off the Presley estate.
You got to give it up,
You got to give it up baby.
Give it up.
You got to give it up, baby, tell me where it's at.
I fell in love down in Mexico,
Thunderbird wine's the only way to go.
I been in love ten thousand times,
All you got to do is remember my line.
@desireetedford8446
RIP Dusty. Gone today but will never be forgotten
@Russ9782
Amen
@aleksey927
Без пеоевода пнятно , незабываемые.
@aaronquijano28
Amen❤
@rnise1961
This is one of the coolest songs ever made. I feel cooler listening to it
@Kot_Rentgen
We`re ALL cool)))))
@randycunningham7318
You are. And the more you listen, the cooler you get. 😎
@ArnostHora-cx1sb
Vynikající rock roll ❤😅😊
@rnise1961
I 1000% agree with you. This song makes me cooler for having listened to it and I've been listening to it for 30 years
@stevenstroud19
Well ya friend, I'm 62 yrs old and still thump the floor and agrivate the nabors with this one. WWG1WGA TRUMP 2Q24