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)
Got Me Under Pressure
ZZ Top Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But she won't let me use my passion unless it's in a limousine
She got me under pressure,
She got me under pressure
She likes the art museum, she don't like Pavlov's dog
She fun at the mind museum, she likes it in a London fog
She likes cocaine and filppin' out with great Danes
She's about all I can handle, it's too much for my brain
It's got me under pressure
It's got me under pressure
I'm gonna give her a message
Here's what I'm gonna say
"It's all over"
She might get out a nightstick
And hurt me real real bad
By the roadside in a ditch
It's got me under pressure
It's got me under pressure
It's got me under pressure
It's got me under pressure
The lyrics of ZZ Top's "Got Me Under Pressure" describe a man's frustration with his demanding and high-maintenance partner. The woman likes the finer things in life, such as lipstick and French cuisine, but she only wants to engage in romantic activities if they involve luxurious transportation. She's also selective about her interests, enjoying the art museum but not Pavlov's dog. The man feels overwhelmed by her preferences, including her affinity for whips and chains, cocaine, and "flippin' out with great Danes." He confesses that she's more than he can handle and even contemplates ending the relationship. However, he worries that she might physically harm him in retaliation.
The song's lyrics accurately capture the suffocating feeling of being trapped in a toxic relationship with a partner who is always demanding more. The repeated refrain of "She got me under pressure" emphasizes the feeling of being unable to escape or take control of the situation. The woman's interests, particularly her love of whips and chains, suggest a possible BDSM theme, adding an additional layer of complexity to the relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
She likes wearin' lipstick, she likes French cuisine
She enjoys indulging in lavish things like luxury cuisine and makeup, however, she'll only let me satisfy her needs if I can provide it to her in an expensive way like in a limousine.
She got me under pressure, She got me under pressure
She's exerting a great deal of control over me with her high expectations.
She likes the art museum, she don't like Pavlov's dog
She prefers going to places that showcase sophistication and class like art museums, but she doesn't enjoy things that require too much thinking, like the Pavlov theory.
She fun at the mind museum, she likes it in a London fog
She likes exhibits that challenge her mind, such as a mind museum and enjoys the ambiance of foggy London streets.
She don't like other women, she likes whips and chains
She dislikes being in the presence of other women, but she's into BDSM with props such as whips and chains.
She likes cocaine and flippin' out with great Danes
She enjoys doing cocaine and going wild with huge dogs like Great Danes.
She's about all I can handle, it's too much for my brain
She's pushing my boundaries so much that it's becoming overwhelming for me to handle.
I'm gonna give her a message, Here's what I'm gonna say, "It's all over"
I'm planning to tell her that our relationship is over and it's ending now.
She might get out a nightstick, And hurt me real real bad, By the roadside in a ditch
She might react to my message with aggression and use a nightstick to hurt me brutally on the side of the road.
It's got me under pressure, It's got me under pressure
The whole situation is putting me in a tight spot causing me extreme anxiety.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: BILLY GIBBONS, DUSTY HILL, FRANK BEARD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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on future's so bright, i gotta
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