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)
It's Only Love
ZZ Top Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sweet thang's tryin' to put me out
She gone and found herself another man
She tryin' to let me down as fast as she can
It's only love, it drives me crazy
It's only love pretty baby
Baby, what you tryin' to do
Well after runnin' round a time or two
I found out only the best will do
Well it's your own fault for lettin' her go
So maybe now you'll take it slow
It's only love, it drives me crazy
It's only love pretty baby
Baby, what you tryin' to do
Well, it's all over now but the cryin'
I keep on payin' the price for my lyin'
Don't let it get you down it ain't nothin' new
You ain't the only one that it's happened to
It's only love, it drives me crazy
It's only love pretty baby
Baby, what you tryin' to do
The lyrics of "It's Only Love" by ZZ Top describe a man who is dealing with the aftermath of his love leaving him for someone else. He is trying to come to terms with the fact that the woman he loves has found someone else and is quickly trying to end their relationship. Despite the heartache he feels, he acknowledges that it was his own fault for not treating her better and letting her go. The song implies that although the pain of love lost can be overwhelming, it is ultimately something that we all must go through at some point in our lives.
The chorus "It's only love, it drives me crazy, it's only love pretty baby, baby what you tryin' to do" hints at the confusion we feel when we are in love. It is one of the most intense emotions we can experience, and it can make us act in ways that seem irrational. The verses convey a sense of resignation and acceptance that while love can be wonderful, it can also be painful. The line "It's all over now but the crying" is especially poignant, as it suggests that the singer has accepted that the relationship is over, but he still feels the heartache that comes with losing someone he cared for deeply.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm gonna tell ya what it's all about
I'm going to explain the situation
Sweet thang's tryin' to put me out
My girlfriend is trying to break up with me
She gone and found herself another man
She has found someone else to be with
She tryin' to let me down as fast as she can
She's trying to end our relationship quickly
It's only love, it drives me crazy
My strong feelings for her are causing me to act irrational
It's only love pretty baby
I'm trying to justify my actions with love
Baby, what you tryin' to do
Why are you leaving me?
Well after runnin' round a time or two
After being in a few relationships
I found out only the best will do
I learned that I want someone who is the best fit for me
Well it's your own fault for lettin' her go
You can blame yourself for breaking up with me
So maybe now you'll take it slow
Take your time with your next relationship
Well, it's all over now but the cryin'
Our relationship has ended
I keep on payin' the price for my lyin'
I'm suffering for the mistakes I made
Don't let it get you down it ain't nothin' new
Chin up, this is a common experience
You ain't the only one that it's happened to
You're not alone in this situation
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: FRANK BEARD, BILLY GIBBONS, DUSTY HILL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
dfwdodge
I'm gonna tell ya what it's all about
Sweet thang's tryin' to put me out
She gone and found herself another man
She tryin' to let me down as fast as she can
It's only love, it drives me crazy
It's only love pretty baby
Baby, what you tryin' to do
Well after runnin' round a time or two
I found out only the best will do
Well it's your own fault for lettin' her go
So maybe now you'll take it slow
It's only love, it drives me crazy
It's only love pretty baby
Baby, what you tryin' to do
Well, it's all over now but the cryin'
I keep on payin' the price for my lyin'
Don't let it get you down it ain't nothin' new
You ain't the only one that it's happened to
It's only love, it drives me crazy
It's only love pretty baby
Baby, what you tryin' to do
It's only love, it drives me crazy
Hey, it's only love, it drives me crazy
It's only love, it drives me crazy
It's only love pretty baby
Baby, what you tryin' to do
Norman Scherer
My favorite album they ever recorded. Frank Beard's drumming, especially on the snare, was really good and all the different guitar tones used by Gibbons was just masterful. Plus he played harmonica, fiddle, wrote all the songs, sang most of them, and then brought an ox on stage when they played it live.
Kevin Raabe
Haha priceless
Pat Otmaster
If albums had a playing MVP, Frank Beard wins on this one.
chris clermont
Kinda reminiscent of Roger Hawkins!!
Emcee Sick1
@3:00 = 👌🏽👌🏽👌🏽
pfaessel1
This album was just ear candy!!!
Paul McWilliams
Rest In Peace Dusty Hill! You will be missed by all of your fans all over the World!
Daniel Rosenfeld
My favorite ZZ Top album. Starts off with a bang with this great song. The album sounded great even on a cheap car cassette player in 1977! Love the Top!
Jayne Leake
My favorite zz top album! I was lucky enough to see them live 5 times over the years. Four times in Detroit and once in Toronto. Always a great show!
steven balmer
Man, to me it's like the drums are the lead instrument on this song.
Then bouncing vocals off each other, then singing together with just enough guitar to hold it together.
Oh! And there's a harmonica!
Perfect song.