ZZ Top is an American rock band formed in 1969 in Houston, Texas. For 51 ye… Read Full Bio ↴ZZ Top is an American rock band formed in 1969 in Houston, Texas. For 51 years, it was composed of vocalist-guitarist Billy Gibbons, drummer Frank Beard and bassist-vocalist Dusty Hill, until Hill's death in 2021. ZZ Top had developed a signature sound based on Gibbons' blues guitar playing style and Hill and Beard's rhythm section. They are popular for their live performances, sly and humorous lyrics, and the matching appearances of Gibbons and Hill, who wore sunglasses, hats and long beards.

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)

Just Got Paid
ZZ Top Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I just got paid today
Got me a pocket full of change
Said, I just got paid today
Got me a pocket full of change
If you believe like workin' hard all day
Just step in my shoes and take my pay

I was born my papa's son

When I hit the ground I was on the run
I had one glad hand and the other behind
You can have yours, just give me mine
When the hound dog barkin' in the black of the night
Stick my hand in my pocket, everything's all right

I just got paid today
Got me a pocket full of change
Said, black sheep, black, do you got some wool?
Yes, I do, man, my bag is full

It's the root of evil and you know the rest
But it's way ahead of what's second best

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to ZZ Top's song "Just Got Paid" convey a sense of joy and satisfaction about having received payment for one's hard work. The opening lines of the song, "I just got paid today, got me a pocket full of change," immediately set the tone for the rest of the song, which celebrates the rewards of labor. The singer exclaims that if anyone wants to know what it feels like to work hard and get paid, they should step into his shoes and take his pay.

The song's second verse goes back to the singer's roots, saying that he was born the son of his father and hit the ground running. The use of the phrase "glad hand" is interesting here; while it typically means to be friendly to a person's face while secretly harboring negative feelings, in this context, it seems to suggest that the singer is happy with what he has and isn't looking for anymore. He tells the listener they can have what they want, but they should leave him with his own pay.

The final verse sees the singer conversing with a "black sheep," who tells him that yes, it has wool. While many people say that money is the root of all evil, the singer responds with "it's way ahead of what's second best," implying that he disagrees with that statement. The song's upbeat tempo and energetic guitar riffs add to the overall sense of positivity and excitement that the lyrics convey.

Line by Line Meaning

I just got paid today
I have just received my salary

Got me a pocket full of change
I have a lot of money in my pocket

Said, I just got paid today
I am emphasizing that I received my salary today

Got me a pocket full of change
I am reiterating that I have a lot of money

If you believe like workin' hard all day
If you think that hard work is the key to success

Just step in my shoes and take my pay
You can take my job and get paid like me too

I was born my papa's son
I inherited my father's traits

When I hit the ground I was on the run
I started hustling from a young age

I had one glad hand and the other behind
I had to work hard for everything I got

You can have yours, just give me mine
I am content with what I have earned

When the hound dog barkin' in the black of the night
When times get tough