"The Chicken Ranch," or Miss Edna's Boarding house in La Grange was probably the oldest establishment in Texas catering the the oldest profession. It was closed down by a zealous TV reporter from Houston, who couldn't find enough vice and corruption to report on in Houston. He challenged the governor on the issue of why it continued to operate in fairly plain sight. The governor had no choice but to order the sheriff to close it. Miss Edna's girls had weekly visits from the local doctors, so they were "clean." The girls spent their money in La Grange and when a new hospital was needed, Miss Edna gave the first and largest donation. The reporter is still on the air crusading against such hideous crimes such as slime in the ice machines of restaurants. Most of the building still stands, only a room was moved to Dallas for a nightclub. A "Ten to get in" was the price. It is doubtful that the Top ever patronized it, if they did it was when they were young, as there was a strict dress codes for patrons. (thanks, gary - La Grange, TX)
The place in this song is the subject of the movie The Best Little Whorehouse In Texas, staring Dolly Parton and Burt Reynolds. It was eventually made into an off-Broadway play. In a 1985 interview with Spin magazine, ZZ Top bass player Dusty Hill explained: "Did you ever see the movie, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas? That's what it's about. I went there when I was 13. A lot of boys in Texas, when it's time to be a guy, went there and had it done. Fathers took their sons there. You couldn't cuss in there. You couldn't drink. It had an air of respectablility. Miss Edna wouldn't stand for no bulls--t. That's the woman that ran the place, and you know she didn't look like Dolly Parton, either. I'll tell you, she was a mean-looking woman. But oil field workers and senators would both be there. The place had been open for over a hundred years, and then this a--hole decides he's going to do an exposé and close it. And he stirred up so much s--t that it had to close. La Grange is a little bitty town, and little towns in Texas are real conservative. But they fought against it. They didn't want it closed, because it was like a landmark. It was on a little ranch outside of town, the Chicken Ranch. Anyway, we wrote this song and put it out, and it was out maybe three months before they closed it. It pissed me off. It was a whorehouse, but anything that lasts a hundred years, there's got to be a reason."
La Grange is a real town in Texas. Coca-Cola had a bottling plant there.
The music is based on a John Lee Hooker song called "Boogie Chillen." Hooker died in 2001 at age 83.
In 1992, Bernard Besman, who owned the copyright to "Boogie Chillen," claimed he had just recently heard the song and sued ZZ Top. After years of litigation, a court ruled that "Boogie Chillen" was in the public domain and ZZ Top was not liable.
Similar song backing can be heard in Canned Heat's Fried Hockey Boogie
La Grange
ZZ Top Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In that Texas town
About that shack outside La Grange
And you know what I'm talkin' about
Just let me know if you wanna go
To that home out on the range
They got a lot of nice girls
A-haw, haw, haw, haw
A-haw, haw, haw, haw
Well, I hear it's fine
If you got the time
And the ten to get yourself in
A-hmm, hmm
And I hear it's tight
Most every night
But now I might be mistaken
Hmm, hmm, hmm
Have mercy
The lyrics to ZZ Top's song "La Grange" tell the story of a notorious brothel located on the outskirts of La Grange, Texas. The first verse sets the scene for the rumors that have spread throughout town about the establishment, implying that everyone knows what goes on inside. The singer then invites his companion to join him if they're interested in visiting the place, mentioning that they have a lot of nice girls to choose from. "Have mercy" is used as an exclamation throughout the song and adds to the sly, seductive tone of the lyrics.
The second verse further describes the establishment as being worth the time and money to get in, hinting at the exclusivity of the club. The line "I hear it's tight most every night" suggests that it's a popular spot with a high demand for their services, but the singer admits that he might be mistaken about some of the details. Overall, the lyrics to "La Grange" are a celebration of the illicit pleasures that could be found in such a place, told in a coy and suggestive manner.
Line by Line Meaning
Rumor spreadin' 'round
There's a rumor going around town
In that Texas town
In the town of La Grange, Texas
About that shack outside La Grange
The rumor is about a rundown building just outside the town
And you know what I'm talkin' about
You know exactly what I mean
Just let me know if you wanna go
If you're interested, tell me
To that home out on the range
It's a place out in the countryside
They got a lot of nice girls
There are many attractive women there
Have mercy
An expression of excitement, like 'wow'
A-haw, haw, haw, haw
An additional expression of excitement
Well, I hear it's fine
I've heard it's great
If you got the time
If you have enough free time
And the ten to get yourself in
And you've got ten dollars for admission
A-hmm, hmm
Another expression of excitement
And I hear it's tight
I've heard it's crowded
Most every night
Almost every night
But now I might be mistaken
Although, I could be wrong
Hmm, hmm, hmm
Yet another expression of excitement
Have mercy
Closing expression of excitement
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Billy Gibbons, Frank Beard, Joe Hill
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
O P Parassni Praveen
on future's so bright, i gotta
Which year was this single released