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)
Pearl Necklace
ZZ Top Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I didn't give her what she likes
I don't know what to tell her
Don't know what to say
Everything got funky last night
She was really bombed
And I was really blown away
And this is what she had to say:
A pearl necklace
She want a pearl necklace
She want a pearl necklace
She gets a charge out of bein' so weird
Digs gettin' downright strange
But I can keep a handle on anything
Just this side of deranged
She was gettin' bombed
And I was gettin' blown away
And she held it in her hand
And this is what she had to say:
A pearl necklace
She want a pearl necklace
She want a pearl necklace
She's so tough, as pure as the driven slush
And that's not jewelry she's talkin' about
It really don't cost that much
She was gettin' bombed
And I was gettin' blown away
And she took it in her hand
And this is what she had to say:
A pearl necklace
She want a pearl necklace
She want a pearl necklace
The ZZ Top song Pearl Necklace speaks about the singer's partner being upset because he didn't give her what she likes. The singer explains that he doesn't know what to say to her because everything got funky the night before. The woman was really drunk, and the singer was blown away until he asked her what she wanted, and she said she wants a pearl necklace. The woman gets a charge out of being weird and getting downright strange. The singer can handle anything she throws at him without becoming deranged. The singer emphasizes that the pearl necklace the woman wants isn't actually jewelry and doesn't cost that much.
Line by Line Meaning
She's really upset with me again
My significant other is angry with me once more.
I didn't give her what she likes
I failed to satisfy her sexual desires.
I don't know what to tell her
I am unsure how to respond to her anger and disappointment.
Don't know what to say
I am at a loss for words to communicate how I feel or what I want.
Everything got funky last night
Things became confusing, awkward, and possibly sexually charged last night.
She was really bombed
She was drunk and possibly impaired in her judgments.
And I was really blown away
I was also intoxicated and unable to think clearly.
Until I asked her what she wanted
I inquired about her sexual desires.
And this is what she had to say:
She disclosed her sexual preference to me.
A pearl necklace
She desires a strand of pearl jewelry around her neck.
She gets a charge out of bein' so weird
She feels a sense of excitement in engaging in taboo or unconventional sexual behavior.
Digs gettin' downright strange
She enjoys engaging in explicit and unconventional sexual acts.
But I can keep a handle on anything
I have the ability to manage any sexual behavior or kink.
Just this side of deranged
My sexual desires are slightly unconventional or taboo.
And she held it in her hand
She held a pearl necklace in her hand.
She's so tough, as pure as the driven slush
She is strong and resilient, but her sexual desires are unconventional.
And that's not jewelry she's talkin' about
She is not referring to actual jewelry, but rather an explicit sexual act.
It really don't cost that much
This sexual act isn't expensive or hard to obtain.
And she took it in her hand
She held the pearl necklace in her hand again.
She want a pearl necklace
She desires to engage in a specific sexual act.
She want a pearl necklace
She desires to engage in a specific sexual act.
She want a pearl necklace
She desires to engage in a specific sexual act.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: FRANK BEARD, BILLY GIBBONS, DUSTY HILL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@davemcdonald9664
RIP Dusty--You will be missed!
@jamesjackson8058
Godspeed Dusty!! Thanks for your bottom ends.. they were always tasty 😋
@jonathansquires3923
Something to be said for these guys..their look but it's more about the way they did it..
@angelacooper8973
Oh I’m a hip hop girl but I never knew y’all Rockers were so dirty🫣😜😜. I’m impressed I tip my hat 🎩 to you
@Ima-Smakya
We invented dirty baby
@CSDHDTMMKAM
Things pick me's say for 400
@Purple_HippieGirl
You're home now. Rest easy, Dusty. Thanks for the kick ass music and memories. 🍻
@crazy4sian
I had no idea ZZ Top were such jewelry enthusiasts! Learn something new every day.
@devinp6690
Lmao
@BradleyJuby
And that’s not jewelry they’re talking about; it really don’t cost that much.