Pearl Necklace

The Zoo Crew is spinning the sultry riffs of Pearl Necklace by ZZ Top, a track from their 1981 album El Loco, and the Zoo Freaks are surely grooving to its cheeky vibe. This song, known for its double entendre lyrics, hides a naughty meaning behind its title. As confirmed by fan discussions on Songfacts, the "pearl necklace" refers to a sexual act, not jewelry, with lines like "She was gettin' bombed, and I was gettin' blown away" hinting at the innuendo. The band cleverly disguised the mature content, which helped it slip past censors and climb to No. 28 on the Billboard Rock Tracks chart, despite never being released as a single. Fans on Reddit have noted the song’s opening beats resemble The Police’s De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da, sparking debates about whether ZZ Top paid homage or coincidentally echoed the 1980 track. Interestingly, ZZ Top’s frontman Billy Gibbons once explained their knack for edgy lyrics, saying they got away with it because, as he quipped to Songfacts, “There is an advantage to being last in the record bin,” suggesting censors like Tipper Gore ran out of steam before reaching their songs.

Another layer of trivia comes from the song’s production. Produced by Bill Ham and mixed by Terry Manning, Pearl Necklace marked ZZ Top’s early experimentation with synthesizers, a shift from their raw blues-rock roots. This transition, as noted on Wikipedia, was inspired by bands like OMD and set the stage for their synth-heavy 1983 blockbuster Eliminator. Fans on SongMeanings share stories of discovering the song’s true meaning later in life, with one user recalling their mother, a ZZ Top fan, refusing to believe the risqué interpretation. The song’s sly humor and infectious guitar riffs, praised by users like Mark from Tennessee on Songfacts for outshining even The Rolling Stones, make it a staple for the Zoo Crew’s eclectic playlist.

ZZ Top, the “Little Ol’ Band from Texas,” formed in Houston in 1969, blending gritty blues with Texas swagger. Billy Gibbons, the band’s guitarist and vocalist, started in Moving Sidewalks, a psychedelic outfit that opened for The Jimi Hendrix Experience. After that band dissolved, Gibbons linked up with bassist Dusty Hill and drummer Frank Beard, both from American Blues, as detailed on AllMusic. Their debut, ZZ Top’s First Album (1971), released under London Records, showcased their bluesy core, but it was 1973’s Tres Hombres, with the hit La Grange, that catapulted them to fame. Their relentless touring, including the epic Worldwide Texas Tour (1976–77), cemented their reputation for wild live shows, complete with cactus props and live animals, as noted in a 2019 X post about their documentary That Little Ol’ Band From Texas.

By the late 1970s, ZZ Top took a break, returning with iconic chest-length beards and a new deal with Warner Bros.. Albums like Degüello (1979) and El Loco (1981) kept their bluesy edge while flirting with new wave influences, paving the way for their MTV-dominating era with Eliminator. Their commitment to the blues, like crafting the “Muddywood” guitar from Muddy Waters’ shack for the Delta Blues Museum, as mentioned on Cancioneros, underscores their roots. ZZ Top’s official website is www.zztop.com, and you can find them on Facebook, Instagram, and X. Fans connect on sites like DaveGott.com and Facebook groups like the ZZ Top Fan Club, where Zoo Freaks can share their love for the band’s raunchy riffs and Texas charm.