THE STORY OF A SONG: ZZ Top - La Grange

ZZ Top's song "La Grange" was first released on their 1973 album Tres Hombres, celebrating a real-life brothel called The Chicken Ranch. The song, which has racked up 170 million YouTube views, was performed by Billy Gibbons. The Chicken Ranch, which was open from 1905 to 1973, was the subject of a book called "The Best Little Whorehouse In Texas" and a film. Gibbons admits to visiting the establishment, which was a rite of passage for young nuns. During the Great Depression, claiming house favors by bringing a real chicken earned the place its nickname.

ZZ Top's drummer, Gibbons, acknowledges that "La Grange", a legendary blues song, is a part of their tradition. Gibbons doesn’t attempt to deny that La Grange’s opening riff owes a debt to Boogie Chillen, an iconic blues song recorded by John Lee Hooker in 1948.

The shuffle to "La Grange" has been played at every ZZ Top show since 1973, and Gibbons admits that the song's roots can be traced back to country, hillbilly, and gospel music. He also acknowledges that Kid Rock's song Son Of Detroit was modeled on "La Grange", and that James Harman played a track from the late 1940s that served as a blueprint for the famous boogie shuffle.

The song "La Grange" was covered by Hank Williams Jr. for his 1983 album Strong Stiff. The band's producer and manager, Bill Ham, bassist Dusty Hill, and drummer Frank Beard, had no real idea of the track's importance. The lyric was inspired by a book by UK author Dave Marsh, which highlighted the song's non-rhyming ending.

The song reached No.41 in the US when released as a single in 1973, but its popularity helped bring ZZ Top gold albums in the USA and Canada for the first time. The song's true value has been learned through live performances.