La Grange (song)


"La Grange" is a song by the American rock group ZZ Top, from their 1973 album Tres Hombres. One of ZZ Top's most successful songs, it was released as a single in 1973 and received extensive radio play, rising to No. 41 on the Billboard Hot 100 in June 1974. The song refers to a brothel on the outskirts of La Grange, Texas. The brothel is also the subject of the Broadway play and film The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.
The first time ZZ Top played the song in La Grange, Texas was during the Fayette County Fair on September 5, 2015.
In 2020, the song reentered the Billboard charts following the release of the documentary ZZ Top: That Little Ol' Band from Texas.

Background

The initial groove of the song is based on a traditional boogie blues rhythm used by John Lee Hooker in "Boogie Chillen'" and by Slim Harpo in "Shake Your Hips". A failed lawsuit by the copyright holder of "Boogie Chillen'" resulted in the court ruling that the rhythm was in the public domain. The line "a-how-how-how-how" is quoted from John Lee Hooker's song "Boom Boom".
In March 2005, Q placed "La Grange" at 92nd of the 100 Greatest Guitar Tracks. The song is also ranked No. 74 on Rolling Stone magazine's 100 Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time. Rolling Stone called the song, "...a standard for guitarists to show off their chops."
The single's B-side, "Just Got Paid", is from the band's second album Rio Grande Mud.
The song was produced by Bill Ham.

Chart performance

Chart Peak
position
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Covers

released a country version of the song in 2002 for the album .

Personnel