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)
Ten Dollar Man
ZZ Top Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Comin' 'round here after sunlight
With your peaches and your Pream
And your rollin' magazine,
Tellin' me you'll make me feel alright.
Now, you'll make me feel alright
Mister Ten Dollar Man with a girl by the hand,
With his slaver's finance
He winked; Said, "Take a chance."
Don't you know, it happens every day.
I said it happens every day.
Mister Ten Dollar Man with that gun in your hand,
Can I get a case of those tonight?
And now you've got the order;
I said it's time to slip the border
Don't you know it happens every day
I said it happens every day
The song Ten Dollar Man by ZZ Top depicts a manipulative, wealthy man who seems to have the power to influence and control others around him. The lyrics talk about this man coming around after the daylight holding gold in his hand, offering peaches and a rolling magazine, promising to make the singer feel alright. The title of the song itself sets the tone for the entire piece since it portrays a man who has money to spend as his tool for getting what he wants. The lyrics suggest that this man's character is dishonest, and everything he promises will likely not happen, as the singer has heard it all before.
The second verse starts with the same "Mister Ten Dollar Man" phrase, but this time he's with a girl, whom he's offering money to take her away. The man seems like a slave trader, with his "slaver's finance" that he winks about and asks the girl to "take a chance." He's quite evidently a man with no morals, doing whatever it takes to get what he desires. The third verse mentions the man carrying a gun, and he's now being asked to smuggle something across the border. The singer understands that it's something that happens every day, and the man is probably getting paid to do it. The overall theme of this song suggests how money is sometimes used as an instrument to control and manipulate others for selfish reasons.
Line by Line Meaning
Mister Ten Dollar Man with that gold in your hand,
Addressing a wealthy person who has a gold in hand,
Comin' 'round here after sunlight
Visiting after the usual hours of the day have passed
With your peaches and your Pream
Bringing peaches and a brand of dairy creamer called Pream
And your rollin' magazine,
Carrying a rolling magazine
Tellin' me you'll make me feel alright.
Promising to make the artist feel good
Now, you'll make me feel alright
Repeating the promise of making the singer feel good
Mister Ten Dollar Man with a girl by the hand,
Addressing a wealthy man holding a girl's hand
Will this ten-spot take her away?
Asking if the man's $10 bill is meant to buy the girl's company or affection
With his slaver's finance
Describing the man's wealth as a means of enslavement or control over others
He winked; Said, "Take a chance."
Encouraging the artist to take a risk or gamble
Don't you know, it happens every day.
Asserting that such exchanges of money for goods or services happen frequently
I said it happens every day.
Repeating the assertion for emphasis
Mister Ten Dollar Man with that gun in your hand,
Addressing a wealthy man who is holding a gun
Can I get a case of those tonight?
Asking if the man can provide a supply of guns or ammunition
And now you've got the order;
Confirming that the man has received the request for guns or ammunition
I said it's time to slip the border
Suggesting that it's time to cross a border, perhaps to smuggle goods or evade the law
Don't you know it happens every day
Repeating the assertion that such questionable activities occur often
I said it happens every day
Repeating the previous line for emphasis
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: BILLY GIBBONS, DUSTY HILL, FRANK BEARD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
johnny zell
Mister Ten Dollar Man with that gold in your hand,
Comin' 'round here after sunlight
With your peaches and your Pream
And your rollin' magazine,
Tellin' me you'll make me feel alright.
Now, you'll make me feel alright
Mister Ten Dollar Man with a girl by the hand,
Will this ten-spot take her away?
With his slaver's finance
He winked; Said, "Take a chance."
Don't you know, it happens every day.
I said it happens every day.
Mister Ten Dollar Man with that gun in your hand,
Can I get a case of those tonight?
And now you've got the order;
I said it's time to slip the border
Don't you know it happens every day
I said it happens every day
G Moore
Mister Ten Dollar Man with that gold in your hand,
Comin' 'round here after sunlight
With your peaches and your Pream
And your rollin' magazine,
Tellin' me you'll make me feel alright.
Now, you'll make me feel alright
Mister Ten Dollar Man with a girl by the hand,
Will this ten-spot take her away?
With his slaver's finance
He winked; Said, "Take a chance."
Don't you know, it happens ev'ry day.
I said it happens ev'ry day.
Mister Ten Dollar Man with that gun in your hand,
Can I get a case of those tonight?
And now you've got the order;
I said it's time to slip the border
Don't you know it happens every day
I said it happens every day
John Smith
Tejas is such a good album, really under rated, and this song is excellent - so much groove and soul and feel. Just brilliant.
Lionstanding II
There was a Man who played Bass from The Great State of Texas who was Badder than Shaft, Superfly, Kung Fu and James Bond all rolled together....RIP, Dusty Hill......
Dan McGuire
Straight up.
Jack Willson
Man i have been down ,the dust was the most beautiful dangerous bass player on the face of this Earth My prayers are with his family & billy frank
John Drake
Man, that is one raw voice of his. This song is dope, and his voice was perfect for it. Love it!
Rest in peace, man.
Andy Melendez
He’s pushin it!
lanier1000
One of the best songs I have ever heard......never get tired of it.
Matt
Absolute flamethrower
MOJO Davidson
ZZ Top in the 1970's is raw, dirty, gritty, good ole groovin tunes. Frank's parradiddles on Ten dollar man, Dusty's bass lines and voice, and that Billy G. sound. Love ZZ!
MSB 1791
Rest in peace Dusty Hill.