Follow-up to Hot, Blue, and Righteous

Well, I’m scrounging for blog posts at the moment, not having a lot of time outside of work to “think.” So, here’s a follow-up to my last post.

Those who guessed this poem is about ZZ Top, also known as “That Little Old Band from Texas,” are correct and win…uhm, well, nothing. The poem contains numerous references to the Top, mostly in song titles, or occasionally in lyrics. I’m annotating the poem below with the references, in brackets []. As you can see, if you care to read through it, some of the references are clear and concrete while others are oblique or downright vague. But this is how my mind works sometimes while I’m drinking, especially when I get to just the right level of buzz. As you can also see, the moral of this piece is “Drugs are bad. Okay. Kids, don’t do drugs.”

HOT BLUE & RIGHTEOUS [song title]

Three [3 members in the Top] went blind [Song title is “Arrested for Driving while Blind”] to Texas [the Top’s home state]

Down to the forest and the [lyric from “Jesus Just left Chicago”] plains [“Plains” is a common mishearing of the real word, “Pines,” in “Jesus Just left Chicago.” In fact, I thought it was “plains” for years.]

Drew a last “got paid” from the bank [Song title, “Just Got Paid”]

Bought one hellraiser [from “Beer Drinkers and Hell Raisers”] bottle of black [ref to “Black Fly” song + a twist on the line “drink down a bottle of midnight red” from “Groovy Little Hippie Pad”]

Carried a siphon under pressure [“She’s Got Me Under Pressure” is a lyric from a Top song]

Cause gas cost too much nationwide [Song title, “I’m bad, I’m Nationwide”]

And they bummed [“Bummed” is a frequently misheard lyric for “bombed” in the song “Pearl Necklace”] in sparks and beer [from the songs “Master of Sparks” and “Beer Drinkers and Hell Raisers”]

And smoked the butts gone [ref. to the song “Mexican Blackbird”]

Drank the Rio Grande to dregs [“Rio Grande Mud” was the Top’s second album and the first one I bought. Also, drinking is common in a lot of Top songs." The Rio Grande also borders Texas]

While the Top played the radio [for ZZ Top, of course, and you hear ‘em a lot on radio]

And they dreamed women [Most Top songs seem to be about women]

Blackbirds and pearls [Ref’s to song titles “Mexican Blackbird” and “Pearl Necklace”]

Francine with legs [“Francine” and “Legs” are both ZZ Top song titles, and both songs are about women, as referenced in previous line]

But when momma called [Next few lines, down to “Boogie Woogie,” are only slightly twisted lyrics from the song “Backdoor Medley,” one of my favorite Top pieces]
On that long distance cell-o-phone
And daddy didn’t tell ‘em

To Boogie Woogie [Papa said “Let that boy Boogie Woogie.”]

They brought their blue jeans [from song titled “Blue Jean Boogie”]

Home to Mississippi [several songs, but mainly “My Head’s in Mississippi”]

What’s up with that? [a song title]

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