ZZ Top’s Original “Squank” Recording Will Get You In The Mood To Rock Out

ZZ Top’s Original “Squank” Recording Will Get You In The Mood To Rock Out | Society Of Rock Videos

via erlewineguitars.com

One Of Their Best

It has to be one of the most bizarre sets of lyrics we have ever seen, but ZZ Top’s “Squank” will always be one of their greatest hits. From their first ever album, ZZ Top’s First Album, “Squank” hits number 3 on Side A with a creeping presence and great southern comfort beat that really just gets you up your feet.

“Woman, grab your children, run and hide. Don’t let it catch up with you, you gotta fight it to stay alive and if it gets you, man, you’re through…”

Although there are a few definitions of “squank,” when we looked into it, from what we can tell ZZ Top’s meaning is a monstrous, rotten plague spreading quicker and quicker as the singers warn everyone to get out of the way before they are “erased” by the squank. It really is quite interesting as this vague, troubled description somehow paints a vivid picture in your mind of what you think the squank would look like.

Other definitions found online for the mysterious presence are the scent after sex, STD’s and our favorite, a particular way of plucking a string with the pic at a certain angle that Billy was quite fond of, to say the least.

Interesting Fact: Jimi Hendrix called Gibbons “One of America’s best young guitarists” on The Tonight Show.

Whatever the meaning of the song, we could not, unfortunately, find a live version of ZZ performing this iconic southern rock song. If you guys have any footage post it to the comments please, but enjoy this insanely awesome, original recording of “Squank.”

+ Squank Lyrics +

Woman, grab your children, run and hide.
Don’t let it catch up with you.
You gotta fight it to stay alive,
and if it gets you, man, you’re through.It smells so rotten and rank.
Well, everybody calls it the squank.

It’s sick, depressin, gettin’ bigger all the time.
Don’t help it any way you can.
It’s grey and brown and sometimes lime
and it’s spreadin’ all over the land.

And soon we’ll be all breathin’ out of tanks
if somethin’ ain’t done about the squank.

The meanest thing the world’s ever bred
by me and you and my kinfold too.
A monster can’t live unless it’s fed,
and it’s being fed by me and you.
And soon it’s gonna leave the world blank,
and we’ll all be erased by the squank.

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