ZZ Top – Francine

This song peaked at #69 on the Billboard 100, and it was on ZZ Top’s second album “Rio Grande Mud.” This was their first hit and the only single off of the album.

The song was written by Steve Perron and Kenny Cordray. They were not given credit for many years, and they received little or no royalties for decades.

ZZ Top are still together and one of the reasons they lasted so long was their long time manager Bill Ham. he produced or co-produced all of their albums up through 1996’s Rhythmeen as well as being their manager. They parted ways in 2006. He passed away in 2016 at 79.

Frank Beard: “I truly think the band would have broken within three years if Bill hadn’t been involved. He was the guy that smoothed things out whenever we got our feathers ruffled with each other and who always encouraged us no matter what. He was our father figure, simple as that.”

Billy Gibbons on the album: It was the first record that brought us into step with the writing experience. We started documenting events as they happened to us on the road; all of these elements went into the songwriting notebook. As we went along, we were keeping track of skeleton ideas as they popped up. The craft was certainly developing.

Francine

Got a girl, her name’s Francine,
finest thing you ever seen.
And I love her, she’s all that I want.
And I need her, she’s all that I need.

Well, Francine, oh Francis, why
do you love me and make me cry?
How I love her, she’s all that I want.
How I need her, she’s all that I need.

If I ever caught her with Stevie P
I’d throw her back in the Penitentiary, now.
And if I caught her with my mother’s son
I’ll call her daddy and get my gun.

My Fancine just turned thirteen,
she’s my angelic teenage queen.
And I love her, she’s all that I want.
And I need her, she’s all that I need.
And I love her, she’s all that I want.
And I need her, she’s all that I need.
And I love her, she’s all that I want.
And I need her, she’s all that I need.

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Author: Badfinger (Max)

Power Pop fan, Baseball, Beatles, Alternative music, old movies, and tv show fan. Also anything to do with pop culture in the 60s and 70s... I'm also a songwriter, bass and guitar player. Not the slightest bit interested in politics at all.

24 thoughts on “ZZ Top – Francine”

  3. I think they recently became the world’s longest running band line-up with Golden Earring breaking up. I barely know them – I never hear them on the radio and it’s not quite my thing, but I should probably grab a greatest hits or something.

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    1. Personally…I like the 70s output the best (big surprise!) but I did like some of their eighties music also. They had the Phil Collins treatment here…their 80s songs were overplayed…

      Gibbons is a great guitar player. Hendrix mentioned before that he was his favorite at the time.

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      2. Yes he did mention a few he liked. I think he wanted to record with Chicago or he wanted to try to work with horns.

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    1. You mean “she’s 13” don’t ring your belll lol…it wouldn’t fly today..
      I like their 70s stuff the best….I’m tired of the 80s stuff from back then..except the brunette in the videos

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      1. Heh. I didn’t mean the lyrics…though, in today’s culture, I’m surprised the wokesters haven’t jumped on them, too. If Seuss is deemed bad, ZZ Top doesn’t stand a chance.

        I know, I know…”Shut up! Don’t give them any ideas!”

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      2. Oh yea…Dave had a post on that yesterday…he agrees…most people think it’s stupid

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