Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you fun songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Today, a 14-year-old Tiffany Evans celebrates a very special piece of jewelry in her 2007 debut single, “Promise Ring.”
In the song, the former Star Search Grand Champion in the Junior Singer Division tells her boyfriend that sometimes a girl needs a token of love to show how much she’s appreciated for all the things she does. Apparently, her boyfriend was thinking the same thing.
He surprises her with a small velvet box containing a promise ring. In the official video, the yellow-metal ring features a gleaming red gemstone.
Evans recounts her boyfriend's vow: “I promise not to hurt you, I promise not to lie / I promise to befriend you and defend you with my life / I promise you forever, I promise you today, he said / Would you wear my promise ring? I said yes.”
Later in the song, Evans sings, “How in the world could a girl say no / I knew it the moment he made my finger glow.”
The recurring hook is, “Yes, I’ll rock your promise ring.”
“Promise Ring” was the lead single from the teenager’s self-titled debut album. The song went to #1 on the US Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 list and #66 on the US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs list. The album scored a Top 20 position on the US Billboard Top R&B/Hip Hop albums chart.
The official video for the song spotlights the teenybopper rockin’ her promise ring with a special appearance by Grammy Award-winner Ciara, who was 21 years old at the time. The video has been viewed on YouTube more than 27 million times.
While the now-32-year-old Evans still has an active singing career, "Promise Ring" remains her most successful single to date.
Born in the Bronx, NY, Evans rose to fame in 2003 as an 11-year-old contestant on Star Search, hosted by Arsenio Hall. Evans was the only performer in the talent show’s history to earn perfect scores on all of her appearances. The Grand Champion in the Junior Singer Division soon caught the attention of Columbia Records, which signed her to a record deal.
Please check out the video of Evans and Ciara performing “Promise Ring.” The lyrics are below if you’d like to sing along…
“Promise Ring”
Written by Ezekiel Lewis, J. Que, Balewa Muhhammad, Candice Nelson, Bryan Reid and Michael Crooms. Performed by Tiffany Evans, featuring Ciara.
To the beat, to the beat, to the beat ’cause I need
Everybody to the floor, why? ’cause this beat is sick, yeah
It’s time to rock, uh, that’s what it is
Tiffany’s her name, love is the game
And the only way to play is with this promise ring
Sometimes a girl needs to know that she’s
Appreciated for all the things she does
With some sorta token of love
‘Cause without it her young heart won’t know
And right then to my surprise, he
Pulled out a small velvet box, pink ribbon tied
I’m wondering what’s inside
He opened it and then he replied
He said, I promise not to hurt you, I promise not to lie
I promise to befriend you and defend you with my life
I promise you forever, I promise you today, he said
Would you wear my promise ring? I said yes
If ya break ya promise we breakin’ up
Got a couple things that I want
Walks in the park and sweet things
If I rock your promise ring
I could be your pretty young thing
You could become my king
I gotta know you got me
Yes, I’ll rock your promise ring
Yes, I’ll rock your promise, promise, promise ring
Yes, I’ll rock your promise, yes, I’ll rock your promise ring
Yes, I’ll rock your promise, promise, promise ring
Yes, I’ll rock your promise, yes, I’ll rock your promise ring
How in the world could a girl say no
I knew it the moment he made my finger glow
It was good to know I’m who he chose
It was your heart he felt now it shows, now it shows
You know when you see me floss
No way it’s gon’ get lost, I’ll never take this off
I’m older and they call me by your name
I’ll wear it on a chain, because I can hear you say
He said I promise not to hurt you, I promise not to lie
I promise to befriend you and defend you with my life
I promise you forever, I promise you today, he said
Would you wear my promise ring? I said yes
If ya break ya promise we breakin’ up
Got a couple things that I want
Walks in the park and sweet things
If I rock your promise ring
I could be your pretty young thing
You could become my king
I gotta know you got me
Yes, I’ll rock your promise ring
Yes, I’ll rock your promise, promise, promise ring
Yes, I’ll rock your promise, yes, I’ll rock your promise ring
Yes, I’ll rock your promise, promise, promise ring
Yes, I’ll rock your promise, yes, I’ll rock your promise ring
Everybody get up and rock to this beat
My name is Tiffany and why’all know me
All my girls with me, all the boys like me
Come correctly with the promise ring
And you just might be my boo, my boo
Promise that you’ll never let me go and boy I’ll
Boy I’ll wear your promise ring
All you have to do is say the word and boy I’ll
Boy I’ll wear your promise ring
Just let me know, just let me know, what I gotta do
Just let me know, just let me know
You ain’t goin’ nowhere, I ain’t goin’ nowhere
I’ll be on for sure but you gotta know that
If ya break ya promise we breakin’ up
Got a couple things that I want
Walks in the park and sweet things
If I rock your promise ring
I could be your pretty young thing
You could become my king
I gotta know you got me
Yes, I’ll rock your promise ring
Yes, I’ll rock your promise, promise, promise ring
Yes, I’ll rock your promise, yes, I’ll rock your promise ring
Yes, I’ll rock your promise, promise, promise ring
Yes, I’ll rock your promise, yes, I’ll rock your promise ring
If I rock your promise ring
Young thing, my king
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Credit: Screen capture via YouTube / Tiffany Evans.
Luxury consumers are jazzed about the upcoming holiday season, with increased intention to dress up, travel and buy gifts — especially fine jewelry — according to the latest Saks Luxury Pulse survey.
Exactly 82% of the luxury consumers who are celebrating the holidays plan to spend the same or more on holiday shopping compared to the 2023 holiday season. That's seven percentage points higher than last year. And 85% expected to be highly engaged in the shopping experience.
The top gifts that luxury consumers want to receive are fine jewelry (especially among women), clothing (especially among men) and experiences (favored by all respondents).
The holiday season also presents a time for self-gifting, especially among luxury consumers, with 61% planning to buy gifts for themselves.
According to the Saks Luxury Pulse, luxury consumers are beginning their shopping earlier this holiday season.
Exactly 70% of luxury consumers plan to start their holiday shopping before Thanksgiving this year, a 14 percentage point increase from last year. This is likely attributed to this year’s shorter holiday shopping season.
Millennial respondents (born 1981 to 1996) plan to begin their holiday shopping slightly later than respondents of the Generation X (born 1965 to 1980), Baby Boomer (born 1946 to 1964) and Silent Generations (born 1928 to 1945).
Due to their desire for convenience and distain for crowds, the majority of luxury consumers (64%) reported that they prefer to shop online for the holidays, and this is especially true for Millennials (70%). However, when shopping for fine jewelry and home décor, luxury consumers prefer to shop in person, underscoring the importance of a seamless cross-channel experience.
Demonstrating the heightened level of excitement for this holiday season, 66% of luxury consumers said they will get into the holiday spirit, with 24% planning to do so even more than they did last year.
-- 75% of Generation X respondents said they plan to decorate their home for their holidays, 16 percentage points more than Millennial respondents.
-- 77% of luxury consumers plan to attend a holiday party or gathering this holiday season, 11 percentage points more than last holiday season.
-- When going out and celebrating, 62% said they plan to dress up, with 23% of those planning to dress up even more than they did last year.
-- More than half of respondents (53%) said they are planning to travel this holiday season, and, of those, 31% are planning to travel more than they did last year.
This season's Saks Luxury Pulse survey reflects an increasingly upbeat outlook among luxury consumers.
When it comes to their personal finances, 70% of luxury consumers said they feel optimistic, an increase of six percentage points compared to last year, and 68% said they feel calm, a slight increase of one percentage point compared to last year.
The greatest increase in optimism and calmness towards the economy was among respondents of the Baby Boomer and Silent Generations, which saw a 13 percentage point increase in optimism and a five percentage point increase in calmness year over year.
The Saks Luxury Pulse is a quarterly online survey of luxury consumers’ attitudes towards shopping, spending and the economy. It is based on responses from 1,196 U.S.-based luxury consumers over the age of 18 and was fielded from October 11-15, 2024.
Credit: Image by BigStockPhoto.com.
Last month, a Kansas City woman plunked down $3.99 for a previously loved leather jewelry pouch at a Savers thrift store north of the city. She didn't think much about the modest purchase until two weeks later when she pulled it out of her closet to use on a work trip.
Carlie Goss opened a zipped compartment inside and was surprised to see a vintage gold wedding band dating back to 1932.
Goss quickly turned to social media in an effort to return the keepsake to its rightful owners.
On her Facebook page, Goss posted six photos of the pouch and ring along with this caption: "Please share. I went to Savers thrift store on Barry Rd two weeks ago and bought this vintage jewelry pouch. I just recently went on a work trip and pulled it out to use it. I found a gold wedding band inside."
The inside of the ring is inscribed with the name "Heinz" and a date with mixed Arabic and Roman numerals: 8.IX.1932 (August 9, 1932).
"I'm sure whomever donated this didn't realize it was in there," she continued. "I would love to get this ring back to the family it belongs to. I don't know how else to do that except with the power of social media. It sure would break my heart to lose something this special that belonged to my family. Thank you!!"
Goss's compelling story drew the attention of her local Fox affiliate, which further amplified her message.
“It’s kind of romantic when you find something like this,” Carlie Goss told Kansas City-based Fox4. “It’s special because I think it brings you back to a time when flashy things and name brands and items didn’t really matter… It was just a symbol of love."
"I really hope I can find the family," she added. "If I can’t, I will treasure it.”
The staff of Savers was surprised to learn about the valuable item hiding in the $3.99 pouch. Store manager Holly Calderon told Fox4 that situations like this don't come down the aisle too often.
“I’d just love to see the ring find its original owner,” said Calderon. “That would be amazing.”
The manager added that Savers was going to work through some social channels to assist in the effort to find the family it belongs to.
Credits: Images via Facebook / Carlie Goss; Goss screen capture via fox4kc.com.
In a closely watched case that has earned national attention, the Supreme Court of Massachusetts ruled last week that engagement rings are "conditional gifts" that must be returned to the giver if the couple breaks up and calls the wedding off — no matter who is to blame for ending the relationship.
The ruling closes the books on an archaic state precedent that required litigators to argue who was at fault for the breakup before a judge could render a decision about who would get the ring.
Massachusetts' highest court agreed to hear the case after the state's lower courts delivered contradictory opinions in the case of Johnson v. Settino.
Bruce Johnson and Caroline Settino were briefly engaged in 2017, but Johnson broke off the relationship and asked for the return of a $70,000 engagement ring when he suspected that his fiancée was having an affair.
In 2021, a Massachusetts Superior Court ruled that Johnson’s suspicions were unfounded and that it was his fault the wedding was called off. As a result, Settino was entitled to keep the ring. Based on a 60-year-old Massachusetts precedent, Johnson could have retained the ring if he could have convinced the court that the breakup was his fiancée's fault.
But, then a Massachusetts Appeals Court in 2023 flipped the lower court’s decision, ruling that Johnson had the right to call off the engagement and retain the ring even if couldn’t prove infidelity.
“Sometimes there simply is no fault to be had,” the court said.
On Friday, the Massachusetts Supreme Court agreed, writing, “We now join the modern trend adopted by the majority of jurisdictions that have considered the issue and retire the concept of fault in this context. Where, as here, the planned wedding does not ensue and the engagement is ended, the engagement ring must be returned to the donor regardless of fault.”
The Massachusetts decision falls in line with a majority of states that currently take the “no fault” approach. They consider engagement rings a “conditional” gift that should be returned by the recipient if the relationship fails to culminate in a marriage. Who is at fault is not considered.
Credit: Image by BigStockPhoto.com.
Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you superb songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Today, country star Miranda Lambert confesses a deep, dark secret to her engagement ring in the 2011 ballad, “Dear Diamond.”
The song’s protagonist has cheated on her husband and feels terrible about her indiscretions. Now, she fears that her once-flawless marriage could be fractured if she comes clean. She's certain the truth will break his heart, but the guilt might haunt her forever.
She sings, “Dear diamond, pretty and new / Perfectly flawless, too good to be true / Dear diamond, you shine like the sun / You wrap around my finger just like he does / You cost more than he wanted to lose / And with this ring I said I do / I promise to never do what I’ve done / I’ve lied to someone.”
In an interview with CMT.com, Lambert — who will celebrate her 41st birthday on Sunday — clarified that the characters in the story are fictional. This probably came as comforting news to fellow country star Blake Shelton, who was her husband at the time of the song's release.
“When you first get engaged, as the girl, you’re constantly staring at your ring, showing everybody your ring,” she told CMT.com. “I just thought it would be a cool concept to write a song to my ring. And, of course, the dark side of me just kind of leaned toward the darker version instead of going happy with it. But I think that was the right way to go.”
“Dear Diamond,” which features the on-point harmonies of country singer, Patty Loveless, is the sixth track from Lambert’s Four the Record album.
Lambert told Rolling Stone magazine that Loveless was one of her heroes and that the collaboration was really special to her — “a dream come true.”
With more than one million records sold, Four the Record reached #1 on the US Billboard Top Country albums chart and ascended to #3 on the US Billboard 200 albums chart. It also placed as high as #12 on the Canadian Albums chart.
Born in Longview, Texas, in 1983, Lambert became interested in country music after attending a Garth Brooks concert as a nine-year-old. Lambert made her professional singing debut with “The Texas Pride Band” while she was still in high school. She also performed with the house band at Reo Palm Isle in Longview, Texas.
In 2003, Lambert placed third in Nashville Star, country music’s version of American Idol. Her first album, Kerosene, made its debut at #1 on the US Billboard Top Country Albums chart.
Since her professional debut 20-plus years ago, Lambert has been honored with more Academy of Country Music Awards (35) than any artist in history. She also claims three Grammy Awards, six American Country Awards and eight CMT Music Awards. In 2019, the Chicago Tribune named Lambert the "greatest country music artist of all time." Earlier this year, she took home the Country Icon Award at the People's Choice Country Awards.
Trivia: The singer-songwriter-guitarist is also an author. In 2023, Lambert co-wrote a cookbook with this eye-catching title: Y’all Eat Yet? Welcome to the Pretty B*tchin’ Kitchen.
Please check out the audio track of Lambert and Loveless performing “Dear Diamond.” The lyrics are below if you’d like to sing along…
“Dear Diamond”
Written by Miranda Lambert. Performed by Miranda Lambert, featuring Patty Loveless.
Dear diamond, pretty and new
Perfectly flawless, too good to be true
Dear diamond, you shine like the sun
You wrap around my finger just like he does
You cost more than he wanted to lose
And with this ring I said I do
I promise to never do what I’ve done
I’ve lied to someone
Dear diamond, what will we do?
Well I like the devil, just face the truth
Dear diamond, be my saving grace
What you don’t know will kill him, that I can’t face
You cost more than he wanted to lose
And with this ring I said I do
I promise to never do what I’ve done
I’ve lied to someone, dear diamond
Dear diamond, with your band of gold
Some people you have, some people you hold
Dear diamond, I promise to keep
The secret I have while he’s holding me
Credit: Photo by Craig ONeal, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
The golden-orange Imperial Topaz — the most highly prized variety of November’s birthstone — was originally mined exclusively in Russia’s Ural Mountains during the 19th century. It was named Imperial Topaz to honor the Russian czar, and was considered so special that only royals were allowed to own it.
Today, Brazil is the largest producer of gem-quality topaz, but the mineral is also mined in Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Russia, Australia, Nigeria, Germany, Mexico and the US. In fact, the US Bureau of Land Management (BLM) claims that Utah's Topaz Mountain is "one of the world's great places to find topaz."
The pretty specimen, shown above, was sourced at Topaz Mountain in Juab County, UT. Off the beaten path about 36 miles northwest of Delta, UT, experienced and amateur prospectors alike explore the summit and surrounding areas for the coveted Imperial Topaz.
The topaz crystals formed within cavities of the Topaz Mountain rhyolite, which is a volcanic rock which erupted approximately six to seven million years ago from volcanic vents along faults in the area, according to BLM.
The agency also noted that the topaz crystals at Topaz Mountain are naturally amber colored, but become colorless after extensive exposure to sunlight.
Amateur prospectors will see small, colorless topaz crystals glimmering on slopes on the south side of the 7,000-foot mountain. Those who search the seams in the rhyolite, may find gem-quality, golden-orange crystals. Tour operators sell UV-light reflective bags and warn prospectors to keep their precious topaz finds out of the sunlight.
Topaz Mountain Adventures offers a premium package at $899, which allows a group of up to eight prospectors to witness an actual blast and get first dibs on the treasure found in the freshly exposed rock.
The remote areas near Topaz Mountain offer no services, so BLM recommends carrying plenty of food, water, tools and emergency equipment.
While the prized Imperial Topaz comes in a range of colors from brownish-yellow to orange-yellow and even vibrant red, other varieties of topaz are available in blue, green, pink and purple. Topaz rates an 8 out of 10 on the Mohs hardness scale, making it a durable and wearable gem.
Imperial Topaz is the suggested gift for the 23rd or 50th wedding anniversary.
Credit: Photo of topaz crystal by Leon Hupperichs, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Topaz mountain photo by Tweeber69, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Morgan Perigo of McMaster University's Class of 1965 never expected to see his graduation ring again after losing it in the surf along the coast of Barbados in 1977. But thanks to the good nature of a Barbados professional free diver named Alex Davis and the helpful alumni staff at the university, Perigo got to wear the ring again on his 83rd birthday.
John Travolta was starring in Saturday Night Fever and a gallon of gas cost 66 cents when Perigo, his wife and their two young sons traveled from their home in Canada to enjoy a vacation on the sandy beaches of Barbados.
Perigo remembered the exact moment his ring went missing in the shallow waters off the coast of Barbados' Miami Beach near the town of Oistins.
“One day I took my younger son and waded into the ocean," he told McMaster University Daily News in an email. "He was knocked over by a wave, so I reached to grab hold of him. He pulled on my hand and my Mac alumni ring came off.”
Perigo and his family searched for the ring, but were unsuccessful.
Flash forward to mid-October 2024 at the same beach, where we find Davis trying out a new metal detector in the recently churned-up shallows. Hurricane Beryl, a category 4 storm, caused heavy damage when it struck the island in July of this year, but it also shifted the sands, which was a boon to metal-detector enthusiasts.
Davis was snorkeling with his metal detector when the unit sounded an alert. Davis told CBC Hamilton that he dug down at least 15 centimeters, but all he found were rocks. The metal detector kept buzzing, so the diver kept digging. At 30 centimeters deep, he noticed a flash of gold.
"It catches your eye like nothing else," he told the outlet. "Your heart starts to race."
What he pulled from the sand was a nicely preserved McMaster University class ring mounted with a deep red stone.
Davis set out to find the rightful owner by emailing a photo and explanation to the university.
“I found a McMaster University signet ring with three initials on the inside,” he wrote to McMaster University's Alumni Department. “I found it metal detecting in Barbados this morning and suspect it’s been lost for some time.”
His email reached alumni officer Laura Escalante, who set out to solve the mystery with only two clues, both engraved on the slightly tarnished ring: the year 1965 and the initials FMP. Her quest eventually led her to mathematics major Frederick Morgan Perigo.
Reached by email, Perigo confirmed the ring was his.
“This is unbelievable news,” he wrote back.
Escalante then got to work connecting Perigo and Davis and helping coordinate the return of the ring. She called the successful reunion one of the happiest moments of her career and said the story has touched the hearts of McMaster alumni staff.
"The stars aligned and the water was clear," Davis told CBC Hamilton. "Mr. Perigo's ring was a hell of a find."
The long-lost ring arrived at Perigo's home in Burlington, ON, the day before his 83rd birthday.
“What a wonderful unexpected 83rd birthday present,” he told McMaster University Daily News.
Credits: Images courtesy of Alex Davis and Morgan Perigo via McMaster University Daily News.
A team of archeologists from the US and Egypt has unearthed a jewelry-laden tomb near Luxor that dates back 4,000 years to the 12th and 13th Dynasties. The team discovered beautiful necklaces, bracelets, armlets, scarab rings and decorative belts made of amethyst, carnelian, garnet, blue-green glazed faience (ceramic) and feldspar.
The amulets feature carved gemstones that resemble characters of the natural and spiritual worlds: a hippo, hawk, snake, ba (bird with human head), Eye of Horus and the fertility goddess Taweret, among others.
One standout necklace is strung with 30 amethyst barrel beads with an amazonite ba-shaped amulet in the center. Another exquisite piece is a belt crafted of carnelian ball beads connected by double strings of blue faience ring beads.
Two burials also contained copper or copper alloy mirrors with elegantly carved ivory handles.
The items were discovered by the Egyptian-American mission South Asasif Conservation Project, which works under the auspices of Egypt's Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities. The Middle Kingdom tomb with 11 intact burials was found as the team was clearing the south side of the superstructure of the 25th Dynasty tomb of Karabasken.
While the burials were significantly damaged by previous floods, which destroyed the wood of the coffins and the linen wrappings, items that were impervious to water remained intact. This is why the recovered jewelry is in such pristine condition. The jewelry was found "in situ" (in its original positioning among the skeletal remains), which allowed the team to determine how the jewelry might have been worn.
According to Dr. Afaf Wahba, the burials contained the skeletons of five women, two men and three children. It is believed that they represented many generations of the same family.
Dr. Wahba noted that most of the jewelry was found in among female burials. The children and one of the men did not have any burial goods.
Interestingly, one of the male burials contained what he called "an imposing necklace" consisting of 40 faience ball beads, each separated by a single faience cylinder bead. Two cylindrical carnelian beads flank a hippo head amulet on the back.
The items in the tomb date back to the 12th and 13th Dynasties of Egypt (1938 BC-1630 BC). The tomb is the first from the Middle Kingdom period to be discovered in the South Asasif area, which is located near the west bank of the Nile next to the Temple of Hatshepsut.
Credits: Images courtesy of the South Asasif Conservation Project.
Former professional skateboarder, snowboarder and three-time Olympic gold medalist Shaun White dug deep into his bag of tricks to deliver a surprise marriage proposal to actress Nina Dobrev with a flawless, oval-cut 5-carat diamond ring.
White conspired with his publicist to send a fake invitation for Dobrev to attend an exclusive dinner with Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour at The Golden Swan Restaurant in New York City's West Village. Knowing that his girlfriend would never pass up such an opportunity, he also arranged for a pre-dinner styling session, so she would look absolutely perfect.
When she arrived at the restaurant's private room, Dobrev froze as she was greeted — not by the Vogue editor — but by her now-fiancé. White went down on one knee and proposed under an arch of white flowers.
Dobrev told Vogue that she was in shock and doesn't remember exactly how White proposed, but she did recall that he said "all the right things."
After she accepted his proposal, the couple shared champagne and caviar with some friends and partied into the evening.
Page Six Style reported that the ring was designed by celebrity jeweler Lorraine Schwartz, who described the gem as “a flawless diamond for a flawless girl.”
White and Dobrev had been dating for five years, and the ring has been burning a hole in White's pocket for six months. He originally planned to pop the question to Dobrev during their summer vacation, but she fractured her knee in a biking accident and the proposal was put on hold until she completed her rehabilitation.
Then, he was all set to propose during their planned trip to Cape Town, South Africa, in November, but friends of the couple started asking too many questions about his intentions. Once again, his plans were thwarted.
The fake invitation did catch Dobrev by surprise.
"He made the invite look so legitimate," she told Vogue.
On October 30, Dobrev and White turned to their Instagram pages to share pics of their surprise proposal in Lower Manhattan.
Dobrev wrote, "RIP boyfriend, hello fiancé" and punctuated her statement with two emojis, an engagement ring and an infinity sign.
"She said YES," confirmed White on his page, while punctuating his comment with the same two emojis.
According to the Daily Mail, Dobrev and White first met during a brief encounter at the 2012 Teen Choice Awards, but were formally introduced in 2019.
The 38-year-old White is a three-time Olympic gold medalist in half-pipe snowboarding. Dobrev, 35, is best known for portraying Elena Gilbert and Katherine Pierce in CW's The Vampire Diaries (2009–2015).
The couple has yet to announce wedding plans.
Credits: Images via Instagram / niña, Instagram / shaunwhite.
Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you fun songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Today, the members of ZZ Top tick off a list of jewelry-wardrobe must-haves in their 1983 classic, “Sharp Dressed Man.”
Original band members Dusty Hill, Billy Gibbons and Frank Beard share their tips about snappy accessorizing in the second verse.
They sing, “Gold watch, diamond ring / I ain’t missin’ not a single thing / Cufflinks, stick pin / When I step out I’m gonna do you in / They come runnin’ just as fast as they can / ‘Cause every girl crazy ’bout a sharp dressed man.”
Written by Gibbons, Beard and Joe Michael Hill, “Sharp Dressed Man” appeared as the third track on ZZ Top’s popular 1983 album Eliminator. The album sold more than 10 million copies, earning it a Diamond certification.
The single topped out at #56 on the US Billboard 100 and remains one of ZZ Tops’ most enduring signature songs. The group performed it live at the 1997 VH1 Fashion Awards and during the halftime festivities of the 2008 Orange Bowl.
“Sharp dressed depends on who you are,” Hill told Spin magazine in 1985. “If you’re on a motorcycle, really sharp leather is great. If you’re a punk rocker, you can get sharp that way. You can be sharp or not sharp in any mode.”
Founded in Houston in 1969 as a blues-inspired rock band, ZZ Top featured its three core members from 1970 until Hill's untimely death in 2021 at age 72. The band continues to tour with the bassist-vocalist duties passed on to Elwood Francis, who had been the band's guitar tech for three decades.
Gibbons told Q magazine that their first gig at a Knights of Columbus Hall outside of Houston in 1970 was attended by just one person.
“We shrugged and pressed onwards,” he said. “We took a break halfway through, went out and bought him a Coke.”
Over the course of the following 54 years, the band would go on to sell more than 50 million albums worldwide. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004.
Please check out ZZ Top’s live performance of “Sharp Dressed Man.” The lyrics are below if you’d like to sing along…
“Sharp Dressed Man”
Written by Billy Gibbons, Frank Beard and Joe Michael Hill. Performed by ZZ Top.
Clean shirt, new shoes
And I don’t know where I am goin’ to
Silk suit, black tie,
I don’t need a reason why
They come runnin’ just as fast as they can
‘Cause every girl crazy ’bout a sharp dressed man
Gold watch, diamond ring,
I ain’t missin’ not a single thing
Cufflinks, stick pin,
When I step out I’m gonna do you in
They come runnin’ just as fast as they can
‘Cause every girl crazy ’bout a sharp dressed man
Top coat, top hat,
And I don’t worry ’cause my wallet’s fat
Black shades, white gloves,
Lookin’ sharp lookin’ for love
They come runnin’ just as fast as they can
‘Cause every girl crazy ’bout a sharp dressed man
Credit: Photo by Tilly antoine, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.