Southern rock has been around for decades. The style of music combines rock and country music, part of its own genre, with fans from all over. These three Southern rock songs are all from the 1980s, but they could still be hits at country radio today.
Videos by American Songwriter
“Sharp Dressed Man” by ZZ Top
ZZ Top released “Sharp Dressed Man” in 1983, on their Eliminator album. Written by band members Billy Gibbons, Dusty Hill, and Frank Beard, the song touts the benefits of dressing well.
“Sharp Dressed Man” says in part, “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.”
The beauty of “Sharp Dressed Man” is, at least according to Hill, how much of the song is open to the listener’s interpretation.
“Sharp-dressed depends on who you are,” Hill says (per Songfacts). “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. It’s all in your head. If you feel sharp, you be sharp.”
“Back To Paradise” by 38 Special
38 Special includes “Back To Paradise” on their 1987 Flashback: The Best of 38 Special album. Written by Jim Vallance, Bryan Adams, and Pat Benatar, “Back To Paradise” begins with, “Grab your coat honey, grab your hat / This train is leavin’ and it ain’t comin’ back / Don’t need a ticket, can’t you understand / You’re on your way to the promised land / It’s overdue, but now the time is right / It’s up to you, to make it real, so take me / Take me back to paradise.”
Vallance reveals the song was originally intended for Benatar, which is why he scheduled the writing session with her.
“Originally, I’d traveled to L.A. to write with Pat for her upcoming album, but she’d just had a baby and she was preoccupied,” Vallance recounts. “So I spent most of the day in Pat’s home studio with her husband, guitarist Neil Giraldo. … Pat took a break from the baby, and she came out to the studio for a few minutes. That’s when things started taking shape. In less than half an hour, Pat and I sketched out most of the song (chords, melody, a few lyrics, but no title). I took the partly-completed song back to Vancouver and finished it with Bryan.”
“Guitar Town” by Steve Earle
Steve Earle’s “Guitar Town” was actually a hit at country radio, but could still be one again, even after all these years.. Written by Earle as the title track for his 1986 debut album, “Guitar Town” is both a Southern rock and country classic, and one that deserves new life today.
“Guitar Town” says, “Nothing ever happened around my hometown / And I ain’t the kind to just hang around / But I heard someone calling my name one day / And I followed that voice down the lost highway / Everybody told me you can’t get far / On 37 dollars and a jap guitar / Now I’m smokin’ into Texas with the hammer down / And a rockin’ little combo from the Guitar Town.“
“Guitar Town” became Earle’s first Top 10 hit.
Photo by Paul Natkin/Getty Images
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