Songfacts®:

• One of Billy Gibbons' favorites from his second solo album The Big Bad Blues, "Second Line" is a tribute to New Orleans, where he made many fond memories. Second line parades are a tradition in the city, with brass bands followed by colorful revelers. Marchers often enjoy food and libations along the way, making it a kind of traveling party. These parades show up on many occasions, and are sometimes spontaneous.
• In a Songfacts interview with Billy Gibbons, he explained his New Orleans connection. "When one grows up on the Gulf Coast, visiting New Orleans is something of a right of passage," he said. "When I first got what was called a 'drivings license,' we realized New Orleans was fewer than 350 miles from Houston across the Texas-Louisiana line, and the Crescent City came calling. The call was answered and, of course, one of the attractions was the sound of that particular town.
  
  We got a first-hand look of the 'second liners'... a solid brass band, the march, umbrellas abounding. That's the kind of impression which becomes a lasting one, made more vivid by constant visits to NOLA... even a lengthy residency there."
• Gibbons is best known for his work in ZZ Top. The first side of their 1975 album Fandango! was recorded live at The Warehouse in New Orleans.