I had no idea this was about the Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, or any whorehouse. Huh. Things you take at face value as a kid.
It's a JLH night tonight: The initial groove of the song is based on a traditional boogie blues rhythm used by John Lee Hooker in his "Boogie Chillen'" and Slim Harpo's "Shake Your Hips". A failed lawsuit by the copyright holder of Boogie Chillen' resulted in the court ruling that the rhythm was in the public domain.[Wikipedia]