Do you like the song "Sweet Home Alabama"?

[johnnie]

I just heard it on the radio and can never figure out why people like it so much. Plus they bitch about Neil Young, and that's just wrong.

[Squatch]

1. It's a catchy tune.

[Telly Savalas]

41. Moog Cookbook does an instrumental cover...

so you can enjoy a corny rendition of that infectious tune without being subjected to the lyrics.

[LisaM]

2. I agree!

I don't like it either. But then, I am not a fan of the neo-Confederacy at all - so I have issues with it.

[Beware the Beast Man]

3. The Skynyrd/Neil Young feud was played up in the press.

IMO, I'm just bored to tears of the song.

[Mike Daniels]

24. Neil Young appeared in concerts wearing LS shirts afterwards

and later said he'd rather play "Sweet Home" in concert over "Southern Man".

[FrankBooth]

38. Put it on the barge ...

and let it sail out to sea, never to be heard again.

[GreenPartyVoter]

50. Skynrd is great... I love them.. But "Alabama" is overplayed

--------------------------------------
Would Jesus love a liberal? You bet!
http://timeforachange.bluelemur.com/

[realisticphish]

4. i like the music itself

as in, the instrumental parts. but yeah, the lyrics are stupid


:hippie: The Incorrigible Democrat

[pbartch]

88. I like the movie.............

[Taxloss]

5. I rather like it.

It's nice when sung unaccompanied and slowly by a girl with a Southern accent. Sort of sultry.

[nutsnberries]

6. can't stand it.

give me Southern Man any day.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

7. That Song Is Awesome

and the band made peace with Neil Young when they performed together...


They were the best southern rock band of all time...


I'm not a big fan of Free Bird though Saturday Night Special, What's Your Name, That Smell rock....

[Mistress Quickly]

20. The Ballad of Curtis Loew

is one of their best (also Simple Man and others, but PLEASE no Freebird!) ( on edit: I love the Allman Bros. too)

Well, I used to wake the mornin'
Before the rooster crowed
Searchin' for soda bottles
To get myself some dough
Brought 'em down to the corner
Down to the country store
Cash 'em in, and give my money
To a man named Curtis Loew
Old Curt was a black man
With white curly hair
When he had a fifth of wine
He did not have a care
He used to own an old Dobro
Used to play it 'cross his knee
I'd give old Curt my money
He'd play all day for me
chorus:
Play me a song
Curtis Loew, Curtis Loew
Well, I got your drinkin' money
Tune up your Dobro
People said he was useless
Them people all were fools
'Cause Curtis Loew was the finest picker
To ever play the blues
He looked to be sixty
And maybe I was ten
Mama used to whoop me
But I'd go see him again
I'd clap my hands, stomp my feet
Try to stay in time
He'd play me a song or two
Then take another drink of wine
chorus
Yes, sir
On the day old Curtis died
Nobody came to pray
Ol' preacher said some words
And they chunked him in the clay
Well, he lived a lifetime
Playin' the black man's blues
And on the day he lost his life
That's all he had to lose
Play me a song
Curtis Loew, hey Curtis Loew
I wish that you was here so
Everyone would know
People said he was useless
Them people all were fools
'Cause Curtis you're the finest picker
To ever play the blues

[RagingInMiami]

23. That's a great song. Have you heard Mr. Banker?

Mister Banker
Mister please, how much does money mean
Won't you reconsider mister
Won't you do this thing for me
Ain't got no house
Ain't got no car
All I got, Lord, is my guitar
But you can have that mister banker
Won't you bury my papa for me
Oh mister banker please
Listen to how that sound

I would not be here on my knees
But hey mister banker
It means so much to me
Oh won't you reconsider mister
Won't you do this thing for me

I told you mister
I ain't got no house
Ain't got no car
I got me a 1950 Les Paul guitar
Won't you take it mister banker
Won't you bury my papa for me
Oh mister banker please

[Mistress Quickly]

26. And Four Walls of Raiford (people have preconceived notions of LS)

Well them four walls of raiford, closing in on me
Doin’ three to five hard labor, for armed robbery
I had two years behind, but I could not wait the time
Everytime I thought about it, well I died some more inside

And I had stripes on my back, memories that hurt
For the only time I seen sunshine is when I hit the dirt
Diggin’ ditches for the chain gang, sleepin’ in the cold
Oh lord please forgive me for I could not wait no more

And I comin’ home to see you jesus
Well it feels so close this time
Please take mercy on this soldier
From the florida-georgia line

When they find me they must kill me
Oh jesus save my soul
I can’t go back down to raiford
I can’t take that anymore

Well these last few years behind me
Oh lord, have been so sad
I fought proudly for my country when the times were bad
Now they say I’m guilty, when they find me I must die
Only me and jesus know that I never stole a dime

Well when vietnam was over there was no work here for me
I had a pretty wife awaitin and two kids I had to feed
Well I’m one of america’s heroes and when they shoot me down
Won’t fly old glory proudly, put my medals in the ground

And I comin’ home to see you jesus
Well it feels so close this time
Please take mercy on this soldier
From the florida-georgia line

When they find me they must kill me
Oh jesus save my soul
I can’t go back down to raiford
I can’t take that anymore

[Done]

8. I prefer "They Call Me the Breeze"

[Orsino]

29. Yeah. That's their best...

Shame that it's a J. J. Cale cover.

[KitchenWitch]

9. It is that whole "the South will rise again" mentality

catchy tune, but I do not like the lyrics.

[Lex]

10. That song celebrates segregation and racism.

The lyrics piss me off to no end.

[Mistress Quickly]

45. How does it celebrate segregation and racism?

[Taverner]

63. Praise for Governor Wallace

particularly "We all did what we could do" meaning protest integration of blacks in public schools.

[Mistress Quickly]

67. Read the whole thread

that's a common misconception. In my case, I thought it was about not relecting Nixon, as in they did what they could do to not get Nixon relected, and because of that Watergate didn't bother them, does your conscience bother you?

But I was educated that it meant they tried to get Wallace out as governor.

[last_texas_dem]

48. I don't believe it does

Hence the "boo, boo, boo" after "In Birmingham they love the Governor." And also the line, "But we all did what we could do." (To help prevent Wallace from being Governor, I assume.) I see the song as more a defense of living in the south for its good aspects than celebrating its racial conflict and segregationist past. Also, in '76 Skynyrd campaigned for Jimmy Carter's Presidential campaign and have the antigun song "Saturday Night Special" so I don't see them as southern wingnuts. Their current incarnation may have become that (they had some awful reactionary song out that was a minor hit a couple of years ago) but I do believe that in their prime Lynyrd Skynyrd were not racists or wingnuts.

[fishwax]

85. Oh, God, I remember that awful RW song

but that just isn't the same band. Same name, but nowhere close.

[StopTheMorans]

11. hate it.

[Kire]

12. supposedly Neil Young and Ronnie Van Zant were friends

I heard that they wore each other's T-shirts onstage. Even after this song was released.

[no name no slogan]

76. The night Ronnie died, Neil played "Sweet Home Alabama" in concert

Most people don't mention that, but it's a fact. The night Ronnie and Cassie (and that other guy-- don't recall his name) died in the planecrash, Neil played "SHA" for them in tribute.

I agree the whole 'rivalry' was a tempest in a teapot. Not such a big deal, really. Especially when you consider what Governor Wallace turned into before he died.

[Skittles]

79. Neil loved Van Zandt

there was a great mutual respect there

[ThorsHammer]

13. I like it

[DemocratSinceBirth]

14. I Like Emiem's And Mikhaili Pheiffers's (sp) version too

eom

[youngred]

15. it's conservative, bashes young, and promotes segreagation

but I still like it for some reason....and I'm from NY!

[bunkerbuster1]

34. Does it?

"In Birmingham we have the gov'ner--BOO BOO BOO!
Well, we all did what we could do..."

dunno. I know that Skynyrd is posthumously beloved by many rednecks, but I don't see how the band were promoting segregation with that song.

[Zomby Woof]

53. WRONG

See my post below. You should know better!

[youngred]

86. heh

If you say so. Do remember I wasn't born at the time and the context of who liked or didn't like whom oftten flies over my head.

[JohnKleeb]

81. Well, well I do declare

:). Listen to Zomby on this one Zack, he's right and yer damned right, it is a catchy song but I like Young better.

[Dhalgren]

16. No. I loath it.

[Bertha Venation]

17. Yep. It's a great song to sing to in the car.

It just rocks. :shrug:

[Justyce]

18. love it n/t

[Wickerman]

19. Neil is reported to have said, when asked about the song,

I'd rather play 'Sweet Home Alabama' than 'Southern Man' anytime," Young said.

I don't agree with him and imagine he was being over-generous.

[peekaloo]

21. trivia......"got my dough-nuts, gawd dammit"

supposedly what Ronnie says at end of song......someone in the studio was munchin' his Krispy Kremes.

[Modem Butterfly]

22. I love that song

What a guilty pleasure. I'm not white, not from Alabama, and not a fan of George Wallace. And yet, I love that song.

[RagingInMiami]

25. I love Skynyrd

Growing up in Florida, we were always proud of that band. And call them what you want, but the original members of Skynyrd were not racist, but they were not ashamed to be southern.
Someone once wrote about them. "They're necks were red, but they grew their hair long to hide it."
Other classic songs are Simple Man, Tuesday's Gone and Four Wals of Raiford.

[Mistress Quickly]

27. LOL, see my post 26

I love Skynrd. People have a preconceived notion of them that is wrong.

[JitterbugPerfume]

32. I Love Skynard

I am not overly fond of this particular song


but i love the band

[jonnyblitz]

28. nope. hate that band. n/t

[GOPBasher]

30. The music is good, but the lyrics are horrible.

As other posters pointed out, the lyrics celebrate segregation.

[RagingInMiami]

33. I disagree

Well, I used to wake the mornin'
Before the rooster crowed
Searchin' for soda bottles
To get myself some dough
Brought 'em down to the corner
Down to the country store
Cash 'em in, and give my money
To a man named Curtis Loew
Old Curt was a black man
With white curly hair
When he had a fifth of wine
He did not have a care
He used to own an old Dobro
Used to play it 'cross his knee
I'd give old Curt my money
He'd play all day for me
chorus:
Play me a song
Curtis Loew, Curtis Loew
Well, I got your drinkin' money
Tune up your Dobro
People said he was useless
Them people all were fools
'Cause Curtis Loew was the finest picker
To ever play the blues
He looked to be sixty
And maybe I was ten
Mama used to whoop me
But I'd go see him again
I'd clap my hands, stomp my feet
Try to stay in time
He'd play me a song or two
Then take another drink of wine
chorus
Yes, sir
On the day old Curtis died
Nobody came to pray
Ol' preacher said some words
And they chunked him in the clay
Well, he lived a lifetime
Playin' the black man's blues
And on the day he lost his life
That's all he had to lose
Play me a song
Curtis Loew, hey Curtis Loew
I wish that you was here so
Everyone would know
People said he was useless
Them people all were fools
'Cause Curtis you're the finest picker
To ever play the blues

[GOPBasher]

37. ???? That's not "Sweet Home Alabama." I don't get it.

[RagingInMiami]

39. It's Curtis Lowe - about as anti-segregation a song can get

Here the lyrics to Sweet Home Alabama. Where does it mention anything about segregation? Just cause they're proud to be from the south doesn't mean they want to relive the Civil War.


Big wheels keep on turning
Carry me home to see my kin
Singing songs about the Southland
I miss Alabamy once again
And I think its a sin, yes

Well I heard mister Young sing about her
Well, I heard ole Neil put her down
Well, I hope Neil Young will remember
A Southern man don't need him around anyhow

Sweet home Alabama
Where the skies are so blue
Sweet Home Alabama
Lord, I'm coming home to you

In Birmingham they love the governor
Now we all did what we could do
Now Watergate does not bother me
Does your conscience bother you?
Tell the truth

Sweet home Alabama
Where the skies are so blue
Sweet Home Alabama
Lord, I'm coming home to you
Here I come Alabama

Now Muscle Shoals has got the Swampers
And they've been known to pick a song or two
Lord they get me off so much
They pick me up when I'm feeling blue
Now how about you?

Sweet home Alabama
Where the skies are so blue
Sweet Home Alabama
Lord, I'm coming home to you

Sweet home Alabama
Oh sweet home baby
Where the skies are so blue
And the governor's true
Sweet Home Alabama
Lordy
Lord, I'm coming home to you
Yea, yea Montgomery's got the answer

[Mistress Quickly]

44. The line

"Now we all did what we could do "

are they talking about trying to get Nixon not reelected?

[RagingInMiami]

49. They're talking about Governor George Wallace, a segregationist

"Now we all did what we could do" was they tried not getting him elected.

[Mistress Quickly]

55. Thanks

never was completely clear if it was anti-Repub or anti-Wallace.

[GOPBasher]

47. Fued with Niel Young.

Niel spoke against southern racists in his song, not all southern people. And they "put him down" for it. On edit, I should mention that you might be right. Maybe I always just *thought* it was about segregation, but it really wasn't. That would be my problem. However, they still shouldn't have bashed Niel like that.

[Zomby Woof]

56. They loved Neil

They thought they would good-naturedly give Neil a bad time because he was a Canadian passing himself off as an expert on southern affairs.

They wrote it as a JOKE. Ronnie knew it would piss people off, because like me, he knew such irony goes over most peoples' heads.

[GOPBasher]

75. I didn't know that.

[RebelOne]

31. I have always liked it. It's one of their best.

[El Fuego]

35. I only like it when I'm drunk.

When I hear it at a club at 2am, I just gotta dance!

[Mistress Quickly]

36. Eh, its catchy

I know the words, it comes from growing up in the south. It seems more of a pride thing in the state and the south (although they were from FL, which is much more redneck than many think) But I rank it up there with Freebird and Stairway to Heaven: overplayed and irritating.

The south has always been leery of big federal government, due to Reconstruction. I mean the lines:

"Now Watergate does not bother me
Does your conscience bother you?
Tell the truth"

are a slap in the face of those who voted for Nixon, ie Republicans.

We could win the south over, if people bothered to take the time to look at them as people and not stupid animals in a cage who mate with their relatives and have a 5th grade education.

[ThorsHammer]

42. Great point in your last sentence (nt)

[DemocratSinceBirth]

43. I Could Hear Sweet Home Alabama And Never Tire Of It...

Few songs have that affect on me...


Some other songs like that:


Young Americans


Saturday Night's All Right For Fighting


American Girl


Forever Young

[tjdee]

40. MY GOD I love it. Feel like dancing right now.

That song, and a very few other southern tinged songs from that period are fun in ways that other rock is not.

I don't think I'd ever buy it, but I get a kick out of it when I hear it on the radio or...wherever else I'd hear it....

[ceile]

46. Yep.

[Zomby Woof]

51. *sigh* NOT AGAIN!

How many times do I have to educate DUers about this song?

It does NOT celebrate segregation.

It does NOT endorse Wallace.

It does NOT really bash Neil Young - that was an admitted joke by Ronnie Van Zant, who said Young was a "genius"... plus, you'll notice on the cover of their 'Street Survivors' album Ronnie is wearing a "Tonight's The Night" shirt... THEY LAUGHED WHEN THEY WROTE THIS SONG. Why? Because you have to have a subtle sense of humor like Ronnie Van Zant did to understand that only a Neil Young fan could make a dig like that.

Bassist Leon Wilkeson said they supported Wallace "about as much as your average American supported Hitler."

Neil said he was proud to have his name in a song like that because "they play it like they mean it".

It combines blues, country, and gospel effectively - and this was a Top 10 POP and ROCK hit - and lastly, it celebrates Jimmy Johnson and the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section (The Swampers mentioned in the lyrics). They were the back-up band for such notoriously pro-segregration acts like Aretha Franklin and Otis Redding. :eyes:

Buck up, folks. You can hate the song, but stick to reasons of TASTE, instead of making ignorant comments which prove that you know not of what you speak.

Ronnie Van Zant was a Democrat and the band campaigned for Jimmy Carter in 1976, raising money to help END the era of Watergate. He would be ashamed of what his dumb kid brother has done to their name these days.

[GOPisEvil]

57. Yay! I get to post lyrics that support you!

RONNIE AND NEIL
(Hood / DBT)

Church blew up in Birmingham
Four little black girls killed for no goddamn good reason
All this hate and violence can't come to no good end
A stain on the good name.
A whole lot of good people dragged threw the blood and glass
Blood stains on their good names and all of us take the blame

Meanwhile in North Alabama, Wilson Pickett comes to town
To record that sweet soul music, to get that Muscle Shoals sound

Meanwhile in North Alabama, Aretha Franklin comes to town
To record that sweet soul music, to get that Muscle Shoals sound

And out in California, a rock star from Canada writes a couple of great songs about the
Bad shit that went down
"Southern Man" and "Alabama" certainly told some truth
But there were a lot of good folks down here and Neil Young wasn't around

Meanwhile in North Alabama, Lynyrd Skynyrd came to town
To record with Jimmy Johnson at Muscle Shoals Sound
And they met some real good people, not racist pieces of shit
And they wrote a song about it and that song became a hit

Ronnie and Neil Ronnie and Neil
Rock stars today ain't half as real
Speaking there minds on how they feel
Let them guitars blast for Ronnie and Neil

Now Ronnie and Neil became good friends their feud was just in song
Skynyrd was a bunch of Neil Young fans and Neil he loved that song
So He wrote "Powderfinger" for Skynyrd to record
But Ronnie ended up singing "Sweet Home Alabama" to the lord

And Neil helped carry Ronnie in his casket to the ground
And to my way of thinking, us southern men need both of them around

Ronnie and Neil Ronnie and Neil
Rock stars today ain't half as real
Speaking their minds on how they feel
Let them guitars blast for Ronnie and Neil


That's "Ronnie and Neil" as performed by Drive By Truckers, written by Patterson Hood and the rest of DBT.

[Mistress Quickly]

60. Thanks for that new song for me

Never heard it, gonna look for it.

[GOPisEvil]

64. If you like southern rock, you'll like DBT.

That song is from their double album "Southern Rock Opera".

[Mistress Quickly]

69. I've heard DBT before

just not familiar with that song (or much by them, lol). But that will change now, thanks!

[Zomby Woof]

66. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

That album is one of the greates of all time. "Southern Rock Opera". :D

[GOPisEvil]

If you get the chance to see DBT live, do it!

I've seen them 4 or 5 times, every show a winner!

[Withywindle]

84. Drive-By Truckers!! Thank you!!!

Just about my favorite band right now. Thank you SO MUCH!!


That Southern Rock Opera album means a lot to me--as a transplanted Southerner and indie rock fan trying to explain what that means to my friends in Chicago.....God it's beautiful. And they're one of the best live bands I've EVER seen.

[RagingInMiami]

59. Thank you

[johnnie]

61. Simmer down now...

This thread was just put up here real quick because the song was on the radio.
I know the whole story also, but thanks for all the information....again. My "Neil Young" comment wasn't ignorant, I just said it as a joke.
As for the song itself, it is not a very well written song in my opinion and as Ronnie stated: "We wrote Alabama as a joke. We didn't even think about it - the words just came out that way. We just laughed like hell, and said 'Ain't that funny'... We love Neil Young, we love his music..."
It is even funnier that you took their "joke" and dissected it like it was a statement of the century. *sigh*

:hi:

[Mistress Quickly]

62. but a lot of people

just became more edumacated about a misunderstood song!

Thanks!

[johnnie]

65. It's just a song

Among millions of other songs.

[Mistress Quickly]

70. LOL

being from the south, and sooo-ooo-ooo much southern bashing going on nowadays, I bristle when misconceptions are perpetuated. So thanks for one getting cleared up!

:hi:

[no name no slogan]

77. On a side note...

IIRC Neil Young also played "Sweet Home Alabama" in tribute at the next show he did following Ronnie's death. Much to the chagrin of many Neil Young fans, no doubt.

[Zomby Woof]

80. Don't underestimate most Neil Young fans

I am a huge fan of both, and know LOTS of people who are, or know of them. I think the fans deserve credit for being able to tell apart a myth from the truth.

The liner notes to "Rust Never Sleeps" (the CD version) mention that Neil wrote "Powderfinger" and "Sedan Delivery" for them to cover. But the plane crash occurred before they ever had a chance.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

78. Amen Zdub

[Solly Mack]

82. Bless you!

I was beginning to lose hope in this thread.

[Withywindle]

83. Exactly, thank you!

And Skynyrd recorded at Muscle Shoals. Incidentally, the backup singer on that song is Merry Clayton, who also sang those beautiful chilling lines on the Rolling Stones' "Gimme Shelter."

Lots of people look back on Muscle Shoals as one of the few places in the South in the 60s and 70s that black and white musicians could always work together. Lots of people crossed the expected color lines to play on soul and country and rock records out of there.

And the song is, as someone said above, knocking on Neil Young because Young was a CANADIAN who lived in CALIFORNIA making sweeping generalizations about the South. Most Southerners don't like that. It's like I can make snide remarks about my family--but you can't!

[bif]

52. I thought it was okay about 30 years ago

I just can't stand listening to music from my high school days anymore.

[Butterflies]

54. Driving in the car on a warm spring day . . . .

that's when I like to hear southern rock. It goes with the nice weather, and it reminds me of my teenage years in the '70s.

[DinahMoeHum]

58. As I understand it, they were no fans of George Wallace. . .

or Richard Nixon.

That said, they were never the same after that plane crash in October 1977.

On occasion, I hear a recent song of theirs, "Red White and Blue" on rock radio.

Only Gary Rossington and Billy Powell are in the current line-up. I saw the band on CMT a few weeks ago as they did a joint gig with Montgomery-Gentry called "Crossroads".

But AFAIAC, they're now but a shadow of their former selves, and I've never bought a album/CD of their music dated after 1978 (Skynyrd's First...and Last)

However, I did see the movie "Freebird" back in 1996 and bought the video a few years ago.

:toast:

[Zomby Woof]

68. Check out the "Collectybles" set from 2000

It's the last major vaults release... has their first 2 singles from 1968, and lots of early demos reflecting their Stones/Cream influence. Heavy blues, and a great R&B song called "Woman of Mine" with Powell playing electric piano. It's a gem, mostly un-rleased stuff.

[z-man]

71. I don't think I've heard it.

:shrug:

[johnnie]

72. It goes

Bing bing..bi-bing, ba bing bing b-bing, ba bing bing b-bing, ba bing ga ling a ling a ling a. (Turn it up), Bing bing..bi-bing, ba bing bing b-bing, ba bing bing b-bing, ba bing ga ling a ling a ling a

[z-man]

74. Oh that one!

Yeah, I don't like it. :D

[RagingInMiami]

73. You might be more familiar with the. ahem, more modern version

[jus_the_facts]

87. I love EVERYTHING they ever did...time and time again....

....ol' faithful tunes...never tire of 'em!! :)