Lynyrd Skynyrd – Sweet Home Alabama – 7/2/1977

Lynyrd Skynyrd – Sweet Home Alabama – 7/2/1977 | Society Of Rock Videos

Van Zant and Neil Young go head to head, sort of…

Just three and a half months before the unfortunate plane crash that killed Skynyrd members Steve Gaines, his sister, backing vocalist Cassie Gaines, and lead singer Ronnie Van Zant, Lynyrd Skynyrd played this killer show the weekend of July 4th in Oakland.

This song was written about their views and opinions of Alabama, and as a tribute to the musicians at Muscle Shoals Sound Studios (as noted in the song). One of the biggest inspirations being Neil Young’sSouthern Man“, and “Alabama“. One of the verses is an attack on Neil Young: “I hope Neil Young will remember a southern man don’t need him around anyhow“, which implied that people in the Southern US were racist and stuck in the past.

Skynyrd responded with this, a song about Southern pride and all the good things in Alabama. The feud between Lynyrd Skynyrd and Neil Young was always good-natured fun; they were actually big fans of each other. Ronnie Van Zant often wore Neil Young T-shirts on stage.

Let’s go back in time, and check out what it would have been like to be at this awesome 4th of July show!

 

+Sweet Home Alabama+

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 gov’ nor (boo, boo, boo)
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 guv’nor’s true
Sweet Home Alabama
Lordy
Lord, I’m coming home to you
Yea, yea Montgomery’s got the answer

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