What Sparked Neil Young and Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Public Feud in the 1970s
via AXS TV / YouTube
Southern Pride and “Southern Man”
The friction between Neil Young and Lynyrd Skynyrd began when Young released the song “Southern Man” on his iconic album After the Gold Rush. The track took aim at racism and slavery in the southern United States, referencing its historical connection to the Ku Klux Klan. While Young highlighted serious societal issues, his lyrics painted the South in a negative light, offending many listeners, including Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Ronnie Van Zant.
Van Zant respected Young’s music but couldn’t overlook the way the song generalized his home region. The stereotyping felt unfair, and Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Southern pride was hit hard by the song’s critical tone. Young tried to clarify his intentions by saying the track reflected the Civil Rights Movement rather than specifically attacking the South. Yet his explanation didn’t ease the anger. In the liner notes for Decade, Young commented, “This song could have been written on a civil rights march after stopping off to watch Gone With The Wind at a local theatre.” Fans from the South, however, felt the criticism was aimed directly at them.
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“Alabama” and Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Response
Two years later, Young addressed the same controversial subject again with “Alabama.” While the title mentioned one state, Young later described the song as personal rather than geographically specific. In his liner notes, he explained, “Actually, the song is more about a personal thing than it is about a state… I’m just using that name and that state to hide whatever it is I have to hide; I don’t know what that means.”
Despite Young’s attempt to clarify the message, it sparked more outrage among southerners. Ronnie Van Zant told Rolling Stone, “We thought Neil was shooting all the ducks in order to kill one or two. We’re southern rebels, but more than that, we know the difference between right and wrong.” Fueled by his frustration, Van Zant and Lynyrd Skynyrd recorded “Sweet Home Alabama,” a now-legendary anthem defending the South. The song even directly referenced Young, with Van Zant singing, “I hope Neil Young will remember, a Southern man don’t need him around anyhow.”
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Reflection and Reconciliation
The bold response made Young reconsider his approach. In his 2012 autobiography Waging Heavy Peace, he admitted, “‘Alabama’ richly deserved the shot Lynyrd Skynyrd gave me with their great record. I don’t like my words when I listen to it. They are accusatory and condescending, not fully thought out, and too easy to misconstrue.”
Though their feud was public, it didn’t last forever. Young was impressed by “Sweet Home Alabama,” later saying, “They play like they mean it, I’m proud to have my name in a song like theirs.” He even performed the song live a few times and sent Lynyrd Skynyrd a demo of his track “Powderfinger” as an olive branch. Tragically, Van Zant and other band members died in a plane crash before recording the song.
Weeks after their loss in 1977, Young honored them at a Miami charity show, blending “Alabama” with “Sweet Home Alabama” in an emotional tribute.
