"Sweet Home Alabama" is considered by many to be the best song off of their second album, Second Helping. I, on the other hand, believe it's got a nice guitar solo, but lyrically, the song is garbage. I mean, when you read the lyrics you'll probably be wondering to yourself if it was written by a 10 year racist who's dying to get his racism out of his chest.
The motivation behind lyrics was a response to Neil Young who wrote "Alabama" and "Southern Man." Both of these songs CORRECTLY explore the South's racism toward Black Americans. Neil Young may be Canadian but he sure knows a thing or two about the South. Nevertheless, this didn't sit well with the White boys of Lynyrd Skynyrd. So they wrote this silly song, which many musicians considered to be pretty good. If you think this stuff is good, you have drunk the Koolade, my friend. "We thought Neil was shooting all the ducks in order to kill one or two," said Ronnie Van Zant, the lead singer in response to mild criticism of the song.
If you closely look at this dumb song, you'll understand how desperately the band is trying to defend the South, and racism in general:That's what I can think of this silly song. Feel free to disagree with me if you think otherwise.
In Birmingham they love the governor(Boo! Boo! Boo!)17 - This is a reference to Governor George Wallace, who opposed civil rights movement and integration of Black and White communities in the state of Alabama. Obviously the band was called out on this. Van Zant's response this criticism was, "The lyrics about the governor of Alabama were misunderstood. The general public didn't notice the words 'Boo! Boo! Boo!' after that particular line, and the media picked up only on the reference to the people loving the governor." But what his hillbilly dude doesn't realize is that at the end of the song, the same mouth sings, "the governor's true."43 So what does that suppose to mean? Sounds me like a classic Republican flip-flop.
Now Watergate does not bother me19 - How does this not suppose to bother anybody? In fact, it bothered Richard Nixon so much, he ended up resigning as the President of the United States. He's only one living president to do so. What a shame? Nevertheless, this whole incident doesn't bother Lynyrd Skynyrd because their hillbilly governor, George Wallace, too supported the Watergate scandal.
Besides the lyrics of the song, there's the use of Confederate Flag on the poster released to support the song.
- 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 it's 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(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 governor's true
- Sweet Home Alabama
- Lordy
- Lord, I'm coming home to you
- Yea, yea
No comments:
Post a Comment
All comments will be automatically reviewed by the system, and by the author afterwards. So follow the guidelines listed below; failure to do so will result in your comment being removed.
- Keep comments nice and clean
- Don't include commercials/links to products
- You may include a link to your website if it's relevant