Avatar feed
Responses: 16
LTC Stephen F.
13
13
0
Thank you, my friend Sgt (Join to see) for posting the 21st century incarnation of Lynyrd Skynyrd performing "Sweet Home Alabama" live in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
The guitar playing is spot on and the lead singer does a fairly good job. I still prefer Ronnie Van Zant as lead singer.

Lynyrd Skynyrd - Sweet Home Alabama - 7/2/1977 - Oakland Coliseum Stadium (Official)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GxWmSVv-cY

I had the privilege of seeing the original Lynyrd Skynyrd performing at Evansville Memorial Coliseum, Evansville, Indiana on June 14, 1974 during their Nuthin' Fancy Tour. They played:
Needle & the Spoon
I'm a Country Boy
Gimme Three Steps
Don't Ask Me No Questions
Saturday Night Special
Railroad Song
Call Me The Breeze
Sweet Home Alabama
On the Hunt
Free Bird

Song background "This song was written as an answer to the songs "Southern Man" and "Alabama" by Neil Young, who wrote them about the racism and slavery in the South.
This track is kind of an anthem for the state of Alabama and it is often played during sport events there.
Neil Young later stated in his auto-biography, "Waging Heavy Peace", "My own song '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."
These lyrics contain a reference to the studio musicians at Muscle Shoals Sound Studios, where Lynyrd Skynyrd recorded in 1970-1972. "



"Sweet Home Alabama" written by Edward C King / Gary Robert Rossington / Ronnie Van Zant
Lyrics
"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 guv'nor's true
Sweet Home Alabama
Lordy
Lord, I'm coming home to you
Yea, yea Montgomery's got the answer"

FYI SFC (Join to see) Maj Kim Patterson SMSgt Lawrence McCarter LTC (Join to see)1sg-dan-capriSGT Robert R.
CPT Tommy CurtisSGT (Join to see) SGT Steve McFarland
Col Carl WhickerSGT Mark AndersonSSG Michael NollCPT Daniel CoxSFC David Reid, M.S, PHR, SHRM-CP, DTMSFC Jack ChampionA1C Ian WilliamsCpl James R. " Jim" Gossett Jr SPC Jon O.
(13)
Comment
(0)
LTC Wayne Brandon
11
11
0
This song became popular when I was at Ft. Gordon for MPOBC in '74.
I think it hit number one in about 5 days and they have never quit playing it South of the MDL.
Thanks for the memories this afternoon, Kerry ~
(11)
Comment
(0)
LTC Wayne Brandon
LTC Wayne Brandon
>1 y
LTC Stephen C. - Well we didn't miss each other by much. I arrived on post September 4th and also stayed at Griffith Hall and attended classes in 'Splinter City' about a mile down the road across from the PT field.
My son is and E-7 stationed at Gordon with the Signal Towers HQ as a Cyber Communications Quality Assurance Evaluator and the post is nearly unrecognizable to me save for the water tower which is now a different color but still the same one.
It would have been nice to go to the Masters Tournament - Was that at the Bobby Jones course?
(1)
Reply
(0)
LTC Wayne Brandon
LTC Wayne Brandon
>1 y
SGT (Join to see) - Yeah, Too soon old, too late smart as they say.
It could have been worse - You could have been sent to Polk in the heat of the summer.
Next to Nam, I don't think there is a worse place on the planet for hot, humid weather than Louisiana. When were you there?
(1)
Reply
(0)
LTC Wayne Brandon
LTC Wayne Brandon
>1 y
SPC Douglas Bolton - I don't think they had fixed it up much by the time LTC Curlee and I arrived in '74.
(2)
Reply
(0)
SPC Douglas Bolton
SPC Douglas Bolton
>1 y
Lol
(1)
Reply
(0)
Avatar small
LTC Stephen C.
10
10
0
D417f1c3
Sgt (Join to see), I've posted something like this before, so for many, this is a repeat and my apologies if it's repetitious to you. I grew up in Jacksonville, FL and went to Robert E. Lee High School, graduating in 1967. Gary Rossington was a sophomore there when I was a senior. Larry Junstrom, another founding band member, was a senior with me. None of the Van Zants appear in any of my yearbooks and may have already dropped out by then.
My sister was also a sophomore, and remembers going to parties in her friends' backyards and hearing the band play when they were named My Backyard!
Almost everyone knows they took their name from a coach at Lee named Leonard Skinner. I played on the football team and he was the assistant head coach and offensive backs coach for the team when I played. Although Coach Skinner is a cultural icon now (although now deceased), he did not endear himself to many of the football players! This photo of Coach Skinner is from the 1967 Lee yearbook.
LTC Wayne Brandon
(10)
Comment
(0)
LTC Stephen C.
LTC Stephen C.
>1 y
SP5 Jeannie Carle, I’ve learned in my life, through athletics and the military, to distinguish the difference between a leader/coach that is stern, disciplined, fair and teaches and mentors, and a person who is simply a jerk. Believe me, the man for whom Lynyrd Skynyrd was named was not the former.
(4)
Reply
(0)
SPC Woody Bullard
SPC Woody Bullard
>1 y
435f8e1d
Ca471f93
I bought this vinyl 45 PM record "SWEET HOME ALABAMA" when it was released and still play it on the turntable today. We had a lot of great musicians in north Florida back in the 1960's and 70's. In the early 60's Gregg and Duane Allman over in Daytona Beach at Seabreeze High School. Don Felder, Bernie Leadon of the Eagles and Stephen Stills of Buffalo Springfield (FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH) and Crosby,Stills,Nash&Young were students at Gainesville High School. Tom Petty was also a student here at GHS. Then add in Lynyrd Skynyrd from over in Jacksonville. Great musical talent in north Florida.
(2)
Reply
(0)
SPC Woody Bullard
SPC Woody Bullard
>1 y
Fc010cf9
Homecoming game for the Gators in the Swamp.
GATORS and WAR EAGLES. The Swamp will be
full of orange and blue colors this Saturday. :o)
GOOOO GATORS !!!
(2)
Reply
(0)
LTC Stephen C.
LTC Stephen C.
>1 y
E0880860
It's going to be a good game, SPC Woody Bullard! WAR EAGLE!
(2)
Reply
(0)
Avatar small

Join nearly 2 million former and current members of the US military, just like you.

close