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Best song ever picks me up when I'm feelin' blue
Chicago Sun-Times ^ | March 30, 2005 | RICHARD ROEPER SUN-TIMES COLUMNIST

Posted on 03/30/2005 4:35:33 AM PST by Chi-townChief

Maybe it was during the Grammy Awards, when an all-star band jammed to this song onstage, reminding us of a time when you had to play an instrument to be considered a musician. Maybe it was when I was at P.J. Clarke's on State Street on the Saturday before St. Patrick's Day, and green-clad revelers of all ages started dancing when the song came on the jukebox. I didn't see a man who danced with his wife, but I did see a girl who wasn't born when the song was released -- and she was singing along with every word, as if it had been her homecoming theme.

Maybe it was when I heard the song as the theme for a NASCAR video game.

Maybe it was when Hilary and Hailey Duff appeared at an event at the W Hotel City Center on Adams a couple of weeks ago, and the crowd went wild when DJ AM incorporated the song's famous opening riff into his mix.

Maybe it was when the song popped up during a screening of the upcoming Matthew McConaughey-Penelope Cruz movie "Sahara" -- just the latest of many, many, many films to use this tune on the soundtrack.

Maybe it was all those factors, building to a crescendo.

All I know is that somewhere along the way, it hit me.

"Sweet Home Alabama" is the greatest rock and roll song of all time.

Some Lynyrd Skynyrd purists will tell you that "Sweet Home Alabama" isn't even the greatest Skynyrd song of all time, that the honors should go to "Tuesday's Gone" or some lesser-known album cut. (But probably not the overrated "Freebird.") Still, no Lynyrd Skynyrd song, and few rock songs from any band, have cut such a wide and lasting swath through the popular culture, while somehow retaining power and freshness.

'Big wheels keep on turnin' '

When I hear the first notes of "Stairway to Heaven" or "Smoke on the Water," I lunge for the radio dial. Enough is enough. When I hear the first notes of "Sweet Home Alabama," well, I turn it up.

The opening guitar lick is one of the most recognizable and electrifying intros in the history of popular music, right up there with the first notes of "Ohio," "Layla," "Baba O'Reilly" and "Revolution."

The lead vocals are muscular and clear and unapologetic.

Everybody knows the first line: "Big wheels keep on turnin.' " Not everybody knows the second line ("Carry me home to see my kin"), but it doesn't matter, you can keep singing anyway and catch up with "And I think it's a sin, yeah."

The chorus is just about perfect. You cannot and should not resist singing along with it.

The guitar work is killer.

The chick-singer background work is heavenly.

The lyrics matter. Yes, they're a bit incendiary. The founding members of Lynyrd Skynyrd were from Florida, and they embraced the Confederate flag as a stage prop. "Sweet Home Alabama" was written in part as a response to Neil Young's "Southern Man," and it includes a line seemingly sympathetic to Gov. George Wallace. But Ronnie Van Zant and his bandmates in Skynyrd also recorded "The Ballad of Curtis Lowe," an important song that embraced black music and spoke of the young Van Zant's rebellion against institutional racism.

It's everywhere

Taken as a whole and in the context of the times, "Sweet Home Alabama" is not in any way a racist song. Neil Young understood that, and so did Jimmy Carter, a liberal who welcomed the band's support.

Enough with the defense. If I'm casting my vote for the song with the best message about tolerance and peace and love, I could come up with countless better selections, from "Turn! Turn! Turn!" by the Byrds to "What's Going On?" by Marvin Gaye.

But we're talking pure rock. And as piece of pure rock, "Sweet Home Alabama" kicks ass.

It's also a pop culture touchstone, more so now than 30 years ago. "Sweet Home Alabama" has been featured in "Forrest Gump," "The Girl Next Door" and "To Die For," among other films. Of course there's also the movie "Sweet Home Alabama," with a cover version from Jewel.

In "Con Air," when the inmates take over the plane and party to the sounds of "Alabama," Steve Buscemi's Garland Greene character makes the immortal observation: "Define irony: a bunch of idiots dancing around on a plane to a song made famous by a band that died in a plane crash."

Then there's the scene in "8 Mile" when Eminem's B-Rabbit customizes the lyrics to reflect the sad state of his own life: "Cuz I live at home in a trailer/Mom I'm comin' home to you!"

Over the last five decades, there have been enough great rock and roll songs to make an iPod cry. Rolling Stone magazine recently listed its top 500, with Bob Dylan's "Like a Rolling Stone" at the top. I could list 100 stronger contenders, from "Won't Get Fooled Again" to "Smells Like Teen Spirit" to "Hey Jude" to "November Rain" -- but none surpasses "Sweet Home Alabama."

Turn it up.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial; Miscellaneous
KEYWORDS: entertainment; music
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To: Aquinasfan
I suppose that a lot of this is subjective, but you can't criticize Led Zeppelin, Steely Dan or The Who for that.

I agree with you there. For a band that the critics hated (Zeppelin) they are almost critique proof. I like some Steely Dan ("Pretzel Logic" namely). Of all early 70's 'bombastic rock' I love the Who the most.

It was also the golden age of southern rock with the Almans, Skynyrd, The Outlaws, Little Feat and Marshall Tucker.

Never really got southern rock. Again I repeat I'm from the south, Memphis Tennessee. I was always more into stuff actually from Memphis.. Stax/Volt soul.. Big Star...etc.

I liked the Clash and a lot of the New Wave stuff at the time, but not as much now. It's not as good musically, some of it is mean-spirited, and a lot is just vapid.

I've always had mixed feelings about the Clash. They were pseudo commies but they made electrifying music. I think it was during that period that rock music took a hard left turn. Still I love most of it though, as a counterweight to disco (and I don't totally rag disco either, some of it was okay -- Chic). Actually when I was referring to punk saving rock from itself I was referring more to the Ramones. By the way, Johnny Ramone (not Joey) was a total Republican Conservative.

201 posted on 03/30/2005 8:56:02 AM PST by soundandvision
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To: wizr
Since you brought them up... Best rock instrumental ever is Jessica by the Allman Brothers.

Best rock "tour de'force" is Whipping Post, again, by the Allman Brothers. Also my choice for best rock song ever.

Going to see both Skynyrd and the Allmans in May in Huntsville AL. I'm sure it's going to be predominately Skynyrd crowd, but I'm going for the Allmans. The current Skynyrd pretty much sucks.
202 posted on 03/30/2005 8:57:41 AM PST by TruBluKentuckian
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To: infocats

Anything by Elvis picks me up. I also like big band-"Moonlight Serenade" Glenn Miller. Judy Garland singing-Zing! Went The Strings Of My Heart and "The Trolley Song". Chuck Berry "You Never Can Tell". And my son (a Nine Inch Nails fan) thinks Jimi Hendrix was the best guitarist.


203 posted on 03/30/2005 8:58:07 AM PST by TracyPA
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To: TonyRo76

Agree on the Guess Who. I bought their greatest hits CD on a whim. I've just about wore the thing out. I had forgotten how good they were.


204 posted on 03/30/2005 8:58:25 AM PST by CommerceComet
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To: expatguy

Holy cow. Don't remind me. 1978-79 was the nadir of American civilization. Thank God for punk rock.


205 posted on 03/30/2005 9:02:07 AM PST by B-Chan (Catholic. Monarchist. Texan. Any questions?)
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To: Aquinasfan

Chicago with Terry Kath was awesome. They just should have kept Cetera away from the mike.


206 posted on 03/30/2005 9:02:12 AM PST by dfwgator (It's sad that the news media treats Michael Jackson better than our military.)
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To: ncdrumr; dfwgator
I've not listened to anything of theirs beyond the dreamboat Annie lp or their greatest hits from about the same era. (might even be the same disk) I bought dreamboat Annie on picture disk. Girls who can rock and look that good too!

I got saved in 1986 and haven't listened to too much rock since then. I catch the oldies stations every once in a while but most of rock seems to have died back then. It's all grunge and punk, hip-hop and rap. I just can't stomache it anymore

207 posted on 03/30/2005 9:02:24 AM PST by John O (God Save America (Please))
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To: dfwgator

I liked some of it, but their 70s stuff WAS much better and still holds up. The 80s songs sound dated, as do most 80s songs now. Thankfully they've gone back to their roots on the new album. Glad to see other Heart fans (even quasi-fans) here :)


208 posted on 03/30/2005 9:03:49 AM PST by ncdrumr
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To: SVTCobra03
<House of the Rising Sun - The Animals Bad Moon Arising - Creedence

I'm with you on Creedence. "Up Around the Bend" is another great pick-me-up song with an excellent opening riff.

209 posted on 03/30/2005 9:05:02 AM PST by rogercolleridge
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To: rogercolleridge

I know it's a lefty song, but "Fortunate Son" just flat out rocks.


210 posted on 03/30/2005 9:06:03 AM PST by dfwgator (It's sad that the news media treats Michael Jackson better than our military.)
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To: John O

You haven't missed much since '86. I agree, the grunge, hip-hop junk is nauseating.


211 posted on 03/30/2005 9:08:16 AM PST by ncdrumr
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To: TruBluKentuckian

I went to see Little Feat and the Allman Bros. at the Santa Barbara Bowl.

I was hooked on Little Feat, but when the Bros. laid down the electrics and picked up the acoustics, I felt like I was in Heaven.


212 posted on 03/30/2005 9:11:48 AM PST by wizr (Freedom ain't free.)
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To: TonyRo76
And what whiny, sniveling, condescending hippie song ever deserved a rebuttal more than Neil Young's "Southern Man"?

Ronnie Van Zant is wearing a "Neil Young" tour t-shirt on the cover of "Street Survivors" (kinda hard to see in this pic but it's there). Neil Young admits he loved Sweet Home Alabama and claims to have played it live a few times.

I'd love to hear Young crank this tune out. Saw Young in concert. The dude jams hard and loud.

213 posted on 03/30/2005 9:12:42 AM PST by Drew68
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To: dfwgator
I know it's a lefty song, but "Fortunate Son" just flat out rocks. One of the best B-sides EVER. A-side was "Bad Moon Rising".
214 posted on 03/30/2005 9:13:10 AM PST by soundandvision
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To: Chi-townChief

Joe Walsh? Rocky Mountain Way makes superb noise...really really good Coors music in by-gone days
http://music.walmart.com/m/000/08/81/12/23/12/0000881122312.01.01.010.mp3


215 posted on 03/30/2005 9:13:57 AM PST by daybreakcoming ("Courage is being scared to death -- and saddling up anyway." - John Wayne)
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To: Drew68
I'd love to hear Young crank this tune out. Saw Young in concert. The dude jams hard and loud. Young's early to mid 70's records are among the best of that decade I think..
216 posted on 03/30/2005 9:14:44 AM PST by soundandvision
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To: B-Chan

It was the best. I hated punk rock and disco


217 posted on 03/30/2005 9:19:38 AM PST by expatguy (http://laotze.blogspot.com/)
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To: biblewonk

SSSSSLLLLLAAAAAYYYYYYEEEERRRRR

OR

HATEBREED


218 posted on 03/30/2005 9:21:09 AM PST by chris1 ("Make the other guy die for his country" - George S. Patton Jr.)
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To: Condor51

REO & Journey were absolute best driving music - sun roof open - driving over to Florida beaches....yeah.
Gotta get off this thread :o)


219 posted on 03/30/2005 9:22:18 AM PST by daybreakcoming ("Courage is being scared to death -- and saddling up anyway." - John Wayne)
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To: pbear8

Kewl

:)


220 posted on 03/30/2005 9:24:13 AM PST by cyncooper (I see pod people)
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