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.
Oh, no, no, no!! Gotta be "They love to watch (HER STRUT)" and the "FIRE DOWN BELOW". Both WORK! Even the mellow stuff like "Turn the Page" is great, though.
I love that song! The classic rock station in Baton Rouge plays it at least once a week, and everybody at work stops what they're doing to listen to it.
There is an Elvis Presley Song posted Here
Jimmy Hendrix used to have a house up here in the 60's so this one is for your son.
Don't forget "Jody Girl" and "Ramblin' Man". But "Feel Like A Number" summarizes the work day for most people, and anyone over 40 who doesn't feel a twinge when listening to "Like a Rock" is probably already dead.
I remember one night, must have been spring of 79? Was driving around the streets of New Orleans and heard YMCA on 3 radio stations at the same time. I cried.
My favorites.......:o)
Nitty Gritty Dirt band...Laying on yer back fishing in the dark...
Emerson Lake and Palmer, Fanfare to a Common Man...
Pachebel (sp?) Canon in D....
Mansions of the Lord (from the we were soldiers soundtrack)...
Leo Kottke's, Medley: Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring...
Louie Armstrongs, "What a Wonderful World"...
Fleetwod Mac's, Tusk with the USC Marching band....
Scott Joplin's, Black and White Rag....
Adrian Legg's , Coggins Glory...
Allison Krause, Down to the river to pray (from the Oh Brother soundtrack)...
I like this:
Well, I'm a runnin' down the road, tryin' to loosen my load,
I've got seven women on my mind:
four that wanna own me, two that wanna stone me,
one says she's a friend of mine.
Take it easy, take it easy,
don't let the sound of your own wheels drive you crazy.
Lighten up while you still can, don't even try to understand,
just find a place to make your stand and take it easy.
Well, I'm a standin' on a corner in Winslow, Arizona
and such a fine sight to see:
it's a girl, my Lord, in a flat bed Ford
slowin' down to take a look at me.
Come on, baby, don't say maybe.
I gotta know if your sweet love is gonna save me.
We may lose and we may win though we will never be here again.
So open up, I'm climbin' in, so take it easy.
Well, I'm a runnin' down the road, tryin' to loosen my load,
got a world of trouble on my mind.
Lookin' for a lover who won't blow my cover,
she's so hard to find.
Take it easy, take it easy,
don't let the sound of your own wheels drive you crazy.
Come on, baby, don't say maybe.
I gotta know if your sweet love is gonna save me.
Oh, we got it easy,
we oughta take it easy
I hope your husband is not a Willey or a Sam..
True story, I woke up on Election Day 2000, and CBS Radio news had a story about the last Dubya rally outside of Texas, in Little Rock of all places. They were playing "Don't Stop" by Fleetwood Mac, then all of a sudden, you hear this loud scratching sound as they drag the needle across a record. Next thing you know, they're cranking up "Won't Get Fooled Again". Funniest thing I ever heard.
Love that New Orleans early rock sound; I'm more partial to "Don't You Just Know It."
Told my spouse a long time ago that if I was in a coma - put some Bob Seger on and if my toes didn't start moving - plug that plug. Hmmmmm....wonder if that would stand up in court. :o)
Depends. If the Judge is a Seger fan the he would surely understand.
Squantos,
Great list. You are all over the map as am I.
You need to add some Gregorian chants in there for diversity. LOL.
Take care
I've always thought Joe Walsh's best guitar work was in Asshtonpark.
I guess it's because I went to high school in the 80s, but I listen to 80s music every chance I can get. Just something fun and upbeat about it. It always reminds me of Ronaldus Magnus and "Morning in America".
BTW: Best album of the 80s: "Purple Rain" by Prince. It absolutely blows away "Thriller" by the child molester.
The left turn occurred pretty early on with the influx of the folkies in the late 50s/early 60s followed by the San Francisco groups. If I recall, the Clash broke up because Strummer was moving politically to the right following Eden "Commander Zero" Pastora; I remember someone saying an interview that "Joe is a Contra, not a Sandinista" meaning it to be an insult.
Enya's collection is in my CD rack somewhere but was left off the "best" list....close as I get to gregorian chants......:o)
Got a ride on the SSN 645 James K. Polk once and they played Enya.......calmed us animals was their excuse.
Stay safe !
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.