Fun Facts, the lead singer Ronnie Van Zant was actually from Florida! Also, about the flag and racism thing. It was absolutely just a southern pride thing for them. Not to say that some people don't fly the rebel flag with racist intent, but for some, and for sure those guys, it was ALL about being a proud southerner. The line "In Birmingham they love the governor" refers to George Wallace, governor at the time who was pro-segregation, is followed by the line BOO, BOO, BOO. Conveying their dislike of the man and his ideology.
Why does the general Lee scream rasism? For me I had a General Lee in my room. Pinned up. Just meant southern pride. I didn't know anything about rasism. Rock on Lynard skynard.
@@homerwimberly8693 Not sure if you think I said it screams racism,.or just meant in general. But "General Lee" was a person, and a car, but not a flag. Also, if you are implying that you see no connection between the flag used to represent the Confederate army, and racism, you're ignorant, dumb, or lying. And I for one am a defender.of it's use to display southern pride. But don't pretend it doesn't have certain connotations.
@@dbsagacious racism was not the main reason for the civil war and most certainly not the confederate army. 0nly 1 or 2% of wealthy whites owned slaves and none of them fought cause they had the money to stay out.
@@mysonandme8424 Come on. You know that's B.S. The wealthy 1% made the decisions back then, just as now. The 1-2% you spoke of were the ones who fought to keep their slaves, and pushed the north to do something about it. You can be a proud southerner, and be aware that the south fought to preserve the massive moneymaking plantations and the slaves they had. Don't be that guy. You can acknowledge the truth of the past, and still be proud of your heritage. It isn't mutually exclusive.
In the 70s (yes I remember it) the Confederate battle flag was looked at differently with young folks in the south. We called it the "rebel flag" and more or less represented our natural "rebellion" against authority, and also the the whole Southern rock Party atmosphere these bands brought. It really had nothing to do with racism , our the civil war at all. It was pure Southern rock party pride. Thats all.
The plane crash took Ronnie Van Zandt, but when I hear him sing or watch videos of their live performances, it's like he's still right here. LONG LIVE LYNYRD SKYNYRD!
I agree with some of the folks below that listening to studio versions first in most cases is probably best, then checking out the different famous live recordings. It’s been fun experiencing this journey of discovery with you both (and you still have so much left to check out) Also wanted to say thank you as you are two of the most open minded people I’ve encountered in years. Your willingness to see other people’s perspective has been refreshing. It is rare these days from anyone with a platform.
One of my favorite Brad & Lex reactions was watching Lex discover "Free Bird". I would love to see a reaction to the Live version from this same concert.
@@annaoswald5943 Some people say the Oakland sound is better, but Knebworth has the added interest of Skynyrd opening for the Stones and stealing the show. (And supposedly violating the edict of not walking out on the "tongue" portion of the stage.)
Live version is a MUST see. They were told not to walk out to the end of the stage at that concert but during free Bird Ronnie guided them out to play their guitar solos defying the rules.
The Neil Young reference was always an inside the music industry thing, in the end they liked each other. Ronnie Van Zant would often wear Neil Young T-shirts during concerts, and during the Neil Young concert film Rust Never Sleeps, Crazy Horse Bassist Billy Talbot is wearing a Lynyrd Skynyrd T-shirt. The love goes both ways.
It's still a rebuttal. They don't have to hate each other to have different opinions. Neil Young called out southern men mentioning their good book, they in turn asked him who asked you? There's truth in each side of the story. The fact that they can recognize that says plenty.
The flag represented being a rebel against the normal back then. I had the stars and bars on my motorcycle tank back in the 60's. It indicated one being a rebel out of the norm. Becoming a 1% member of a motorcycle gang or being a Hippie. Same brand of identity.
True. Though that was somewhat based on ignorance of history. That being said, the confederate flag definitely didnt mean someone was a racist back then. Today though its somewhat less innocently ignorant...
@@mistrants2745 Talk about being ignorant, That is NOT the Confederate flag! That is the Rebel Flag officially known as the Battle Flag of Northern Virginia. Each Army had it's own Battle Flag.
@@bobbyscott5162 im aware the 'confederate flag' was not actually the official flag of the confederacy. Still, its now commonly known as the confederate flag and it doesnt really impact the meaning behind it.
1 of my all time favorite bands. Brad & Lex, your channel is awesome and I leave always smiling. You 2 make me wish that I knew you personally. Much respect.
@@ORagnar Pat Finnerty did a good video about All Summer Long in his "Why This Song Stinks" series. Basically Kid Rock was listening to Werewolves of London and noticed that the chords and tempo were the same as Sweet Home Alabama.
@@heikojakob6491 yeah it was about an hour and a half. But concerts these days are in the hundreds of dollars and I feel like that's too much. Thanks for the reply. ✌️🤘🤔😃 Brother Gary
@@garytrew2766, I saw them right after Labor Day 1976 at an outdoor event in Nashville. I was 14, but got to go with my older brother who was 28 and his wife who was 25. Atlanta Rhythm Section opened the show. Wet Willie was supposed to play second but didn't make it to the show because their bus had broken down somewhere in Georgia on the way. So The Outlaws who were third on the bill played a longer set, as did Skynyrd who closed the show. I still have some great Skynyrd pics taken by my brother to this day that he left to me upon his passing. I sadly lost him in 2009 and my sister-in-law in 2010. Ironically, new to the band at the time was a relativey unknown and obscure guitarist (except in Oklahoma and the Kansas City area) who'd recently joined the band in June, 1976 named Steve Gaines, and boy was he quite a talented picker. I've seen oodles of shows from the the classic rock era over the years, but that show was as fine of a performance from all 3 bands as I've ever seen.
@@GBeret83 you have some great memories of what your brother did for you and the great shows y'all saw. I'm sorry for your loss . Just a note I got to see the Outlaws in the late seventies play in abar I went to after work. They had played a concert in town and I had to work, it was awesome they came in my favorite bar to unwind after the show and played over an hour using the house bands equipment. Keep rocking brother Brother Gary 🕶️
God, how I love Lex's intensely fascinated face during the first part of this video. Who among us can deny that she is a treasure and Brad is a lucky (and deserving) man? I think that Lex is a Southern Girl through and through. I would suggest they listen to "Southern Girls" by Cheap Trick in the near future
So few guitar players get the riff right too. It's a lot more involved than it seems. Scott Raines, guitar player for the Artimus Pyle Band (Artimus being the Skynyrd drummer from 1975 to the 90s.) went to Ed King and had Ed teach him what he was missing. Subtle little things that are hard to hear but in the song they do make a difference.
I can only speak as a kid in his teens in the 80's, who grew up in New Orleans. We liked the rebel flag back then because first, it represented the south and second, what teenage kid does not want to be a rebel!, so Brad had the right idea. Funny thing is that I bought my first rebel flag in frontier land at Disney world in California. Had I known about the Gadson flag back then, I probably would have had one of those also.
As someone that also lives in Louisiana, I've never understood why people don't just wave their state flag to show southern pride. Then they wouldn't look like they're celebrating the negative aspects of the south.
As someone who has lived in the South for over 30 years, I can assure you that the rebel flag does not mean what you think it means. That flag re-emerged in the 50s and 60s as part of an effort to counter and intimidate members of the Civil Rights Movement. I've lived in SC for the past 20 years, and one of my happiest days here was in July of 2015 when that symbol of hate was taken down and removed from the Sate House grounds.
Great song great reaction guys. Brad seems very intelligent about everything he speaks on and lex got that smile that lights up the room. Keep em coming guys. Best of luck
If this video was from 1977, it would have been one of the last live Skynyrd performances with the original members. Ronnie Van Zant, the lead singer, was killed along with their new guitarist Steve Gaines and Steve's sister Cassie, one of the backup singers (also known as the "Honkettes") in a plane crash in October of '77. That was my junior year of college, and they were from my hometown of Jacksonville, Florida. I also ghostwrote a book about them for a client, so I'm very familiar with the band, far more so than I ever wanted to be! This song was written in response to Neil Young's songs "Alabama" and "Southern Man" that made fun of the south. In the verse where he says "In Birmingham they love the governor" he's referring to Gov. George Wallace, who was a noted racist who tried to prevent school integration. Just after Ronnie sings that, you may notice that the Honkettes sing, "Boo, boo, boo." And the next line of the song is "Well, we all did what we could do." That refers to the southerners who stood up to segregation and Jim Crow laws. This song was not written for any movie, although one has been made with this title in the years since. Skynyrd was at the peak of their popularity when the plane crash happened. They had toured with The Who and were on stage in concerts that also featured the Rolling Stones, Peter Frampton, Black Sabbath, Santana, Ted Nugent, Journey, Rod Stewart, REO Speedwagon, Foreigner, the J. Geils Band, and more. They were about as famous as any band could be in their prime. The verse talking about "The Swampers" in Muscle Shoals is referring to the backup musicians at a recording studio in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. All the original Skynyrd members had a tattoo of a 'gator on their left chest, over their heart, for the Swampers. Y'all should watch the documentary movie "Muscle Shoals"; it's available on TH-cam and is a fascinating look at that studio and all the artists they brought to fame. Lots of musical history in that movie; that studio gave Aretha Franklin her first real hit and helped her get her start, along with many other black artists in the 1960s. The Rolling Stones came there because of their work with the R&B artists, then all the southern rock bands, then more recent bands like U2. Lex had commented on their hats: Ronnie was known for that one hat he always wore, and the bass guitarist, Leon Wilkeson, was also known for always wearing crazy hats, but Leon wore all kinds of hats. They were the only two in the band who wore hats. Ronnie always performed barefoot on stage, as well. And he ruled the band with an iron fist. If any of the guys messed up on their solos, which were not improvised, but played as written, or if they dropped a lit cigarette on the stage and Ronnie stepped on it, he'd beat them up after the show!
I was in the Navy then and our ship had just changed home port from Norfolk to Jax. I was driving with a friend to go home on leave Oct 20, 77 when we heard the news.
Of course the "boo, boo, boo" can and was misinterpreted as "boom, boom, boom." This was because Birmingham ("Bombingham") was known for its terrorist bombings orchestrated by the KKK. Not sure the point Van Zant was trying to make about Watergate.
Really enjoy you guys and the fact that you just like good music. Personally, I grew up on all this classic seventies music and saw many of these bands live, so it's very nostalgic for me. Also, speaking for myself and the vast majority of people I know, the flag has always been about Southern Pride. No doubt there are some that equate it with racism and some groups that use it for that purpose, but that has never been what it was about for the majority. Keep up the good times.
Lex you are so right.But you know bad people will take things and make them bad.Southern pride is very deep in our lives and we are proud to be southern.But not proud of what some people think we are.Pride doesn't mean racism. Thanks again for ya'lls wonderful reaction.
Y'all spoke the truth about the southern flag, although it was the battle flag we are proud to be from the south . We don't use it for any racist reason that's a myth in my book. Keep rocking brothers and sisters of the Skynyrd Nation ✌️🤘. Brother Gary
Some people, both Southern and not, use it for racist reasons. Let's not kid ourselves. It's popular with neo-Nazis in Germany since the swastika and other Nazi paraphanelia is illegal there.
First things first.Love you guys.Brad when you said sounds like they know how to change their own oil,has to be one of the most accurate descriptions of a southern band I’ve ever heard😅.Lex,your comments on songs make me laugh out loud.Love your spirit and your obvious appreciation for all types of music.Been going through some tough times lately and you guys are definitely a bright spot for me.Thanks
They used the confederate flag to represent what part of the US they were from. At the time, rock and roll would’ve been artists like the Beatles. They wanted to show that they weren’t the hipster rock and roll, and that they were southern rock and roll. Absolutely no racism behind it. The original Lynyrd Skynyrd was truly one of a kind.
You actually made my day! Not only were you reacting to one of my suggestions but I also got to see how Lynyrd Skynyrd looked like. Yes, I've never seen a video of their performance although this song has always been special for me. Back in the days it was played all over the radio in Germany but I can't for the life of me remember having watched them on TV. I'm totally blown away by the guy with the cool moustache, hat and shades.... The guitar solo was amazing, too; and I think I've never heard the female back choir before - probably because this is a live thing here. I also once again love Lexi's analysis of the whole performance. I also get the same perception that the Confederated States Flag in the background is a Southern Pride thing in origin and not racist. It's more about individual freedom and a rebel consciousness. A great many thanks for this reaction. You're one of my favourite reaction channels - and due to the funny pixie vibes Lexi's been givin' me constantly you'll forever will be...! °v°
Rick very few Bands can accurately produce their studio versions live, Led Zep and Sabbath could The Rolling Stones could not! and as for the Beatles forget it!
ronnie van zant , the singer . was one of the badest tuffest sumbitches ever too walk this earth . he was known for his fighting ways lol yet laid back .not to mention his singing talent . RIP BROTHER
If you watched the Aretha biopic Respect, those are the Swampers these guys are singing about: the (white) Muscle Shoals studio band behind Aretha's best tracks
@@markallen2984 "Sample And Hold" from the Trans album is a jam.....really different from his normal style. Also, "Rockin In The Free" World rocks. "Harvest Moon" is a beautiful song.
No racism involved. Definitely listen to the album version 👌 Back then it was fairly common for these events to be held in the summer and feature 2 or even 3 bands a day over 2 or 3 days. Sometimes during a state fair, but often just billed as a music festival. It was an awesome time to be young.
I want wanna shout out to you two!! I am an addict for real to TH-cam reactions and NORMALLY do not like couple reacting! But I do enjoy watching y’all! Your very open honest and slamming reactions!! ❤️Tennessee
I would recommend listening to the studio versions of these songs. The extended solos are nice, but in my opinion the crowd noise and lesser sound quality kind of take away from the greatness of these songs. It's been fun watching you getting acquainted with some great music. It takes me back to when I did the same with my kids. Thanks!
THEY. ARE. SUCH. A. GREAT. BAND. Tight, tight core, gritty vocals, talented honky tonk piano, and three absolutely fantastic guitarists. So underrated. But my friends and I knew, and wore our our Skynyrd records. It was a great time to be young. In the 70s & 80s, the Southern flag meant nothing of what it's been labelled now. It wasn't about racism, it was about living a free life, that's all. I had black friends who had it on their walls and t-shirts, and that was in North Carolina and Virginia!
You’re most likely right, because this is a live version it’s definitely going to have a different sound so, if you’re not real familiar with the music you may not know.
You might know it from Forest Gump. About the flag, they've never been known to be racist, and actually they admired Southern black blues musicians. I always knew it just as a Southern thing. You guys really need to hear CORROSION OF CONFORMITY's version of On The Hunt!
Guns N Roses are just one band from a generation ago to use the flag. Slash is half black. If it was being used for racist purposes, Slash would have never allowed it. My God...that was the 90s....it's not like that was THAT long ago. Twiter has made people soft and stupid.
Childhood in the DEEP SOUTH. Family there since before the American Revolution. 5th great grandfather fought in the Revolution under General Washington; 3rd great grandfather died from wounds he took at Antietam in the Civil War. The Stars and Bars was a Military Battle Flag. Not governmental. The Flag of the Confederacy was a single white star centered on a blue field , "The Bonnie Blue". There were many land/slave owning freed black and mixed race farmers in the South. Many of them fought for the South. The South was agricultural, providing raw materials (cotton, lumber, hides, sugar cane etc . . ) to NORTHERN factories that mass produced goods cheaply with increased mechanization, and got them to market with NORTHERN rail lines and merchant fleets. Merchant fleets that brought mass produced cheap goods to markets in Europe, then went to Africa to pick up slaves to bring to slave markets in South America (70+%), the Caribbean (15%) and North America (15%). It was a BIG economic loop, and when the Europeans began to industrialize and offered to undercut the NORTHERN factories on SOUTHERN raw materials, the NORTH would have none of it. The ONLY slaves that were freed by Lincoln at the time of the Emancipation Proclamation were in the NORTH (New York State for example) It was an economic war, and a war to consolidate and centralize federal power. Ending slavery was a means to that end. That rant at an end; let me clearly say that slavery was/is an ABONIMATION. So are all the "isms". The Creator made all of this variety because The Creator LOVES it. I love it too. Southern Food, Cuban Food, Mexican Food, Thai Food, Chinese Food, Greek Food, Israeli Food. Lebanese Food, Korean Barbecue, Texas Barbecue, Mexican Barbacoa, Italian Food, Spanish Tapias, Etc . . .
There weren't any Black soldiers who fought for the South. Near the end of the war some Southerners considered it but rejected the idea because in their words, if Blacks/slaves make good soldiers then the whole Southern reason for starting the war was wrong. The Southerners started the war because of slavery. They said so in all of their secession statements. Read them sometimes. Read the Cornerstone speech. They believed whole heartedly in white supremacy. End of story.
Another vote here for “Call Me the Breeze” (JJ Cale cover) by Lynyrd Skynyrd! Once on the highway (or anywhere really)….push play! Studio version please!
My 1st concert in June 77 at JFK stadium in Philly.. Frampton was the headliner with skynyrd and jgeils band and Dickie Betts from allman bros..talk about a diverse lineup but unforgettable
This song was a slap-back at Neil Young for his song "Southern Man"...Think to be fair you should react to Neil's song also. The movie you probably heard this song on is "Con Air.. The cons were listening to this song on the plane...There is a great line in the movie about the song.
It is cool to see the live performance , because I have heard the song for fourty years , but for hearing it the first time ,I think you should have listened to the studio version so it's more clear !!!!!
They did their best work with “The Swampers” in the iconic Muscle Shoals recording studio. There is a great doc about Muscle Shoals on either TH-cam or Netflix.
Alabama girl born and raised i needed a change so i moved to the one and only Memphis Tn. In 1970 i love it here i will be a Memphis girl until i die. Awesome reaction loved it.
Yeah the flag pretty much entirely about southern/rebel pride. The people saying the flag was racist are people from New york and california lol. The problem is when a sub-group of people that have those beliefs also fly it. So when a minority of dudes are running around with it and being racist people just go "hey that's a racist flag." The winners write the history. People are trying to claim the civil war was 100% about supporting slavery but it was more so states wanting the federal government to F off and not have any say over state's rights.
Sad Fact: at around the 3:10 minute mark, the guitarist Stevie Grimes, standing in front of the 3 ladies whom were back up vocals, one of the girls was Stevie's sister, Cassie. Stevie, Cassie, and the lead singer Ronnie Van Zant, the manager, and two pilots of the air plane, all died on in the plane crash on that horrible day in Oct, I think in '77.
Back when I was a kid in the 70s, growing up in the south, the flag always represented southern pride to me and everyone I knew around me. I was well into my 30s, so late 90s early 2000s before I ever heard anyone put a racial connotation to it. I had no clue that anyone was offended, or intended to offend with it. To me it went "I'm from the south, and I'm glad I am." It represented kind, friendly hard working badasses that took care of family, friends and strangers alike.
When I was at school in the 70's there was a bit of a craze to have the rebel flag sown as a patch on the jeans back pocket. It signified rebellion against authority and nothing else.
I think thats the general idea for most people from the south. I cant speak from any place of knowledge on the subject as a White male from the north, but that was the impression that I got as well. It was more a Southern pride representation than a "I hate black people and want to segregate from the union" flag. It just happened to have roots in a bad part of our history, and in the late 90s, as people became more woke, it became a point of contention on both sides. Not to say there wasn't still a sect of "The South will rise again" crowd, but people just kind of ignored the things that no one ignores now. I still blame Facebook for the society we live in now, as it just wasn't as big of a hot button topic back then, especially in the 70s.
It hurts to watch these old videos with Ronnie, Steve and sister Cassie Gaines who are no longer with us due to the plane accident! They were having so much fun on stage! RIP
Sweet home Alabama is a reaction to Neil Young’s Southern Man which was a criticism of the double standards of a segregated south. Neil Young’s music is something for you to consider. He’s fabulous.
Saw these guys 3 times before the crash. These guys were so tight, their music could mesmerize you if you were sitting close in an indoor venue. Best live band ever! Studio version was good, but if you ever saw em live you'd chuck that studio version.
Fun fact from their excellent documentary, the line where he sings, "Now Birmingham, they loved a governor" (referring to segregationist Governor George Wallace) and then they sing, "Boo! Boo! Boo!" meaning they were very much against segregation. They were influenced by black rhythm and blues artists and called Jimi Hendrix "the black rock god". As far as the Confederate flag is concerned, when they toured England (who LOVED them), the Brits would refer to them as "Yanks" (because Brits refer to all Americans as Yanks). And the band would be like, "Um, we're NOT Yankees..." lol So they decided to have the Confederate flag to show their southern pride. One of the surviving members, Gary Rossington, said that as some point they stopped flying the flag understanding the pain and history behind it.
I was a teenager in the 70's. In the summer of 77 you couldn't turn on the radio without hearing Eric Carmen and the song She Did It. Also in the early 70's Jim Croce's Bad Bad Leroy Brown was big
LEX IS WAY COOLER THAN BRAD !! This show here I believe was in Oakland, I saw them at the Anaheim Stadium in California a few weeks later and it was the greatest night of my rock and roll life.. the Led Zeppelin of country rock!! (I saw Led Zeppelin also) two of the greatest bands ever!!
Very nice thoughts, Lexie. As a proud Rebel at 57 years of age from Tennessee this good ol' Southern boy, (born and bred), can attest to the fact that the Stars and Bars was a designated Battle Flag. The National flag that brought the slaves to America, btw, was the star spangled banner. And as you stated, yes ma'am, our family heritage along with defense of home and hearth is tied together with the old South, in a traditional, and an historical way in the legal succession from the Union. According to the Constitution. The South succeeded from the Union, as it was their legal right to do under the Constitution. Over the issue of taxation without representation. Same as the reason the colonist gave King George to pull away from Mother England by our founding fathers. My parents people, in the 1850's lived in the Great States of Georgia and Alabama. All of them fought a defensive war against Northern aggression to preserve their homes and families. (Less than 6% of Confederate soldiers owned slaves). One of my fathers people, Robert Tombs, served at the pleasure of the Confederate States of America President: Jeff Davis, on his cabinet, as Secretary of State for the C. S.A. Other family members fought on the side of the cause simply as a matter of geography. I expect that I would've done the same, back then. Thus I agree wholeheartedly with your sentiments, Ms. Lex. I can vouch for everything you just said concerning heritage and respect for family history. Back in the day, as a high school student, I remember well when that plane went down. Among others were lost the leader, and main lyrical genius, of the group, one Mr. Ronnie VanZant. Also amongst those lost that fateful day were Steve Gaines, (guitar) and his sister Cassie Gaines, (backing vocals). Oh...such a wicked cool band. And such a sad, dark day it was for the family, friends and fans of Lynard Skynnard. Thanks guys for this old, cool, Southern Rock song. Much peace, love, and happiness to you and yours. We love y'all, lots. Be catching ya on the next. Later, guys.
Lynrd Skynyrd did not want to fly the Confederate Flag. Their Manager said they had to because their music was considered Southern Rock so they had to fly the Flag. Southern Rock Bands flew the Confederate Flag. It was not about Racism but about Southern Pride. Of course some people might have flown the Flag for other reasons but most flew it to show Southern Pride.
I've seen a lot of Confederate Flag symbols in my life, and it was never once about racism. It's about anti-government, it's about the fighting spirit of the South and a general sort of rebelliousness.
Well, that needs more information... It's specifically about Southern Man and, well, the whole racist and "good ole boy" network. And.. um.. their response is that Watergate doesn't bother them? Because of one's conscience? So yeah, it is actually a terrible response saying that we should be able to steal information from other people because I dont have anything to hide. Because, 1st amendment is garbage?
@@seantimmons5900 I guess Neil Young should have not judged all the Southern Men with one blanket assumption. Who cares what they said about Watergate? 😆 You're totally overthinking it. It's only rock n roll. But I like it.
The remark about Watergate is actually dead on. They are saying that they did what they could to fight the racist policies of the Governor of Alabama, even though he’s loved in Birmingham. How much did you do to clean up Watergate? Does your conscience bother you? Because mine’s clear. They aren’t defending Nixon, they are saying clean up your own back yard before you start peeking over the fence and judging mine.
That was performed at the Day On The Green summer series concert at the Oakland Coliseum put on by famous rock concert promoter Bill Graham. Peter Frampton headlined that particular show, that is why he (Ronnie Van Zant) mentioned thank yous to them.
Definitely them- You would have likely recognized it more with the studio version, as a first time listen- The song is an Anthem! And fun fact- Alabama happens to be my neighbor- And LEX! Texas Chainsaw Massacre!!😳😆 Top of the list of my scariest movies- The original from the 70’s that is- you’re and old soul girl-and I love it-🤘🏼💙💜 oh! And right on about the flag- ✋🏼 and nobody come for me cause I’m in the South.. love how you 2 really break things down and are so open minded! 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼❤️❤️
Lex is right - it’s about individual freedom. As an Alabama native, it’s about government over-reach, which we are seeing today with the vaccine mandates and other Biden policies.
Thank you! That is EXACTLY what the flag is about. 99% of the country couldn't care less about skin color, yet the state run media keeps pushing. But I digress. And yes, the studio version is MUCH cleaner!
Sweet Home Alabama is the reply to Neil Young's Southern Man. In Southern Man, Young accused ALL Southern People of being Racists. This was Lynyrd Skynyrds reply to Neil Young's Slander of the South.
Fun Facts, the lead singer Ronnie Van Zant was actually from Florida! Also, about the flag and racism thing. It was absolutely just a southern pride thing for them. Not to say that some people don't fly the rebel flag with racist intent, but for some, and for sure those guys, it was ALL about being a proud southerner. The line "In Birmingham they love the governor" refers to George Wallace, governor at the time who was pro-segregation, is followed by the line BOO, BOO, BOO. Conveying their dislike of the man and his ideology.
Why does the general Lee scream rasism? For me I had a General Lee in my room. Pinned up. Just meant southern pride. I didn't know anything about rasism.
Rock on Lynard skynard.
@@homerwimberly8693 Not sure if you think I said it screams racism,.or just meant in general. But "General Lee" was a person, and a car, but not a flag. Also, if you are implying that you see no connection between the flag used to represent the Confederate army, and racism, you're ignorant, dumb, or lying. And I for one am a defender.of it's use to display southern pride. But don't pretend it doesn't have certain connotations.
@@dbsagacious racism was not the main reason for the civil war and most certainly not the confederate army. 0nly 1 or 2% of wealthy whites owned slaves and none of them fought cause they had the money to stay out.
@@mysonandme8424 Come on. You know that's B.S. The wealthy 1% made the decisions back then, just as now. The 1-2% you spoke of were the ones who fought to keep their slaves, and pushed the north to do something about it. You can be a proud southerner, and be aware that the south fought to preserve the massive moneymaking plantations and the slaves they had. Don't be that guy. You can acknowledge the truth of the past, and still be proud of your heritage. It isn't mutually exclusive.
@@dbsagacious exactly 👏
In the 70s (yes I remember it) the Confederate battle flag was looked at differently with young folks in the south. We called it the "rebel flag" and more or less represented our natural "rebellion" against authority, and also the the whole Southern rock Party atmosphere these bands brought. It really had nothing to do with racism , our the civil war at all. It was pure Southern rock party pride. Thats all.
Amen - I have hard time with the recreated definition !
"Free Bird" from this concert at the Oakland Coliseum on July 2nd 1977 is a masterpiece.
That's a great one, but the Knebworth live version is a bit better for my money. Many thought they outdid the Stones at that show
Absolutely!
I remember those day on the greens!
@@robertwilson4335
A ton of musical talent in one venue.
The Knebworth version of Freebird is superior and is the Knebworth version of this song.
The plane crash took Ronnie Van Zandt, but when I hear him sing or watch videos of their live performances, it's like he's still right here. LONG LIVE LYNYRD SKYNYRD!
And the crash also took guitarist Steve Gaines and his sister Cassie Gains, one of the backup singers. R.I.P.
@@mvellis3863 Yes it did. Such a huge loss. R.I.P.
Legends never die
@@mvellis3863 As well as Dean Kilpatrick, the road manager. And of course both pilots.
A ghastly accident
I agree with some of the folks below that listening to studio versions first in most cases is probably best, then checking out the different famous live recordings. It’s been fun experiencing this journey of discovery with you both (and you still have so much left to check out) Also wanted to say thank you as you are two of the most open minded people I’ve encountered in years. Your willingness to see other people’s perspective has been refreshing. It is rare these days from anyone with a platform.
Solid advice. Some bands are exception though. When you eventually get to the Grateful Dead, the live stuff is usually much better.
Indeed!
As a Southern girl...
Nothing makes me happier than some
Lynyrd Skynard-Sweet Home Alabama!
🎵✌❤
One of my favorite Brad & Lex reactions was watching Lex discover "Free Bird". I would love to see a reaction to the Live version from this same concert.
Oakland 77?
@@Gekokujo76 Yes, Oakland. There's another version from Knebworth, England '76 that is just as good, if not better.
@@annaoswald5943 yes, I like the one in England
@@annaoswald5943 Some people say the Oakland sound is better, but Knebworth has the added interest of Skynyrd opening for the Stones and stealing the show. (And supposedly violating the edict of not walking out on the "tongue" portion of the stage.)
Live version is a MUST see. They were told not to walk out to the end of the stage at that concert but during free Bird Ronnie guided them out to play their guitar solos defying the rules.
Studio Version is what you may have heard, plus Kid Rock sampled this in a song as well.
She's on point with feeling the soul of old rock n roll and She's so dam adorable I'm even warming up to your vibes lol I like it.
As far as the flag goes Brad is dead on , it was a rebellion vibe more than anything else for people I hung with in the 70's.
The Neil Young reference was always an inside the music industry thing, in the end they liked each other. Ronnie Van Zant would often wear Neil Young T-shirts during concerts, and during the Neil Young concert film Rust Never Sleeps, Crazy Horse Bassist Billy Talbot is wearing a Lynyrd Skynyrd T-shirt. The love goes both ways.
Didn't Neil Young write a song that critiqued "Simple Man" and those lines were telling Neil that "they don't need him around" as a reply?
@@kenqb5450 Neil Young wrote the song Southern Man. He criticizes them and this was their response to it.
Bob please read my comment about Neil!
@@pmoran7971 Looked for it. No joy.
It's still a rebuttal. They don't have to hate each other to have different opinions. Neil Young called out southern men mentioning their good book, they in turn asked him who asked you? There's truth in each side of the story. The fact that they can recognize that says plenty.
The flag represented being a rebel against the normal back then. I had the stars and bars on my motorcycle tank back in the 60's. It indicated one being a rebel out of the norm. Becoming a 1% member of a motorcycle gang or being a Hippie. Same brand of identity.
True. Though that was somewhat based on ignorance of history. That being said, the confederate flag definitely didnt mean someone was a racist back then. Today though its somewhat less innocently ignorant...
@@mistrants2745 Talk about being ignorant, That is NOT the Confederate flag! That is the Rebel Flag officially known as the Battle Flag of Northern Virginia. Each Army had it's own Battle Flag.
@@bobbyscott5162 im aware the 'confederate flag' was not actually the official flag of the confederacy. Still, its now commonly known as the confederate flag and it doesnt really impact the meaning behind it.
Your next Skynyrd song should be "Call Me the Breeze". A cool upbeat song.
Listened to this because of your comment. Instantly made me feel good. Thank you!
That’s a cover of a JJ Cale song..
@@RealShamanX John Mayer did a good cover as well
Ralph, I put another comment request in for the breeze, so I wasn’t copying you, just another opportunity for voters!
@@lantose It's all good.
1 of my all time favorite bands. Brad & Lex, your channel is awesome and I leave always smiling. You 2 make me wish that I knew you personally. Much respect.
It sounds familiar to them because of the Kidd Rock song that had that guitar riff he used in All Summer Long!
In addition to Kid Rock being a talentless hack, it was also used in KFC commercials.
They should react to Werewolves of London too!
That's true. I don't know why Kidd Rock did that. He combined Sweet Home Alabama and the Werewolves of London into that one song.
@@ORagnar Pat Finnerty did a good video about All Summer Long in his "Why This Song Stinks" series.
Basically Kid Rock was listening to Werewolves of London and noticed that the chords and tempo were the same as Sweet Home Alabama.
Also on 8 mile they sang an Acoustic cover with different lyrics. "Your mom lives in a trailer,lord I'm coming home to you" ect..
You guys should react to…
Lynyrd Skynyrd - Tuesday's Gone
🎸🤘
You can't name a better rock song.
Yes!
This old man was 17 in 1977 and I saw them open for Ted Nugent. Concerts were fun back then and it was more about freedom and peace✌🏻
And only cost 6 or 7 dollars. I saw KISS in Atlanta December 30 1977 cost $7.50. 😁
Keep rocking Skynyrd Nation ✌️🤘
Brother Gary
@@garytrew2766 But don't forget how long you had to work for these $7.50 back in the days ....
@@heikojakob6491 yeah it was about an hour and a half. But concerts these days are in the hundreds of dollars and I feel like that's too much. Thanks for the reply. ✌️🤘🤔😃
Brother Gary
@@garytrew2766, I saw them right after Labor Day 1976 at an outdoor event in Nashville. I was 14, but got to go with my older brother who was 28 and his wife who was 25. Atlanta Rhythm Section opened the show. Wet Willie was supposed to play second but didn't make it to the show because their bus had broken down somewhere in Georgia on the way. So The Outlaws who were third on the bill played a longer set, as did Skynyrd who closed the show. I still have some great Skynyrd pics taken by my brother to this day that he left to me upon his passing. I sadly lost him in 2009 and my sister-in-law in 2010. Ironically, new to the band at the time was a relativey unknown and obscure guitarist (except in Oklahoma and the Kansas City area) who'd recently joined the band in June, 1976 named Steve Gaines, and boy was he quite a talented picker. I've seen oodles of shows from the the classic rock era over the years, but that show was as fine of a performance from all 3 bands as I've ever seen.
@@GBeret83 you have some great memories of what your brother did for you and the great shows y'all saw. I'm sorry for your loss . Just a note I got to see the Outlaws in the late seventies play in abar I went to after work. They had played a concert in town and I had to work, it was awesome they came in my favorite bar to unwind after the show and played over an hour using the house bands equipment.
Keep rocking brother
Brother Gary 🕶️
God, how I love Lex's intensely fascinated face during the first part of this video.
Who among us can deny that she is a treasure and Brad is a lucky (and deserving) man?
I think that Lex is a Southern Girl through and through.
I would suggest they listen to "Southern Girls" by Cheap Trick in the near future
On the studio version, the opening riff is some of the best guitar tone ever
Probably because of Ed King. Didn’t he come up with that riff?
@@Tuesdays_Gone yes he did!
David also to you please read my comment re he best opening guitar riff, see if you agree!
So few guitar players get the riff right too. It's a lot more involved than it seems. Scott Raines, guitar player for the Artimus Pyle Band (Artimus being the Skynyrd drummer from 1975 to the 90s.) went to Ed King and had Ed teach him what he was missing. Subtle little things that are hard to hear but in the song they do make a difference.
I can only speak as a kid in his teens in the 80's, who grew up in New Orleans. We liked the rebel flag back then because first, it represented the south and second, what teenage kid does not want to be a rebel!, so Brad had the right idea. Funny thing is that I bought my first rebel flag in frontier land at Disney world in California. Had I known about the Gadson flag back then, I probably would have had one of those also.
I had a rebel flag T-shirt.
Yes sir my southern brother (Augusta, Ga). It’s to bad that haters and idiots have our flags a bad name. Stay true and keep ‘em flying
As someone that also lives in Louisiana, I've never understood why people don't just wave their state flag to show southern pride. Then they wouldn't look like they're celebrating the negative aspects of the south.
As someone who has lived in the South for over 30 years, I can assure you that the rebel flag does not mean what you think it means. That flag re-emerged in the 50s and 60s as part of an effort to counter and intimidate members of the Civil Rights Movement. I've lived in SC for the past 20 years, and one of my happiest days here was in July of 2015 when that symbol of hate was taken down and removed from the Sate House grounds.
Great song great reaction guys. Brad seems very intelligent about everything he speaks on and lex got that smile that lights up the room. Keep em coming guys. Best of luck
Yesssss! Agreed!
If this video was from 1977, it would have been one of the last live Skynyrd performances with the original members. Ronnie Van Zant, the lead singer, was killed along with their new guitarist Steve Gaines and Steve's sister Cassie, one of the backup singers (also known as the "Honkettes") in a plane crash in October of '77. That was my junior year of college, and they were from my hometown of Jacksonville, Florida. I also ghostwrote a book about them for a client, so I'm very familiar with the band, far more so than I ever wanted to be!
This song was written in response to Neil Young's songs "Alabama" and "Southern Man" that made fun of the south. In the verse where he says "In Birmingham they love the governor" he's referring to Gov. George Wallace, who was a noted racist who tried to prevent school integration. Just after Ronnie sings that, you may notice that the Honkettes sing, "Boo, boo, boo." And the next line of the song is "Well, we all did what we could do." That refers to the southerners who stood up to segregation and Jim Crow laws.
This song was not written for any movie, although one has been made with this title in the years since.
Skynyrd was at the peak of their popularity when the plane crash happened. They had toured with The Who and were on stage in concerts that also featured the Rolling Stones, Peter Frampton, Black Sabbath, Santana, Ted Nugent, Journey, Rod Stewart, REO Speedwagon, Foreigner, the J. Geils Band, and more. They were about as famous as any band could be in their prime.
The verse talking about "The Swampers" in Muscle Shoals is referring to the backup musicians at a recording studio in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. All the original Skynyrd members had a tattoo of a 'gator on their left chest, over their heart, for the Swampers. Y'all should watch the documentary movie "Muscle Shoals"; it's available on TH-cam and is a fascinating look at that studio and all the artists they brought to fame. Lots of musical history in that movie; that studio gave Aretha Franklin her first real hit and helped her get her start, along with many other black artists in the 1960s. The Rolling Stones came there because of their work with the R&B artists, then all the southern rock bands, then more recent bands like U2.
Lex had commented on their hats: Ronnie was known for that one hat he always wore, and the bass guitarist, Leon Wilkeson, was also known for always wearing crazy hats, but Leon wore all kinds of hats. They were the only two in the band who wore hats. Ronnie always performed barefoot on stage, as well. And he ruled the band with an iron fist. If any of the guys messed up on their solos, which were not improvised, but played as written, or if they dropped a lit cigarette on the stage and Ronnie stepped on it, he'd beat them up after the show!
I was in the Navy then and our ship had just changed home port from Norfolk to Jax. I was driving with a friend to go home on leave Oct 20, 77 when we heard the news.
Of course the "boo, boo, boo" can and was misinterpreted as "boom, boom, boom." This was because Birmingham ("Bombingham") was known for its terrorist bombings orchestrated by the KKK.
Not sure the point Van Zant was trying to make about Watergate.
Really enjoy you guys and the fact that you just like good music. Personally, I grew up on all this classic seventies music and saw many of these bands live, so it's very nostalgic for me. Also, speaking for myself and the vast majority of people I know, the flag has always been about Southern Pride. No doubt there are some that equate it with racism and some groups that use it for that purpose, but that has never been what it was about for the majority. Keep up the good times.
Lex you are so right.But you know bad people will take things and make them bad.Southern pride is very deep in our lives and we are proud to be southern.But not proud of what some people think we are.Pride doesn't mean racism. Thanks again for ya'lls wonderful reaction.
Y'all spoke the truth about the southern flag, although it was the battle flag we are proud to be from the south . We don't use it for any racist reason that's a myth in my book. Keep rocking brothers and sisters of the Skynyrd Nation ✌️🤘.
Brother Gary
Yes it’s really the only way to represent being from the south generally speaking without being specific to your state flag.
Some people, both Southern and not, use it for racist reasons. Let's not kid ourselves. It's popular with neo-Nazis in Germany since the swastika and other Nazi paraphanelia is illegal there.
@@waltersolomon9049 it doesn't have that effect on me at all. Can't see the correlation. Thanks for the information friend.
“call me the breeze “will have you both jumping for joy, playing the air piano and the air drums !!
Skynyrd is the best. "Workin for MCA" "T For Texas" "Saturday Night Special" so many other hits.
I think Neil is better, one great song after another over a very long career!
Yes I'm still alive and still rocking to Skynyrd, DEO, Zep,Sab and many others you have covered. Keep up the good work 😁
To be honest you should've done the album version of this one, the guitars and keys sound much cleaner
First things first.Love you guys.Brad when you said sounds like they know how to change their own oil,has to be one of the most accurate descriptions of a southern band I’ve ever heard😅.Lex,your comments on songs make me laugh out loud.Love your spirit and your obvious appreciation for all types of music.Been going through some tough times lately and you guys are definitely a bright spot for me.Thanks
They used the confederate flag to represent what part of the US they were from. At the time, rock and roll would’ve been artists like the Beatles. They wanted to show that they weren’t the hipster rock and roll, and that they were southern rock and roll. Absolutely no racism behind it. The original Lynyrd Skynyrd was truly one of a kind.
You actually made my day! Not only were you reacting to one of my suggestions but I also got to see how Lynyrd Skynyrd looked like. Yes, I've never seen a video of their performance although this song has always been special for me. Back in the days it was played all over the radio in Germany but I can't for the life of me remember having watched them on TV. I'm totally blown away by the guy with the cool moustache, hat and shades.... The guitar solo was amazing, too; and I think I've never heard the female back choir before - probably because this is a live thing here.
I also once again love Lexi's analysis of the whole performance. I also get the same perception that the Confederated States Flag in the background is a Southern Pride thing in origin and not racist. It's more about individual freedom and a rebel consciousness.
A great many thanks for this reaction. You're one of my favourite reaction channels - and due to the funny pixie vibes Lexi's been givin' me constantly you'll forever will be...! °v°
This is a case where the studio release version is much different than the live.
what he said
Rick very few Bands can accurately produce their studio versions live, Led Zep and Sabbath could The Rolling Stones could not! and as for the Beatles forget it!
ronnie van zant , the singer . was one of the badest tuffest sumbitches ever too walk this earth . he was known for his fighting ways lol yet laid back .not to mention his singing talent . RIP BROTHER
If you watched the Aretha biopic Respect, those are the Swampers these guys are singing about: the (white) Muscle Shoals studio band behind Aretha's best tracks
I also love "You Got That Right" & "What's Your Name".
🎸🎤🎧🎶❤️🎸🎤🎧🎶❤️
They are throwing some friendly shade towards Neil Young for his song "Southern Man"...u should react to Southern Man.
Neil Young is almost always a drag. Except for Hey Hey My My
@@markallen2984 "Sample And Hold" from the Trans album is a jam.....really different from his normal style. Also, "Rockin In The Free" World rocks. "Harvest Moon" is a beautiful song.
Having grown up in that era, and having seen a multitude of concerts...it was about the music and having fun.
No racism involved. Definitely listen to the album version 👌 Back then it was fairly common for these events to be held in the summer and feature 2 or even 3 bands a day over 2 or 3 days. Sometimes during a state fair, but often just billed as a music festival. It was an awesome time to be young.
I want wanna shout out to you two!! I am an addict for real to TH-cam reactions and NORMALLY do not like couple reacting! But I do enjoy watching y’all! Your very open honest and slamming reactions!! ❤️Tennessee
I would recommend listening to the studio versions of these songs. The extended solos are nice, but in my opinion the crowd noise and lesser sound quality kind of take away from the greatness of these songs. It's been fun watching you getting acquainted with some great music. It takes me back to when I did the same with my kids. Thanks!
I think the reason most people react to live versions is so they can actually see who is singing, it’s more feeling that way.
THEY. ARE. SUCH. A. GREAT. BAND. Tight, tight core, gritty vocals, talented honky tonk piano, and three absolutely fantastic guitarists. So underrated. But my friends and I knew, and wore our our Skynyrd records. It was a great time to be young.
In the 70s & 80s, the Southern flag meant nothing of what it's been labelled now. It wasn't about racism, it was about living a free life, that's all. I had black friends who had it on their walls and t-shirts, and that was in North Carolina and Virginia!
You’re most likely right, because this is a live version it’s definitely going to have a different sound so, if you’re not real familiar with the music you may not know.
Yup.
I just can’t stand most live stuff from being a recording purist, heh.
Saw them do this live in Atlanta in 1974. Love it then, love it now! Love Brad and Lex!!!!!!!
You might know it from Forest Gump. About the flag, they've never been known to be racist, and actually they admired Southern black blues musicians. I always knew it just as a Southern thing. You guys really need to hear CORROSION OF CONFORMITY's version of On The Hunt!
Of course I love this one, I'm a Bama Girl!!! ROLL TIDE ROLL!!!
Enjoy watching you guys so much.
Sending LOVE from Alabama.❤🤍❤🤍❤❤❤
This song was a response to Neil Young’s song “Southern Man”.
And Young can take his ass back up to Canada. The guy screwed over his buddies in two different groups
@@dennisjohnson2772 He's Canadian originally. He has dual citizenship.
I saw these guys and Peter Frampton at the Long Beach arena back in the day. They were all good friends that could play some great music!
You are absolutely right about the flag, I don't own one either but I've had friends that did and racism was not ever part of their life.
Guns N Roses are just one band from a generation ago to use the flag. Slash is half black. If it was being used for racist purposes, Slash would have never allowed it. My God...that was the 90s....it's not like that was THAT long ago. Twiter has made people soft and stupid.
People need to learn their history
@@NathanBrooken and from their history.
Steve gaines, Gary rossington and Allen Collins. A guitar trio so deadly if you're looking directly in the eye you'll die
Their use of the confederate flag started after a tour of England where the band was constantly called Yankees.
Great reaction!
Lynyrd Skynyrd " T for Texas " is Amazing.
Childhood in the DEEP SOUTH. Family there since before the American Revolution. 5th great grandfather fought in the Revolution under General Washington; 3rd great grandfather died from wounds he took at Antietam in the Civil War.
The Stars and Bars was a Military Battle Flag. Not governmental. The Flag of the Confederacy was a single white star centered on a blue field , "The Bonnie Blue".
There were many land/slave owning freed black and mixed race farmers in the South. Many of them fought for the South.
The South was agricultural, providing raw materials (cotton, lumber, hides, sugar cane etc . . ) to NORTHERN factories that mass produced goods cheaply with increased mechanization, and got them to market with NORTHERN rail lines and merchant fleets. Merchant fleets that brought mass produced cheap goods to markets in Europe, then went to Africa to pick up slaves to bring to slave markets in South America (70+%), the Caribbean (15%) and North America (15%). It was a BIG economic loop, and when the Europeans began to industrialize and offered to undercut the NORTHERN factories on SOUTHERN raw materials, the NORTH would have none of it.
The ONLY slaves that were freed by Lincoln at the time of the Emancipation Proclamation were in the NORTH (New York State for example)
It was an economic war, and a war to consolidate and centralize federal power. Ending slavery was a means to that end.
That rant at an end; let me clearly say that slavery was/is an ABONIMATION. So are all the "isms".
The Creator made all of this variety because The Creator LOVES it.
I love it too. Southern Food, Cuban Food, Mexican Food, Thai Food, Chinese Food, Greek Food, Israeli Food. Lebanese Food, Korean Barbecue, Texas Barbecue, Mexican Barbacoa, Italian Food, Spanish Tapias, Etc . . .
There weren't any Black soldiers who fought for the South. Near the end of the war some Southerners considered it but rejected the idea because in their words, if Blacks/slaves make good soldiers then the whole Southern reason for starting the war was wrong. The Southerners started the war because of slavery. They said so in all of their secession statements. Read them sometimes. Read the Cornerstone speech. They believed whole heartedly in white supremacy. End of story.
@@LiloFunk68 Were there also no black slave owners?
You can still see them in concert. Great show.
If you watched Forrest Gump, this song was in the movie 💕
I remember _Free Bird_ being in the film when Jennie is contemplating suicide but not this song.
I think in the movie SWEET HOME ALABAMA this song was in it..
THIS IS THE SONG JENNY USED TO TEACH FORREST GUMP HOW TO DANCE.
And Forrest had already taught Elvis Presley how to dance without meaning to.
Another vote here for “Call Me the Breeze” (JJ Cale cover) by Lynyrd Skynyrd! Once on the highway (or anywhere really)….push play!
Studio version please!
One of the greatest songs of this era. If you learned the riffs to this song back in the day you felt like the king of the hill.
Fun Fact: The Rebel Flag is from a time when The South was Democrat. They want you to think it's a Republican symbol.
My 1st concert in June 77 at JFK stadium in Philly.. Frampton was the headliner with skynyrd and jgeils band and Dickie Betts from allman bros..talk about a diverse lineup but unforgettable
I bet if Brad heard the studio version he would recognize it
Back in the day with no voice correction, no choreographed dance sequences, no flash.
Just them. Good singing,good vibes and good times.
This song was a slap-back at Neil Young for his song "Southern Man"...Think to be fair you should react to Neil's song also.
The movie you probably heard this song on is "Con Air.. The cons were listening to this song on the plane...There is a great line in the movie about the song.
Southern Man fits as well but I thought it was a response to Young’s “Alabama”.
@@BrettLesPaul I think you are right but yea I think it kind of fits both songs
Ok, Brad and Miss Lex... Thanks for giving a good song a fair shake. Y'all got my +1 and my subscription. Y'all rock!
The rip on Neil Young for his song Southern man,alway stood out as Ronnie was a big Neil Young fan before
It also resulted in Neil Young actually apologizing for the tone of his song.
@@TheLastGarou was a good gesture on him.
Lex seems to be enjoying some Skynyrd Nation the music that soothes your soul
It is cool to see the live performance , because I have heard the song for fourty years , but for hearing it the first time ,I think you should have listened to the studio version so it's more clear !!!!!
Goats of southern rock!! Lex you were born in wrong era...fun fun your so much fun to watch...
Please do the live version of Free Bird form this same concert.
This takes me back to the early 70's, I am from the south and this was high school for me...
Wherever you heard it, you probably heard the studio version. This is a live version as you note, and it's not mixed the same as the studio version.
They did their best work with “The Swampers” in the iconic Muscle Shoals recording studio. There is a great doc about Muscle Shoals on either TH-cam or Netflix.
Only one of the SWAMPERS is still with us. David Hood made his mark on the Staple singers songs like, I ll Take You There!
That's a battle flag. Some oft he southern boys would have them on theirselves in the military.
Alabama girl born and raised i needed a change so i moved to the one and only Memphis Tn. In 1970 i love it here i will be a Memphis girl until i die. Awesome reaction loved it.
Yeah the flag pretty much entirely about southern/rebel pride. The people saying the flag was racist are people from New york and california lol. The problem is when a sub-group of people that have those beliefs also fly it. So when a minority of dudes are running around with it and being racist people just go "hey that's a racist flag." The winners write the history. People are trying to claim the civil war was 100% about supporting slavery but it was more so states wanting the federal government to F off and not have any say over state's rights.
I saw somewhere that this was voted the #1 Southern Rock song of all time.
"Now Watergate does not bother me/Does your conscience bother you?" is one of the greatest couplets in Rock 'n' Roll history.
Sad Fact: at around the 3:10 minute mark, the guitarist Stevie Grimes, standing in front of the 3 ladies whom were back up vocals, one of the girls was Stevie's sister, Cassie. Stevie, Cassie, and the lead singer Ronnie Van Zant, the manager, and two pilots of the air plane, all died on in the plane crash on that horrible day in Oct, I think in '77.
What a tragedy...
Back when I was a kid in the 70s, growing up in the south, the flag always represented southern pride to me and everyone I knew around me. I was well into my 30s, so late 90s early 2000s before I ever heard anyone put a racial connotation to it. I had no clue that anyone was offended, or intended to offend with it. To me it went "I'm from the south, and I'm glad I am." It represented kind, friendly hard working badasses that took care of family, friends and strangers alike.
When I was at school in the 70's there was a bit of a craze to have the rebel flag sown as a patch on the jeans back pocket. It signified rebellion against authority and nothing else.
I think thats the general idea for most people from the south. I cant speak from any place of knowledge on the subject as a White male from the north, but that was the impression that I got as well. It was more a Southern pride representation than a "I hate black people and want to segregate from the union" flag. It just happened to have roots in a bad part of our history, and in the late 90s, as people became more woke, it became a point of contention on both sides. Not to say there wasn't still a sect of "The South will rise again" crowd, but people just kind of ignored the things that no one ignores now. I still blame Facebook for the society we live in now, as it just wasn't as big of a hot button topic back then, especially in the 70s.
It hurts to watch these old videos with Ronnie, Steve and sister Cassie Gaines who are no longer with us due to the plane accident! They were having so much fun on stage! RIP
Sweet home Alabama is a reaction to Neil Young’s Southern Man which was a criticism of the double standards of a segregated south. Neil Young’s music is something for you to consider. He’s fabulous.
Saw these guys 3 times before the crash. These guys were so tight, their music could mesmerize you if you were sitting close in an indoor venue. Best live band ever! Studio version was good, but if you ever saw em live you'd chuck that studio version.
Fun fact from their excellent documentary, the line where he sings, "Now Birmingham, they loved a governor" (referring to segregationist Governor George Wallace) and then they sing, "Boo! Boo! Boo!" meaning they were very much against segregation. They were influenced by black rhythm and blues artists and called Jimi Hendrix "the black rock god". As far as the Confederate flag is concerned, when they toured England (who LOVED them), the Brits would refer to them as "Yanks" (because Brits refer to all Americans as Yanks). And the band would be like, "Um, we're NOT Yankees..." lol So they decided to have the Confederate flag to show their southern pride. One of the surviving members, Gary Rossington, said that as some point they stopped flying the flag understanding the pain and history behind it.
I was a teenager in the 70's. In the summer of 77 you couldn't turn on the radio without hearing Eric Carmen and the song She Did It. Also in the early 70's Jim Croce's Bad Bad Leroy Brown was big
LEX IS WAY COOLER THAN BRAD !! This show here I believe was in Oakland, I saw them at the Anaheim Stadium in California a few weeks later and it was the greatest night of my rock and roll life.. the Led Zeppelin of country rock!! (I saw Led Zeppelin also) two of the greatest bands ever!!
Very nice thoughts, Lexie. As a proud Rebel at 57 years of age from Tennessee this good ol' Southern boy, (born and bred), can attest to the fact that the Stars and Bars was a designated Battle Flag. The National flag that brought the slaves to America, btw, was the star spangled banner. And as you stated, yes ma'am, our family heritage along with defense of home and hearth is tied together with the old South, in a traditional, and an historical way in the legal succession from the Union. According to the Constitution. The South succeeded from the Union, as it was their legal right to do under the Constitution. Over the issue of taxation without representation. Same as the reason the colonist gave King George to pull away from Mother England by our founding fathers. My parents people, in the 1850's lived in the Great States of Georgia and Alabama. All of them fought a defensive war against Northern aggression to preserve their homes and families. (Less than 6% of Confederate soldiers owned slaves). One of my fathers people, Robert Tombs, served at the pleasure of the Confederate States of America President: Jeff Davis, on his cabinet, as Secretary of State for the C. S.A. Other family members fought on the side of the cause simply as a matter of geography. I expect that I would've done the same, back then. Thus I agree wholeheartedly with your sentiments, Ms. Lex. I can vouch for everything you just said concerning heritage and respect for family history. Back in the day, as a high school student, I remember well when that plane went down. Among others were lost the leader, and main lyrical genius, of the group, one Mr. Ronnie VanZant. Also amongst those lost that fateful day were Steve Gaines, (guitar) and his sister Cassie Gaines, (backing vocals). Oh...such a wicked cool band. And such a sad, dark day it was for the family, friends and fans of Lynard Skynnard. Thanks guys for this old, cool, Southern Rock song. Much peace, love, and happiness to you and yours. We love y'all, lots. Be catching ya on the next. Later, guys.
Lynrd Skynyrd did not want to fly the Confederate Flag. Their Manager said they had to because their music was considered Southern Rock so they had to fly the Flag. Southern Rock Bands flew the Confederate Flag. It was not about Racism but about Southern Pride. Of course some people might have flown the Flag for other reasons but most flew it to show Southern Pride.
Here in Alabama this is everywhere....ever bar, every sports event...its like our state anthem lol
I've seen a lot of Confederate Flag symbols in my life, and it was never once about racism. It's about anti-government, it's about the fighting spirit of the South and a general sort of rebelliousness.
Well I am from South Ayrshire Scotland I love this group god bless them👍
Fun Fact: Neil Young was an inspiration for this song!
Well, that needs more information...
It's specifically about Southern Man and, well, the whole racist and "good ole boy" network.
And.. um.. their response is that Watergate doesn't bother them? Because of one's conscience?
So yeah, it is actually a terrible response saying that we should be able to steal information from other people because I dont have anything to hide. Because, 1st amendment is garbage?
@@seantimmons5900 thanks for the addition!
@@seantimmons5900 I guess Neil Young should have not judged all the Southern Men with one blanket assumption. Who cares what they said about Watergate? 😆 You're totally overthinking it. It's only rock n roll. But I like it.
The remark about Watergate is actually dead on. They are saying that they did what they could to fight the racist policies of the Governor of Alabama, even though he’s loved in Birmingham. How much did you do to clean up Watergate? Does your conscience bother you? Because mine’s clear. They aren’t defending Nixon, they are saying clean up your own back yard before you start peeking over the fence and judging mine.
@@seantimmons5900 I think it's about and a reaction to Neil Young's song Alabama...
That was performed at the Day On The Green summer series concert at the Oakland Coliseum put on by famous rock concert promoter Bill Graham. Peter Frampton headlined that particular show, that is why he (Ronnie Van Zant) mentioned thank yous to them.
“Congrats to everyone who is early and who found this comment”!
Thanks buddy, those might be the last positive words I ever read.
Definitely them- You would have likely recognized it more with the studio version, as a first time listen- The song is an Anthem! And fun fact- Alabama happens to be my neighbor- And LEX! Texas Chainsaw Massacre!!😳😆 Top of the list of my scariest movies- The original from the 70’s that is- you’re and old soul girl-and I love it-🤘🏼💙💜 oh! And right on about the flag- ✋🏼 and nobody come for me cause I’m in the South.. love how you 2 really break things down and are so open minded! 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼❤️❤️
Lex is right - it’s about individual freedom. As an Alabama native, it’s about government over-reach, which we are seeing today with the vaccine mandates and other Biden policies.
This concert was in Oakland, Ca at the Oakland Coliseum. Home of the mighty Swingin’ A’s!!!
You can tell the recording is old because they can get away with using the confederate flag in the back
Thank you! That is EXACTLY what the flag is about. 99% of the country couldn't care less about skin color, yet the state run media keeps pushing. But I digress. And yes, the studio version is MUCH cleaner!
Sweet Home Alabama is the reply to Neil Young's Southern Man.
In Southern Man, Young accused ALL Southern People of being Racists.
This was Lynyrd Skynyrds reply to Neil Young's Slander of the South.
I saw LS 2 times in Atlanta while in high school in the 1970s. Yea we grown now, I’m 67.