Im not slagging either; theyre very different kinds of artists., Harrison said they might have made it as a country act, but not right away. Keith Moon of the Who joins Lynyrd Skynyrd at a New York City party in 1976. Uploaded by Zimtrim, Lynyrd Skynyrd / Vince Hill There were thousands of people. All Setlists. Spanning Bowie's early greatness from 1969-1976. . The group disbanded. Formed in Jacksonville, Florida in 1964, the band performed for a decade before releasing its debut studio album "(Pronounced 'Lh-'nrd 'Skin-'nrd)" in 1974. Updates? . At which point Todd Rundgren led Utopia onto the stage to a polite ripple and delivered a workmanlike set that concluded with an appropriately explosive Hiroshima. The live version of "Sweet Home Alabama" from this album was used as a track on the music rhythm video games Guitar Hero World Tour and Guitar Hero On Tour: Decades. Use this setlist for your event review and get all updates automatically! The lineup was rounded out by frontman Ronnie Van Zandt, bassist Leon Wilkeson and drummer Artimus Pyle. Hope this info is of use. Dissenting punk voices had yet to dent their legend and the gushing music press was still very much on side. When the rehearsal ended, I needed to speak with other band members. Their latest Im Mandy, Fly Me single and its iconic predecessor Im Not In Love were both heavily dependent on pre-recorded inserts that many in the audience considered tantamount to miming. help. Shortly before boarding their tour plane on October 20, 1977, Lynyrd Skynyrd played at the Greenville Memorial Auditorium in Greenville, South Carolina. January 28, 2009, Orange Park, Florida), Leon Wilkeson (b. April 2, 1952d. Rossington is hardly alone in this view. "[16], The song is dedicated to the memory of Duane Allman by the band in their live shows. King wound up leaving the group by the time the tour was finished. On the Hunt from 1975s Nuthin Fancy. I met the band in Oakland with intentions of getting pre-show interviews before, during and after rehearsal. Dec 31, 1989 During the 19871988 Lynyrd Skynyrd Tribute Tour, the band played "Free Bird" as an instrumental. As detailed in If I Leave Here Tomorrow, Stephen Kijak's first-rate Lynyrd Skynyrd documentary . Lord, I cant make any changes, all I can is write em in a song. Even though 10cc openings song was started with Just like a rolling stones Im outside looking in. Lynyrd Skynyrd Photograph 11 X 14 - Magnificent 1977 Band Portrait - MCA Records - American Music Legends - Southern Rock - Rare Photo - Poster Art Print. Uploaded by Roger O, Lynyrd Skynyrd / The Fabulous Thunderbirds / Georgia Satellites / Blues Travelers If you need further evidence of the bands continuing popularity, just watch the crowd light up at a Jaguars game when they play Sweet Home Alabama over the stadium PA system. So what are the chances Skynyrd would have become a country act? As festival infrastructure (second stages, novelty hat vendors, healing fields, comedy tents, bungee jumps, noodle bars arena lighting, urinals) simply didnt exist in 76, our only extracurricular entertainment was provided by a streaker who took to the stage and enthusiastically masturbated before diving triumphantly into the heaving throng. Tour: The last Lynyrd Skynyrd concert was on April 29, 2023 at Brandon Amphitheater in Brandon, MS. Uploaded by Zimtrim, Superfest April 3, 2015, Cartersville, Georgia), and Artimus Pyle (b. July 15, 1948, Louisville, Kentucky). May 21, 2005 This is a hint of what . After Collins played the unused sequence at rehearsal one day, Van Zant asked him to repeat it, then wrote out the melody and lyrics in three or four minutes. Steve Gaines had just joined the band when they headed to Atlanta to record a live album. It included Little Red Rooster, Route 66, and Around and Around from their earliest days, through classic singles including Get Off Of My Cloud, Lets Spend The Night Together, Honky Tonk Women, and Jumpin Jack Flash as well as a short set within the set by Billy Preston who played, Nothing From Nothing and Outta Space.. As detailed in If I Leave Here Tomorrow, Stephen Kijaks first-rate Lynyrd Skynyrd documentary that premiered at South By Southwest earlier this year and recently screened at the Nashville Film Festival, Ronnie was hardheaded and contradictory, the kind of guy who would write Saturday Night Special while owning a .22 pistol. Former Lynyrd Skynyrd and Strawberry Alarm Clock guitarist Ed King died yesterday. Formed in Jacksonville, Florida in 1964, the band performed for a decade before releasing its debut studio album "(Pronounced 'Lh-'nrd 'Skin-'nrd)" in 1974. But behind the scenes there was unease. On 13th February 1977 they played Lancaster University, Lancaster - not The Refectory, Leeds. Pyle played for Lynyrd Skynyrd from October 1974 until Oct. 20, 1977 when the band's chartered flight crashed, killing band leader and vocalist Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist Steve Gaines, vocalist . They would have continued to enjoy a career, but it would have been much as it is now: tours for the faithful fans and modest record sales, Nesbitt said. Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom The Lynyrd Skynyrd Tribute Band, as it was officially known, was to do a limited tour featuring surviving members, and it was my job to cover it. Oct 22, 1999 Lynyrd Skynyrd - Full ConcertRecorded Live: 7/13/1977 - Convention Hall (Asbury Park, NJ)More Lynyrd Skynyrd at Music Vault: http://www.musicvault.comSubscri. The Rolling Stones were not only the worlds biggest band, they wholly defined what rocknroll should be. Since 1974 Lynyrd Skynyrd had supported rock promoter Alex Cooley so that the theatre could be saved from demolition. Maybe the record label instigated its use in 1974 but Skynyrd made the Stars and Bars an integral part of their visual iconography, letting it appear on T-shirts, caps, belt buckles and ceramic mugs until 2012, when the band decided that it was time to retire it from their stage. When they paled FREE BIRD. the crowd was at a fever pitch.. the crescendo built and as did you awareness of what was happening. The next Lynyrd Skynyrd concert is on May 05, 2023 at Thunder Beach at Frank Brown Park in Panama City Beach, Florida, United States. eventually resulted in a lyrically slurred, if short, rendition of "Sweet Home Alabama". In 2009, it was named the 26th best hard rock song of all time by VH1. Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. I think he was a real artist, man, he kind of hid behind a little bit of the redneck style, but he had poetry in him and I think he wasnt afraid to express it. Here are a dozen you might not know, but that are worth a listen (see video playlist at right): 1. They already were kings of the Southern rock scene, theyd added a new hotshot guitar player to the lineup and their new album, Street Survivors, had just been released. Vicious Cycle ( 203 ) World Tour 2012 ( 49 ) Songs. More importantly, at least in terms of their ongoing cultural presence, Skynyrd resurfaced a decade later with a lineup consisting of all of the surviving members Gary Rossington, Leon Wilkeson, Billy Powell and Artimus Pyle, every one of who made it through the crash, alongside Ed King, who split in 1975 plus Van Zants younger brother Johnny, who stepped into his siblings shoes as Skynyrds singer. Toronto, ON - Nov 15, 1976 Nov 15 1976; Lynyrd Skynyrd Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena, Binghamton, NY - Nov 20, 1976 Nov 20 1976; Last . 7. Some were in seats around and some were on the center track grounds. Fortunately, I didnt have to answer, because the roadies then sorted it out. These two songs would suggest that the Skynyrd of the 21st Century is considerably more conservative than the Skynyrd of the 1970s a notion that is generally true, but with some important caveats. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. . King was a crucial part of the Skynyrd sound during his original tenure in the band which spanned 1972 1975. Gaines wrote or co-wrote half the songs on Street Survivors., I think with the addition of Steve Gaines which, of course, happened shortly before the plane crash I think he was really starting to change the sound of the band, Reish said. Use this setlist for your event review and get all updates automatically! Add setlist, 8 activities (last edit by bronxapostle, 22 Oct 2015, 20:30 Etc/UTC). When musicians solely play music that they didn't create, that's the very definition of a tribute or cover band. Drummer Artimus Pyle is still alive and playing, but estranged from the band. In 1976, the Stones pulled a vast crowd to Knebworth. Without that change of style, would Skynyrd have been successful in the 80s? The tragedy seemed to provide a neat conclusion to Skynyrds story, forever tying the band and, specifically, Ronnie Van Zant to the New South of the 1970s, an era when the states below the Mason Dixon line attempted to refashion themselves as progressive in the wake of the civil rights movement of the 1960s. This record was the band's first live album, and the only live album from the band's classic era of 1970 to 1977, prior to the plane crash that killed lead singer and songwriter Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist Steve Gaines, and backing singer Cassie Gaines. Visit our corporate site (opens in new tab). Later that year, the band released its second album, "Second Helping," which featured the single "Sweet Home Alabama," written in response to Neil Young's "Southern Man." Guitarist Allen Collins, bass player Leon Wilkeson and pianist Billy Powell survived the crash but died years later. Its also difficult to lay the blame of Lynyrd Skynyrds use of the Confederate Flag entirely at the feet of MCA. While the band rehearsed I talked extensively with the bands patriarch, Lacy Van Zant. 2. There was a buzz in the sound system that the engineers were trying to sort out. Sep 20, 1975 "Free Bird" is the closing track of Lynyrd Skynyrd's debut album and was traditionally the last song that Lynyrd Skynyrd would play at their performances before the 1977 plane crash. Red, White and Blue from 2003s Vicious Cycle. It included the songs "Free Bird," "Simple Man," "Gimme Three Steps," and "Tuesday's Gone." Play Video; Whiskey Rock-a-Roller. Collins noted the question and it eventually became the opening line of "Free Bird." The second CD release, in 1996, was a two-disc set with all 14 songs plus three bonus tracks: "Sweet Home Alabama", "Gimme Back My Bullets" and "Simple Man". This is a hint of what Skynyrd may have become if guitarist Steve Gaines had lived longer. Added by Zimtrim, Tribute tour But a decade later, survivors of the crash recruited a few new members and put together a tribute tour. In 1977, as Skynyrds success was increasing, a plane carrying the band crashed in Gillsburg, Mississippi, killing singer Van Zant and guitarist Gaines. In a Crowded Theater, "Billboard Charts Archive, November 23, 1974", "Billboard Charts Archive, December 4, 1976", "The 50 greatest guitar solos of all time", "Lynyrd Skynyrd-Free Bird Live Old Grey Whistle Test 1975", "Bob Dylan Actually Plays 'Free Bird' After Fan Request: Watch", "Chart Watch: Eminem Returns to #1, Gaga Sinks to #8", "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada", "Cash Box Top 100 Singles, January 15, 1977", The Irish Charts Search Results Free Bird", "Lynyrd Skynyrd Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)", "British single certifications Lynyrd Skynyrd Free Bird", "This is the full 83-track Rock Band 3 setlist", "One of the most memorable scenes from 'Kingsman' was originally longer and more violent", "Tituss Burgess looks back on Titus' evolution and 'the embarrassment of riches' that was 'Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt', Lynyrd Skynyrd Lyve: The Vicious Cycle Tour, Skynyrd's First: The Complete Muscle Shoals Album, 20th Century Masters: The Best of Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Last of the Street Survivors Farewell Tour, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Free_Bird&oldid=1152703183, CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown, Single chart usages for Billboardrocksongs, Certification Table Entry usages for United Kingdom, Pages using certification Table Entry with streaming figures, Pages using certification Table Entry with streaming footnote, Articles with MusicBrainz work identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, The song was featured in the 2004 video game, The song is playable as the final encore of the 2006 video game, The song was used in the sixth episode of the 16th season of, The song was also featured during the ending credits of, The song was featured during the ending of, The song was heard in the 2019 comedy action film, This page was last edited on 1 May 2023, at 20:10. Does anyone have a video or photos of the Lynyard Skynyard concert at Soaring Eagle Casino in 2005?? Add setlist, 5 activities (last edit by Luke71, 18 May 2019, 23:02 Etc/UTC). Jul 02, 1977 Released as a single in November 1974, "Free Bird" entered the US Billboard Hot 100 on November 23 at No. If you attended, how about you adding them to the list. Added by Zimtrim, Peter Frampton / Lynyrd Skynyrd / Santana / The Outlaws An unmanageable sea of humanity jostled to gain entry as The Don Harrison Band came and went. Jul 13, 1977 Your email address will not be published. On the 22 city, nine-country tour,. The fans were so rocked out, and either drunk or high or both, that ZZ Top got upstaged. I dont think they would have gone country, I just dont think thats what they were, Bentley said. Rolling Stone is a part of Penske Media Corporation. Whatever way you look at it, it was one hell of a crowd. If the plane had not crashed, what might have become of Lynyrd Skynyrd? Four Walls of Raiford from 1987s Legend compilation. Released in late 1976, the album featured the band's new guitarist, Steve Gaines, and a trio of female backup singers, and it became Skynyrd's second Top Ten album. Lynyrd Skynyrd has its roots in Jacksonville, Florida. Related This concert list is a crock of shit. file. If you know someone who claims to hate Lynyrd Skynyrd, play em this one. 2023 Rolling Stone, LLC. Play Video; Saturday Night Special. Lynyrd Skynyrd remained a vital part of the cultural landscape for the next 40 years, which is the reason why their retirement from the road is garnering attention. So put on a copy of Street Survivors or Second Helping and lets explore the bands history. Swamp Music from 1974s Second Helping. leonard skinner died 6 years ago on september 20 2010. Uploaded by Zimtrim, ZZ Top / Lynyrd Skynyrd San Bernardino, California, United States Lynyrd Skynyrd I think there would have been some lean years in the late 80s and into the 90s, when they might have experienced a resurgence of popularity and achieved kind of an iconic status.. 41K views 11 years ago a short sample of our family videos of Lynyrd Skynyrd and Marshall Tucker at Mile High Stadium in Denver, Colorado at a concert series known as Colorado Sun-Day. The XL Tour 2014. It sold for just 80, a bargain I think. Southern rock was on the wane by the late 70s; and disco, electronic music, hair metal and MTV were just around the corner. Two months later, on Saturday, August 21, after Mick celebrated his 33rd birthday with a party in Montauk, Long Island with Andy Warhol, The Stones were back on stage for what was their biggest show in the UK since the Hyde Park concert of 1969, and it was in front of their biggest paying crowd eversomewhere between 150,000 and 200,000 people. Hard to see how this one isnt more popular. American heavy-riff devotees CORROSION OF CONFORMITY have the official visualizer for their cover of the LYNYRD SKYNYRD track "On The Hunt", taken from the illustrious southern rock band's third . I slept in my car the night before it opened. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Its pretty easy for me to imagine with a guitarist of Steve Gaines caliber which was really top-shelf his instrumental prowess might have become the driving force for the transformation of the band and he could have become a new 80s arena rock guitar hero.. AArtemus Pyle of Skynyrd was quoted as saying and we blew the STONES off the stage. W/ Allen Gary and Steve hell yeah they did. Narrates how lynyrd skynyerd was one of the most successful rock bands in the 1970s. Lynyrd Skynyrd Plot Farewell Tour. | Continue reading, "Sweet Home Alabama" at the Florida Theatre (April 2015). All rights reserved. Tour statistics The divide is crystallized within the contrast between Van Zants Saturday Night Special, a 1975 hit where he claims hand guns are made for killin, they aint no good for nothin else, and God and Guns, the title track to a 2009 album where Skynyrd pledges allegiance to these two things above all else. In 2006 Lynyrd Skynyrd was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Lets fire up the Wayback Machine and see what I can remember. The bands first album was released in 1973. From the brand new (Fool To Cry), to the vintage (Around And Around); the rarely heard (Get Off Of My Cloud) to the seasoned set-pieces (Mick Jagger whipping the stage with his belt at the climax of Midnight Rambler), the Stones perfectly prcised their already vast legacy into a crowd-pleasing set of, apparently effortless, world-beating class. They would have been bigger than they are now if they could have stayed together and maintained the same lineup., Skynyrd already was evolving at the time of the plane crash, due largely to the influence of guitarist Steve Gaines, who was added to the band in 1976 and appears on the live One More from the Road and studio Street Survivors albums. Logistics are big part of this story. Lynyrd Skynyrd: Inside the Bands Complicated History With the South, K-Pop, Punk Rock, and a Drag Show Keep the Good Times Going in Austin, Austin Rages on Despite a Freak Thunderstorm, View all posts by Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Stagecoach 2023: Lainey Wilson, Chris Stapleton, and Nostalgia Dominate Countrys California Fest, Ed Sheeran Plays Van Morrison Song as Proof He Didn't Steal From Marvin Gaye in Copyright Trial, Chance the Rapper 'Would've Died' From Xanax Use If He Didn't Have His 'Spirit Tugged On', Fall Out Boy's Literal Teardrops Are Pressed Into Limited-Edition 'So Much (for) Stardust' Vinyl, DeSantis' Disney Board Will Countersue the Mouse, Academy Slaps Down New Rules After Andrea Riseborough, Tom Cruise, Michelle Yeoh Controversies, Right-Wing Media and Anti-Trans Groups Welcome Kiss' Paul Stanley to the Cause. Lynyrd Skynyrd, of course, did survive that crash and has a huge following today. Uploaded by Gina M, Lynyrd Skynyrd / The Charlie Daniels Band Besides, Mick, Keith, Ronnie, Charlie, and Bill Wyman, the band was augmented by the brilliant American keyboard player Billy Preston and percussionist Ollie Brown. According to Skynyrd lore, the band formed in the mid-60s when singer Ronnie Van Zant hit a line drive into the back of the head of drummer Bob Burns on a ballfield at Park Street and Lake Shore Drive. Added by Zimtrim, Lynyrd Skynyrd / The Outlaws Jul 06, 1975 Lynyrd Skynyrd Gig Timeline Previous concerts Lynyrd Skynyrd Jacksonville Memorial Coliseum, Jacksonville, FL - May 1, 1976 May 01 1976 Lynyrd Skynyrd Miami Jai-Alai Fronton, Miami, FL - May 2, 1976 May 02 1976 May 11, 1976 Lynyrd Skynyrd Municipal Auditorium, Kansas City, MO - May 11, 1976 May 11 1976 Following concerts 8 spot on Guitar World's 50 Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time. A series of early summer gigs at Earls Court had been massively over-subscribed, had sold-out rapidly and, thanks to appalling sound, were disappointing. But after 90 minutes, I went on stage and told the band either play or go home. Johnny Van Zant first sang the song on its Lynyrd Skynyrd 1991 Tour in Baton Rouge, where the band had been headed in 1977 when several members were killed in a plane crash. "T for Texas" from 1976's "One More From the Road . The song featured on the band's debut album in 1973. Free Bird. The songs that Lynyrd Skynyrd performs live vary, but here's the latest setlist that we have from the March 12, 2023 concert at Florida Strawberry Festival in Plant City, Florida, United States: Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek, Saratoga Springs, New York, United States, Burgettstown, Pennsylvania, United States, Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre - St. Louis, Maryland Heights, Missouri, United States, Greenwood Village, Colorado, United States, Sturgis Buffalo Chip 2023: Celebrating 50 Years of Lynyrd Skynyrd, https://www.wolfgangs.com/music/lynyrd-skynyrd/audio/20050818-4320.html?tid=24735, https://www.wolfgangs.com/music/lynyrd-skynyrd/audio/20053267-4320.html?tid=4797777, https://www.wolfgangs.com/music/lynyrd-skynyrd/audio/2948-4320.html?tid=34221, Peter Frampton / Lynyrd Skynyrd / Santana / The Outlaws, https://www.wolfgangs.com/music/lynyrd-skynyrd/audio/100176-4320.html?tid=20336, https://www.wolfgangs.com/music/lynyrd-skynyrd/audio/20051841-4320.html?tid=68709, Lynyrd Skynyrd / The Charlie Daniels Band, Edgar Winter / Johnny Winter / Lynyrd Skynyrd / Climax Blues Band / Earthquake, Lynyrd Skynyrd: Last of the Street Survivors Farewell Tour, Cellar Door presents Skynyrd/ Allman Brothers, Black Sabbath / Lynyrd Skynyrd / Peter Frampton, Lynyrd Skynyrd / The Fabulous Thunderbirds / Georgia Satellites / Blues Travelers. A live version of the song reentered the charts in late 1976,[12] England and Wales company registration number 2008885. By Mike O'Cull. ' On their farewell tour, Skynyrd eschews any overt display of the Confederate flag, choosing instead to perform in front of the U.S. flag and, during Sweet Home Alabama, that states colors, illustrating Rossingtons point about how there isnt much daylight, at least in his eyes, between the South and America. [Dennis Hamilton, Jr./The Florida Times-Union]. The band subsequently broke up but reunited in 1987 with Ronnie's younger brother Johnny taking over as lead singer and songwriter. January 23, 1990, Jacksonville), Steve Gaines (b. September 14, 1949, Seneca, Missourid. Oxford, England, United Kingdom Jun 19, 1977 ah nostalgia aint what it used to be absolutely the best band on the day was skynerd fabulous little of we know it would be the last time we would see them.the worst bands were Harrison 10cc and the stones thanks to 10cc and their technicians delivering a very late and mediocre performance by the time the stones got on stage they were smashed on what ever they had been on a their private party. Describes the names of the people that were and were in the lynyrd skynyrd band: ronnie van zant originally wanted to play baseball but ended up as a singer, rickey medlocke joined in 1976 and left in 1977. I think if Ronnie Van Zant had lived, Lynyrd Skynyrd would have thrived, he said. Uploaded by Ryan Thompson, Cellar Door presents Skynyrd/ Allman Brothers The surviving members of Lynyrd Skynyrd decided to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the airplane crash that killed frontman and singer Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist Steve Gaines, backup vocalist Cassie Gaines and two flight crew members. All I Can Do is Write About It from 1976s Gimme Back My Bullets. The song spent one week at No. Gaines brought a fresh guitar sound and songwriting perspective to Skynyrd. Their next performance was scheduled at Louisiana State University but was abruptly cancelled. Prior to settling on Lynyrd Skynyrd, the band had several names including. The narrow entrances were hopelessly inadequate, but following a three-hour heave we popped through the fence like corks from a bottle to witness the last knockings of Hot Tuna and to marvel at a crowd that surpassed the horizon. As it turned out, their performance was entirely forgettable but made up for when the Stones eventually got to start. Jacksonville, Florida, United States This was published in Classic Rock issue 109. Lynyrd Skynyrds roots run deep in Jacksonville and the Times-Union, Jacksonville.com and the old Jacksonville Journal were there for much of the bands long history. It formed in the mid-60s among students at Robert E. Lee High School and performed as My Backyard, the Noble Five and the One Percent before settling on a name that poked fun at Leonard Skinner, a strict teacher at Lee. There's a lot of Lynyrd Skynyrd merch that you can wear when you go to their events. On October 20, 1977, a plane carrying the members of Lynyrd Skynyrd crashed. Every time the truck would come around there would be girls on it with no tops on. Watch Lynyrd Skynyrds performance at Winterland from April 27, 1975: If you pour some music on whatevers wrong, itll sure help out. Levon Helm, Just give me one thing that I can hold on to. John Prine. eventually peaking at No. Unlike the Allman Brothers Band, who were friends of Carter, or Charlie Daniels, whose The Souths Gonna Do It (Again) was adopted as Carters campaign song in 1976, Skynyrd wasnt especially tight with the President; the closest their paths crossed is when they had to bail on a fundraising concert also featuring Daniels, the Marshall Tucker Band, the Outlaws and .38 Special in 76. The XL Tour 2013. July 10, 1976. Forty years ago, things were looking up for the Jacksonville boys in Lynyrd Skynyrd. Lynyrd Skynyrd launched its farewell tour earlier this month, confident in the knowledge that theyll be remembered as one of the great American rock & roll bands of the 20th century. Down South Jukin from 1978s Skynyrds First and Last, This one was recorded early but didnt appear on an album until after the bands 1977 plane crash (although it was added to later CD reissues of the bands first album). But Im convinced that they induced that buzz, in order to take the Stones slot.. Surviving members reunited in 1987, with Van Zants younger brother, Johnny, singing lead. Members of the second iteration of Lynyrd Skynyrd included survivors of the plane crash (Gary Rossington, Billy Powell, Leon Wilkeson and Artimus Pyle) along with Ed King and Ron Vannie Zant's younger brother Johnny Van Zant. This ones a message song (set to a rockin guitar riff) to the people who didnt want anything to do with Skynyrd until they became a big hit. Skynyrd, I dont think they could have changed..