Lynyrd Skynyrd – Simple Man
About The Song
“Simple Man” is a song by American rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd, released on their debut studio album, (Pronounced ‘Lĕh-‘nérd ‘Skin-‘nérd) (1973).
Shortly after Ronnie Van Zant’s grandmother and Gary Rossington’s mother died, they got together in Van Zant’s apartment and started telling stories about them. Rossington came up with a chord progression, and Van Zant wrote the lyrics based on advice the women had given them over the years. They wrote it in about an hour.
“We just put down in a song what our mama or grandma had said to us,” Rossington told Paul Ingles. “They really wrote it, we just played it.”
“Simple Man” epitomized Ronnie Van Zant, who enjoyed friends, family, and a good time far more than anything money could buy. He held true to these values even after he found fame.
Van Zant died in the 1977 plane crash that also claimed the lives of Skynyrd guitarist Steve Gaines and backup singer Cassie Gaines (brother and sister). When the band reunited and toured in 1987, they dedicated this song to him.
The song is one of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s most popular. Since the song became available for digital download, it has become Lynyrd Skynyrd’s third best-selling digital song after “Sweet Home Alabama” and “Free Bird.” It has sold 1,333,000 copies in the U.S. as of November 2013.
