Sweet Home Alabama
About The Song
“Sweet Home Alabama” is a song by American rock band Skynyrd, released on the band’s second album Second Helping (1974). It was written in response to Neil Young’s 1970 song “Southern Man”, which the band felt blamed the entire South for American slavery; Young is name-checked and dissed in the lyrics. It reached number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1974, becoming the band’s highest-charting single.
The song remains a staple in southern and classic rock, and is arguably the band’s signature song.
In an interview with Garden & Gun, Rossington explained the writing process: “I had this little riff. It’s the little picking part and I kept playing it over and over when we were waiting on everyone to arrive for rehearsal. Ronnie and I were sitting there, and he kept saying, ‘play that again’. Then Ronnie wrote the lyrics and Ed and I wrote the music.” The introductive signature riff, prevalent throughout the song, was written and played by Ed King. The basic track was recorded with guide lead vocals, Ed King’s lead guitar, Leon Wilkeson’s bass, and Bob Burns’ drums. The final lead vocals from Van Zant, along with Rossington and Collins’ rhythm guitars and Powell’s piano were added later.
“Sweet Home Alabama” was a major chart hit for a band whose previous singles had “lazily sauntered out into release with no particular intent.” The hit led to two television rock show offers that the band declined. In addition to the original appearance on Second Helping, the song has appeared on numerous Lynyrd Skynyrd compilations and live albums.
Record World called it the group’s “most commercial single entry so far.”
Video
Lyrics
They got loose here
Oh, whoa, whoa
Big wheels keep on turnin’
Carry me home to see my kin
Singin’ songs about the Southland
I miss Alabamy once again, and I think it’s a sin, I said
Well, I heard Mr. Young sing about her
Well, I heard ol’ Neil put her down
Well, I hope Neil Young will remember
A Southern man don’t need him around, anyhow
Sweet home, Alabama
Where the skies are so blue
Sweet home, Alabama
Lord, I’m comin’ home to you
One thing I want to tell you
In Birmingham, they love the governor (boo, boo, boo!)
Now we all did what we could do
Now Watergate does not bother me, uh-uh
Does your conscience bother you? Tell the truth
Sweet home, Alabama
Where the skies are so blue
Sweet home, Alabama (oh my baby)
Lord, I’m comin’ home to you (here I come, Alabama)
Speak your mind
Ah-ah-ah (can you feel that?), Alabama
Ah-ah-ah, Alabama
Ah-ah-ah, Alabama
Ah-ah-ah, Alabama
Now Muscle Shoals has got the Swampers
And they’ve been known to pick a song or two (yes, they do)
Lord, they get me off so much
They pick me up when I’m feelin’ blue, now, how ’bout you?
Sweet home, Alabama (oh)
Where the skies are so blue
Sweet home, Alabama
Lord, I’m comin’ home to you
Sweet home, Alabama (old, sweet home, baby)
Where the skies are so blue (and the governor’s true)
Sweet home, Alabama (Lord, yeah)
Lord, I’m comin’ home to you (woo, whoa, yeah, oh)
All right, brother, now
Wait one minute!
Oh, oh sweet Alabama
Thank you!
