"Watergate doesn't bother me, does your 'conscious' bother you? Sweet Home Alabama!

[Ichingcarpenter]

The Band and their ideas sucked, and Neil Young still rocks!



Meanwhile we have some Senators from Alabama and their
conscious doesn't bother them either.

[Starbucks Anarchist]

1. It's "conscience."

[Ichingcarpenter]

4. consciousness vs "conscience."

Was something that Famous Alabamians knew

But they left the State for a Reason.

[mitchum]

50. Since you are OBVIOUSLY not smart enough to pick up on SHA's pretty obvious...

irony (and very careful use of pronouns), I am not surprised that you confuse consciousness and conscience

Even your precious Neil Young said that SHA was a better song than "Southern Man"

[Tuesday Afternoon]

2. Play me a song Curtis Lowe

I've got your drinking money
so tune up your dobro

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03TgkCVDlrA

[MazeRat7]

7. In my humble opinion that is one of if not their best tune. n/t

[Tuesday Afternoon]

8. me too ...

Tuesday's Gone and Simple Man and Give Me Three Steps are faves as well :toast:

[MazeRat7]

9. "Give Me Three Steps" for sure...

I've lived that one... its one of those truths from my past I would like to forget. That was a scary night.

Peace,
MZr7

[Tuesday Afternoon]

10. the girl named Linda Lou ---

dated a friend of mine (back in the day) :toast:

[MazeRat7]

14. Yeah, I know "of" her by several different names...

she was a heart breaker for sure. And there always seemed to be an armed, pissed-off redneck, just outside. How does that work ? :rofl:

Peace,
MZr7

[Tuesday Afternoon]

15. well true that ...but, there really is a girl named Linda Lou

trust me on this one;)

[MazeRat7]

20. *LOL.... I just got it.

and an "ex" ... nuff said about that bitch. *LOL

Peace,
MZr7

edit: unless you are actually taking about the character in the song. In which case I didn't "get it"...

[Tuesday Afternoon]

23. well, how to explain --

I dated a drummer back in the day...and there really was a girl named Linda Lou and she was good looking and she was a partyer and my drummer was friends with a guy who was dating Linda Lou and this song is about a real incident involving a girl named Linda Lou.

does that make sense ??

I just read what I wrote and maybe it doesn't make sense...but, that is all I am willing to post in Public Forum.

[MazeRat7]

27. Makes perfect sense...

Now I get the connections, they are real not "metaphorical". So if we were playing the 6-degrees game with LS, you would be at most 2-3 from the brothers themselves. Nice. Thanks for the story.

Have a great evening (whats left of it),

MZr7

[Tuesday Afternoon]

28. you got it!

:blush:

[MazeRat7]

29. I dont suppose

your drummer friend was by chance named Burns or Pyle ? No need to answer, I understand. I would guess the former given when the song was written and when he left.

Peace (no I'm still up -- cant sleep)

MZr7

[Blue_In_AK]

72. My dad always called me "Linda Lou"

I'm not sure why he named me Linda Elaine if he was going to call me Linda Lou until the day he died. But then my grandpa called me "Samantha Jane." :shrug:

[14thColony]

79. My dad was a Jacksonville FL city cop at that time

and he pointed out to me the bar on the Westside where the story behind that song took place. He said it was a rare Friday night that didn't see a shooting or stabbing in that place. And apparently I knew Marion van Zant as a toddler. Touched by greatness, me...

[bvar22]

51. "Call Me the Breeze" rocks too.

Well I love big golden peaches.
Makes me feel right at home.

ZZTop and Lynyrd Skynyrd together in concert together......WOW. One of the best ever.

[Recursion]

74. Got to go with Tuesday's Gone

I knew a girl named Tuesday who died when I was in high school. I also love "Simple Man" too. And "I Know a Little"

[mitchum]

53. I agree; "Curtis Lowe" seems to be written from the perspective of knee jerk paternalistic liberals

Hell, the OP would probably love that song

Many of Van Zandt's other lyrics are far more nuanced

[Tuesday Afternoon]

64. perhaps..but Curtis Lowe was a real person

Well i used to wake the morning
before the rooster crowed
searchin for soda bottles, to get myself some dough
run em down to the corner
down to the country store
cash em in and give my money to a man named curtis lowe
old Curt was a black man
with white, curly hair
when he had a fifth of wine he did not have a care
he used to own an old dobro
used to play 'coss his knee
I'd give old curt my money and he'd play all day for me

Chorus:
Play me a song Curtis Lowe, hey Curtis Lowe
I got your drinkin money,
tune up your dobro,
people said he was useless, them people all were fools,
'cause Curtis Lowe was the finest picker to ever play the blues

He looked to be sixty, and maybe i was 10
Mama used to whoop me, but i'd go see him again
I'd clap my hands and stomp my feet just tryin to stay in time
he'd play me a song or two then take another drink a wine

On the day old Curtis died nobody came to pray
old preacher said some words and they chunked him in the clay
well he lived a lifetime playin the black man's blues
and on the day he lost his life that's all he had to lose

Play me a song Curtis Lowe, hey Curtis Lowe
I wish that you was here so everyone would know
people said he was useless, them people all were fools
'cause Curtis Lowe was the finest picker to ever play the blues

[cemaphonic]

82. Yeah, that is a great song.

[Bluebear]

3. Senator Sessions may as well be unconscious.

[cyclezealot]

17. I'd hoped with a supermajority, the likes of Shelby be powerless

But, with his big mouth , I doubt it.. We likely needed 61 senate votes to keep his trap shut... Obama should remind us of the words of the late great Sam Cooke. And let's hope Obama is listening.
..
I was born by the river in a little tent
Oh and just like the river I've been running ever since
It's been a long , a long time coming.
But, I know a Change gonna come, oh yes it will.

etc.

http://www.metrolyrics.com/a-change-is-gonna-come-lyrics-sam-cooke.html

[TahitiNut]

5. Also ... "In Birmingham, they love the Governor" (Wallace, at the time)

Yuck! :puke:

"Fools, Fools, Fools" ... amen!

[Tuesday Afternoon]

11. but the next line is:

Now we all did what we could do

[mitchum]

57. Exactly...a very careful use of "they" and "we"

[gulliver]

58. "Boo, boo, boo!"

I don't think they liked the governor.

[MazeRat7]

6. I remember reading an interview in Rolling Stone...

It was pretty clear from the article that the song was a parody of everything the south "supposedly" stood for. At least thats their story and, after all, they did write the tune.

Peace,
MZr7

[Tuesday Afternoon]

12. Thank you MZr7

actually LS had a great relationship with NY...do I need to post a link about that as well?

[Ichingcarpenter]

13. The line about Neil Young.... Was not a joke

Simple territory crap........... This guys didn't do acid or smoke to be the Alabama
literary geniuses except for the NAZCAR commercial for a drug, that keeps the
SON UP, at 4 in the morning to go fishing. But Man........ he talks Cool and drives
fast!

[Tuesday Afternoon]

16. excuse me

[MazeRat7]

18. Yes the Neil Young thing was all about spite..

Goes back to his "Southern Man" song. I dont know/remember why they tossed that into the lyrics other than to be "cute" and "twist the knife". But you are correct, that part was not parody, there was a hatfield/mccoy relationship there for a while. But I also seem to recall they mended that fence. I'm most likely wrong on that account, but I seem to remember that.

Peace,
MZr7

[Tuesday Afternoon]

22. Neil Young came back with Walk On

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1915WzOaOIM


I hear some people
been talkin' me down,
Bring up my name,
pass it 'round.
They don't mention
happy times
They do their thing,
I'll do mine.

Ooh baby,
that's hard to change
I can't tell them
how to feel.
Some get stoned,
some get strange,
But sooner or later
it all gets real.

Walk on, walk on,
Walk on, walk on.

I remember
the good old days,
Stayed up all night
gettin' crazed.
Then the money
was not so good,
But we still did
the best we could.

Ooh baby,
that's hard to change
I can't tell them
how to feel.
Some get stoned,
some get strange,
But sooner or later
it all gets real.

Walk on, walk on,
Walk on, walk on.

[spiritual_gunfighter]

54. Walk On and the entire album On The Beach killed

anything LS ever recorded. I agree Duane Allman is god

edited for the Duane Allman comment

[Tuesday Afternoon]

56. 2 different genres

comparing apples to oranges. I like both. Duane Allman is god.

[spiritual_gunfighter]

59. I wouldn't call what Neil Young does that different from LS n/t

[Tuesday Afternoon]

62. maybe not but, Southern Rock is considered to be a subgenre

of Rock which is what I consider Neil Young to be. Both are influenced by the times and locations from whence they came.

[spiritual_gunfighter]

66. Neil Young is from Canada

not exactly Southern Rock.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

68. I know that...

I am worried about your reading comprehension skills. Please re-read my posts.

[spiritual_gunfighter]

69. I am worried about you being able to write

"maybe not but, Southern Rock is considered to be a subgenre of Rock which is what I consider Neil Young to be"

You are saying Neil Young is Southern Rock in your post. What am I missing here?

[Tuesday Afternoon]

78. I consider Neil Young to be Rock --

I consider Skynard to be Southern Rock which could be construed as a subgenre of Rock. I wanted to classify it as 2 separate genres but, you did not seem to like that.

They are both products of the time and place from which they came.

also....please note my first response to you and try to keep all my posts in context:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=4722321&mesg_id=4723591

[Ghost in the Machine]

31. you do know that they were from Jacksonville Fla, not Alabama, right?

Early life
Born and raised in Jacksonville, Florida, to Lacy (1915-2004) and Marion (1929-2000) Van Zant. Van Zant aspired to be many things before finding his love for music. Notably, Ronnie was interested in becoming a boxer (as Muhammad Ali was one of his idols) and in playing professional baseball. Ronnie also tossed around the idea of becoming a stock-car racer. In fact, he would say that he was going to be the most famous person to come out of Jacksonville since Lee Roy Yarbrough. However, after seeing The Rolling Stones with his future bandmates, Ronnie decided on his future career path.


Lynyrd Skynyrd
Van Zant formed Skynyrd late in the summer of 1964 with friends and schoolmates Allen Collins (guitar), Gary Rossington (guitar), Larry Junstrom (bass), and Bob Burns (drums). Lynyrd Skynyrd's name was inspired by a gym teacher the boys had in high school, Leonard Skinner, who disapproved of students with long hair.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ronnie_Van_Zant

[cemaphonic]

83. Nah, Neil Young and Skynyrd were mutual fans.

Ronnie Van Zandt is wearing a Neil Young concert shirt on one of their album covers. And Neil has performed Sweet Home Alabama more than once.

There's probably a bit of that obstinate Southern attitude of not liking "outsiders" telling them what to do in that verse, but like most of the song, it's not really meant to be taken at face value.

[Sebastian Doyle]

19. Sataurday Night Special - a pro gun control song

Took a lot of balls for a Southern band with a redneck fan base to make a song like that.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWBoeY0AAec

[Tuesday Afternoon]

21. exactly!!

:thumbsup:

[mitchum]

52. It also took a lot of balls to walk around Jacksonville with long hair in 1969...

A LOT more balls than it took to do the same thing in Berkeley or Los Angeles at the same time

[tkmorris]

24. Sweet Home Alabama is one of the most misunderstood songs

The entire song was written in response to Neil Young's Southern Man and, to a lesser extent, Alabama. Ronnie Van Zant and the rest of the band felt that Young was being unfair by painting all of the South with a broad brush, a feeling many DU'ers would be very familiar with. The song tries to focus on some of the political differences between the South and the North. In fact the line you mention is pointing out that while there things which occur in the South no one is proud of, like the racism Young focused on, Watergate was (as viewed by Southerners anyway) primarily an embarrassment to the North, and that it unfair to paint either region based upon the worst of those who live there. The line "Does your conscience bother you, tell the truth" is saying that Northerners should have troubled consciences as well.

Another poster kindly pointed out the portion of the song where Ronnie says "In Birmingham they love the Governor-Boo, boo, boo- Now we all did what we could do" which is intended to mean that a LOT of Southerners hated Governor Wallace, Skynyrd included, and did all they could to get rid of him. The very things Young criticized the entire South for were things that a great many Southerners were already trying to get rid of.

By the way Van Zant often wore Neil Young t-shirts on stage when Skynyrd played, and there were unconfirmed rumors that Young and Lynyrd Skynyrd might collaborate on a few songs, which of course was ended by the bands plane crash. Try to keep an open mind, Skynyrd does not represent the worst of the South, even if there are idiot rednecks out there who think they do.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

26. Thank you for this post, tkmorris

Bravo! Job well done!

[DemBones DemBones]

32. Well said. Southerners catch so much shit at DU

and it's quite unfair. You will find racists and assorted other idiots anywhere you look, North or South, East or West. Most sundown towns (towns which require blacks to leave town before the sun sets) are not in the South. There's a very interesting book called Sundown Towns which everyone should read. Sundown towns originally discriminated against Chinese, not blacks, so they began in the West.

[RoyGBiv]

36. This is the correct answer ...

I'll just add that the song had a positive outcome. Young and Van Zant actually *talked* about their differences.

Ronnie and Neil: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3u2pddAqWgo

[aikoaiko]

37. Agreed, Misunderstood. In the same vein as Born in the USA just more subtle

Lynyrd Skynyrd were pretty much left of center hippies in the south.

[conscious evolution]

39. LS is not the worst of the south

Their fans,on the other hand.....

[kdmorris]

42. All of their fans?

:eyes:

I think you missed the point.

[conscious evolution]

43. Have you been to one of their shows lately?

I agree that they were a very progressive band back in the day but,seriously,have you seen them lately? Their music is going way over the heads of most of their fans.
Their fans today make nascar fans look like raging liberals.

[kdmorris]

45. No, I haven't been to one of their shows

Just pointing out that when you lump all people of one group together, you are bordering on prejudice and definitely stereotyping...which is why the song was made.

the gays..

atheists...

democrats...

their fans...

All have the potential to limit one's view of the non-homogeneous nature of most groups of people.

[appal_jack]

60. Interesting perspective

"Watergate was (as viewed by Southerners anyway) primarily an embarrassment to the North"

I always interpreted that line as meaning that (these) southerners didn't really mind executives abusing their power, which of course did not sit well with me at all. I'd rather embrace your interpretation, but I'm not sure that I buy it entirely...

-app (a southerner who was horrified by watergate, and then by the entire Bush/Reagan/B* administrations)

[Recursion]

76. Oh, wow. I had never thought of it that way

I grew up in Mississippi and I always heard that line as meaning, "You Yankees can't keep your own house in order but you sure spend a lot of time telling us how bad we are."

[14thColony]

80. Bear in mind

that the chain-reaction of Southern secessions in 1860/1861 was caused primarily by what many Southerners viewed as an executive power grab in contravention of the Constitution. Southerners I think have historically tended to be wary of excessive executive power, not cheerleaders for it.

I have always interpreted that line as meaning that we will not view all Northerners/politicians/whatevers based on the actions of a few, but at the same time those in glass houses best not cast stones ("does you conscience bother you?").

[SalmonChantedEvening]

75. There ya go n/t

[Zorra]

25. Despite the cliche, "Freebird" is still a stellar rock guitar arrangement.

The band definitely did not suck.

[MazeRat7]

30. Apparently your not the only one that feels that way...

I'm not an expert, but I've been playing rock of the southern vein for a long while here in Austin, TX. I can't tell you the number of times someone yells from the crowd.. "Freebird".

As cliche as that is.. it really happens with great frequency. I have been witness to that for over 30 years.

Peace,
MZr7

[conscious evolution]

40. Could yall play

Stairway to Hotel Califreebird?

[Morning Dew]

47. Heh! I call out "freebird" to street musicians

preferably to drum guys outside Target Center or a fella that has a sax.

My sister has started calling out "Piano Man" - just cuz it's unexpected.

[mitchum]

65. I always yell out "Firebird" at the symphony

[Recursion]

77. Bwah!

:spray:

Ronnie Van Stravinsky...

(I'm just picturing Igor saying over the bassoon solo, "play it pretty for Minsk...")

[Algorem]

33. I too blame the Canadians for Watergate.

Damn Canadians.

I believe Bachman-Turner Overdrive hypnotized Americans into the "Reagan Revolution" with their ubiquitous mantra "taking care of business every day,taking care of business every way"

[mitchum]

67. LMAO!!!

nicely done :)

[RoyGBiv]

34. delete

[Ptah]

35. International appeal, regardless the meaning of the lyrics.

Youtube ---> Leningrad Cowboys & Red Army Choir - SWEET HOME ALABAMA

:silly:

[conscious evolution]

41. Wanna see a freeper head explode?

Show them that vid!!

I love that version.The Red Army guys look like they are thoroughly enjoying themselves.

[RoyGBiv]

38. More controversial Skynard Lyrics ...

_Saturday Night Special_

"Hand guns are made for killin
Aint no good for nothin else
And if you like your whiskey
You might even shoot yourself
So why dont we dump em people
To the bottom of the sea
Before some fool come around here
Wanna shoot either you or me"

[Spectral Music]

44. In 1975, Van Zant said: "The lyrics about the governor of Alabama were misunderstood. "

In 1975, Van Zant said: "The lyrics about the governor of Alabama were misunderstood. The general public didn't notice the words 'Boo! Boo! Boo!' after that particular line, and the media picked up only on the reference to the people loving the governor."<3> "The line 'We all did what we could do' is sort of ambiguous," Kooper notes "'We tried to get Wallace out of there' is how I always thought of it."<3> Journalist John Swenson argues that the song is more complex than it is sometimes given credit for, suggesting that it only looks like an endorsement of Wallace.<3> "Wallace and I have very little in common," Van Zant himself said, "I don't like what he says about colored people."<3>

In 1976, Van Zant and the band supported Jimmy Carter for his presidential candidacy, including fundraising and an appearance at the Gator Bowl benefit concert.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweet_Home_Alabama_(song)

[Arugula Latte]

63. Making things even more interesting is Wallace's eventual 180 on race.

His daughter Peggy Wallace Kennedy wrote a fascinating commentary as she endorsed Obama:

"My father lived long enough to come to an understanding of the injustices borne by his deeds and the legacy of suffering that they left behind. History will teach future generations that he was a man who used his political power to promote a philosophy of exclusion.

As his daughter, who witnessed his suffering in the twilight of his years and who witnessed his deeds and heard his words, I am one who believes that the man who, on March 7, 1965, listened to the reports of brutality as they streamed into the Governor's Mansion from Selma, Alabama, was not the same man who, in March of 1995, was welcomed with open arms as he was rolled through a sea of African-American men, women and children who gathered with him to welcome another generation of marchers, retracing in honor and remembrance the historic steps from Selma to Montgomery."

http://edition.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/11/03/wallace.kennedy.obama/index.html

[WilliamPitt]

46. Skynard actively campaigned for Jimmy Carter

Does that fact fit the storyline here?

Pop stars add flavor to presidential race Oct 30, 2008
Both Lynyrd Skynyrd and the Allman Brothers Band backed Jimmy Carter for president in the mid-1970s. In the movie world, Gov. Pappy O'Daniel saw his flagging campaign saved by the Soggy Bottom Boys in "O Brother, Where Art Thou.". (Honolulu Advertiser)

http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/20081029/LIFE/810290347/1076

[Morning Dew]

48. I knew a guy that misheard it

He used to sing

"Women gaze at my body,
does your conscience bother you?"


You'd have to be a fool to correct that kind of mis-hearing. It was hilarious.

[mitchum]

49. Your precious NEIL YOUNG SUPPORTED REAGAN...

Young also informed on marijuana smokers in the 60s
I love Young's guitar playing (and amplifier), but
NEIL YOUNG IS A LONGTIME OPPORTUNISTIC PIECE OF SHIT

[Name removed]

55. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Name removed]

61. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Luminous Animal]

70. MTV "FAMOUS LAST WORDS" INTERVIEW - 1990

Edited to add link : http://www.thrasherswheat.org/ptma/reagan.htm

MTV: At one point when you were sort of in a country mode, you were sort of making noises about Ronald Reagan was a good guy...you sort of come around from that position too?

NEIL: I never made, you know, I was never a Reagan supporter in a total blanket sense. I was one of those who felt that some ideas he had were good ideas. He had one point that he was stressing in the first six months of his job that he thought the people in the communities and neighborhoods should pull together and try to do things on their own more than depending on government to do it for them. And I thought that was a hell of an idea and here's this old guy and he's kind of got this image, of this fatherly image, telling all these people in their neighborhoods to pull together and get your own daycare centers happening, and get this and that happening.

I thought that was a cool thing, I thought it was a good thing. So then I'm on my bus, someplace in some hell hole somewhere, playing some show and the good part of it is when I'm on stage and the bad part of it is the rest of it. And these two dorks come on my bus, I don't know how it happened, I swear to God, two jerks from some press service come on my bus and start asking me these questions and I just kind of burnt.

And these guys starting putting down Reagan left and right and everything and I looked at the guy and I said "You're an asshole, you know, you don't know what the hell you are talking about cause you probably put down every damn president, you know, that ever lived. You're a president basher, that's all you do is if they win, they lose."

So I said the guy's got some good ideas, I stand behind the way he feels about this and that, and I told him...I said, I think you're full of shit for dismissing a person completely in every idea he has because he happens to be president and he makes some really stupid moves on one level, that I would never think of making. That doesn't mean that the guy didn't have some good ideas somewhere along the line maybe yesterday about something else.

So with the press, it's so hard, even though print is in black and white, it's so hard for them to make it clear what's really happening.

So here I am - Reagan supporter!

[mitchum]

71. Well, according to Neil...

and we know how ol' Let's Roll loves to shift with the wind

[yardwork]

73. You've completely missed the point of the song and it wasn't The Band it was Lynyrd Skynyrd.

Hopeless.

[14thColony]

81. I think the highly satirical nature of Sweet Home Alabama has escaped you

Feel free to launch on The Charlie Daniels Band if you want, but leave a progressive and relatively liberal group like Lynyrd Skynyrd (not The Band) out of it.