LYNYRD SKYNYRD NEIL YOUNG UPDATE
LYNYRD SKYNYRD NEIL YOUNG FREE

Back in the 1970’s it was racist, and today it’s also racist. I don’t know how you can conclude that, at a minimum, this song isn’t racist.įlying the Confederate flag is inherently racist-even if the intention isn’t racist. In addition to defending the past actions of the South, “Sweet Home Alabama” also invoked support of infamous segregationist Governor George Wallace. And I don’t mean that metaphorically, it was a response to Neil Young’s songs “Southern Man” and “Alabama,” which were critical of the South’s brutal history of slavery and impressing Black people. The song “Sweet Home Alabama” was a defense of the South’s brutal history of slavery, Jim Crow, and segregation. Yes (before you downvote, let me explain). I hope it helped some of you re-think your perspectives, even if you didn't ultimately change your mind.

I appreciate all the opinions and discussion on this post, especially since it was nearly all in good faith. Ballad of Curtis Loew and Simple Man are two of my favorite songs to perform, not just from them but from any band/artist that I look up to. I play the piano and guitar, and I sing, and I perform their music pretty frequently in fact. And of course, I still get to listen to their music.Īs well I can learn/perform their songs if I want to. This way I support local businesses, give a good home to already existing vinyl, and don't have to support the band/label financially. But I still needed their music in my life, so I decided to buy some of their records secondhand from local record shops. Because of that I can't in good conscience financially support them. Whether it was the band's decision or the record label's, the fact is they decided to push the dixie flag. Songs like SHA called out racism in the south, while simultaneously excusing it somewhat ('we all did what we could do' did you really though?) Ballad of Curtis Loew, my absolute favorite from them, speaks to the value of all people, and although it does push some stereotypes, I ultimately think it's a great, open-minded song. They made some incredible music and there's a reason I can't get it out of my head. Ultimately, even if the band was racist, I don't think that necessarily means their music is racist. And he definitely seemed to be an open-minded man. I think the plane crash affects a lot of this, since he was really the heart and soul of the band. I do wonder what Ronnie would have done if he were still alive.

The fact is that they did 'try' to discontinue the flag, but the fans whined about it and so they never actually got rid of it. There was also some misinformation posted (like them not using the confederate flag at first, or discontinuing the usage of the flag). The extent of their racism, I don't know, but more importantly, they encourage their fans to be racist as well.

I decided that, yes, Lynyrd Skynyrd was and still are racist.

LYNYRD SKYNYRD NEIL YOUNG UPDATE

Which is awesome! But I wanted to add an update since it's been a while. This post is still getting attention somehow. It's actually driving me a little nuts, I loved their music, they were one of the bands I listened to most frequently, but I never bothered to look into their history because I just grew up listening to them, I never saw a reason to. But after learning about this and re-listening, when they say things like 'I can't change'? Are they talking about how they see the world changing around them and they wish things could go back to how they were? Because if so. It's about the core of a human being and what they want from life. To me, these songs hit at a philosophical level.

LYNYRD SKYNYRD NEIL YOUNG FREE

But I've also seen that they no longer use it and denounce people who still fly that flag? So maybe they've changed? But that still means the music was originally racist though doesn't it?Įxample: two of my favorites from them are two of their biggest hits: Simple Man and Free Bird. I did see that they used to perform with the Confederate flag at their concerts, which is a major red flag honestly. While I've since learned the true meanings of a lot of those old songs, many of them still have my own personal meaning too.Ī friend got upset with me for listening to Lynyrd Skynyrd because they're apparently racist. I grew up listening to classic rock because it's what my dad always listened to. Ok, so this one's been bothering me for a while, maybe you guys can help me out.

Lynyrd skynyrd neil young