Why did Lynrd Skyndrd call out Neil Young?

[SteelBlue]

Every time I hear "Sweet Home Alabama" I catch that line that says something like "I heard Neil Young sing about her, I heard ol' Neil put her down. I hope Neil Young will remember, the southern man don't need him around anyhow." What are they referring to?

I think it would be cool to be called out by name in one of the most classic of rock songs ever. Neil's grandkids grandkids will know that he he somehow managed to piss of all of the south.

[ewth8tr]

Originally Posted by SteelBlue

Every time I hear "Sweet Home Alabama" I catch that line that says something like "I heard Neil Young sing about her, I heard ol' Neil put her down. I hope Neil Young will remember, the southern man don't need him around anyhow." What are they referring to?

I think it would be cool to be called out by name in one of the most classic of rock songs ever. Neil's grandkids grandkids will know that he he somehow managed to piss of all of the south.

It was a response to Neil Young's song Southern Man about racism in the South. A lot of people mistakingly take it as against the anti racism message in Southern Man when it was just a response that not all southerners are like that.

[SteelBlue]

Originally Posted by ewth8tr

It was a response to Neil Young's song Southern Man about racism in the South. A lot of people mistakingly take it as against the anti racism message in Southern Man when it was just a response that not all southerners are like that.

I just found a bit about it in wikipedia. Sounds like you are right on.

Sweet Home Alabama" was written as an answer to two controversial songs, "Southern Man" and "Alabama" by Neil Young, which attacked the South as racist. "We thought Neil was shooting all the ducks in order to kill one or two," said Ronnie Van Zant at the time.[2] Van Zant's musical response, however, was also controversial, with references to Alabama Governor George Wallace (a noted supporter of segregation) and the Watergate scandal:

In Birmingham, they love the governor (boo boo boo)
Now we all did what we could do
Now Watergate does not bother me
Does your conscience bother you?
Tell the truth

In addition, the final chorus rhymes "where the skies are so blue" with "and the governor's true."
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.