Comments on: Music Examination Week! Day 1

By: MusicLoverNotFromTheSouth

MusicLoverNotFromTheSouth — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 18:47:18 +0000

Sorry, please excuse me for having missed the comedy on your comedy blog. And, before you go asking — yes, I am humorless.

By: MusicLoverNotFromTheSouth

MusicLoverNotFromTheSouth — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 19:38:03 +0000

If you were forthright, you would post a retraction stating that perhaps you didn’t do your necessary homework and that you apologize to Ronnie VanZant and the rest of the band. Your diatribe on the meaning of the song is so way off-base that it makes you appear shallow. Even though the lyrics were a response to the two Neil Young songs “Southern Man” and “Alabama”, that doesn’t make the song anti-anti-racism or pro-racism — rather the song is just a rant against painting every Southerner as racist. If you are still uncertain as to the meaning of “Sweet Home Alabama”, let me provide you with this quote from the 1974 Rolling Stones article in which Ronnie says, “We thought Neil was shooting all the ducks in order to kill one or two.” That is what he took issue with in that song, he didn’t take issue with people who were anti-racist — Ronnie was fervently anti-racist. Get your facts straight. Further, Ronnie VanZant was one of the greatest singer-songwriters of the rock and roll era, and he was a great human being as well. He genuinely loved his fellow man (he tried to steer kids away from drugs by singing openly and honestly about his past drug problems — “The Needle and the Spoon”, “Gimme Back My Bullets” and “That Smell”) and he admiration for all people including African Americans (listen to “The Ballad of Curtis Lowe”). Listen closely to all of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s songs and I defy you to find hate in them — you’ll find no such thing. More importantly, do a little research on the man before you go besmirching his good, no make that, great name. You should be ashamed of such a shallow posting.

Translation: WHAT IS THIS HYPERBOLE ON A COMEDY BLOG. I DO NOT APPROVE OF SATIRE OR EXAGGERATION IN THE INTERNET.

By: CheeseDuck

CheeseDuck — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 00:48:27 +0000

Uhm. That song has words? I just assumed the guy was humming along in gibberish.

By: Karen

Karen — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 20:55:14 +0000

PS: guess who’s from “the south”?

By: Karen

Karen — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 20:54:13 +0000

I wasn’t accusing Southerners of racism. I mentioned old laws, and three song, and said one of them was hating on the other two, which were hating on racism.

By: Heather

Heather — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 20:53:34 +0000

Oh man, this song is a testament to how well received a song can be if it has a upbeat tempo and the only lyric people can understand is the chorus.

By: Clark

Clark — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 14:56:16 +0000

Sweet Home Alabama is not a defense of racism. It points out that Southerners do not need to feel guilty just because somebody makes sweeping accusations against them as a group.
It seems that people from outside of the region see no irony in accusing Southerners of bigotry based on what they’ve heard about them.

By: Jason G

Jason G — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 22:02:23 +0000

Not a bad read. I sure hope that Bruce Springsteens “Born in the USA” makes the list.

I love how die hard patriots think this song embodies america when in fact its about how America has really horrible during Vietnam.

Born down in a dead man’s town
The first kick I took was when I hit the ground
You end up like a dog that’s been beat too much
‘Til you spend half your life just covering up

[chorus:]
Born in the U.S.A.
Born in the U.S.A.
Born in the U.S.A.
Born in the U.S.A.

I got in a little hometown jam
And so they put a rifle in my hands
Sent me off to Vietnam
To go and kill the yellow man

[chorus]

Come back home to the refinery
Hiring man says “Son if it was up to me”
I go down to see the V.A. man
He said “Son don’t you understand”

[chorus]

I had a buddy at Khe Sahn
Fighting off the Viet Cong
They’re still there, he’s all gone
He had a little girl in Saigon
I got a picture of him in her arms

Down in the shadow of the penitentiary
Out by the gas fires of the refinery
I’m ten years down the road
Nowhere to run, ain’t got nowhere to go

I’m a long gone Daddy in the U.S.A.
Born in the U.S.A.
I’m a cool rocking Daddy in the U.S.A.
Born in the U.S.A.