3 Lynyrd Skynyrd Songs That Showcase a Different Side of the Iconic Band

We all have a pervasive idea about Lynyrd Skynyrd. The Southern rock band is often painted in a single color, obscuring the varied corners of their discography. The three tracks below showcase a side of the band the general public doesn’t often get to see. Revisit these songs for a deeper dive into Lynyrd Skynyrd.

“Saturday Night Special”

“Mister Saturday Night Special / Got a barrel that’s blue and cold / That ain’t good for nothing / But puttin’ men six feet in a hole,” the lyrics to Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Saturday Night Special” read. Given this band’s Southern roots and iron-clad persona, you’d likely think they’d have songs that promote gun use, rather than the other way around. Nevertheless, this track tackles gun control.

“Big Jim’s been drinking whiskey / And playing poker on a losing night…So Big Jim commence to fighting / I wouldn’t tell you no lie / Big Jim done pulled his pistol / He shot his friend right between the eye,” the lyrics continue. This isn’t a song most people would peg Lynyrd Skynyrd for, but it feels apt once you listen.

“The Needle And The Spoon”

Lynyrd Skynyrd issued another cautionary tale with “The Needle And The Spoon”. “I’ve been feeling so sick inside / Got to get better, Lord, before I die / Seven doctors couldn’t help my head, they said / You better quit, son before you’re dead,” the lyrics read.

The band tackles drug use, a familiar topic for a rock band. But instead of propping it up as a part of the rockstar package, the band warns against letting it take over your life. “Quit the needle, quit the spoon / Quit the trip to the moon,” the lyrics continue, taking a realist perspective on drug culture.

“All I Can Do Is Write About It”

The band got pretty serious on “All I Can Do Is Write About It”. Lynyrd Skynyrd has plenty of songs about Southern culture, but this song is an environmental plea to preserve the South’s natural landscape.

“Did you ever see a she-gator protect her youngin’ / Or fish in a river, swimmin’ free? / Did you ever see the beauty of the hills of Carolina / Or the sweetness of the grass in Tennessee,” the band sings, taking a tenderer approach to songwriting than many would expect.

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