A Southern man don’t need him around, anyhow, but that didn’t keep Neil Young from dishing out his opinion on them. In “Southern Man,” Young commented on racism in the southern part of the United States during the Civil Rights Movement. Lynyrd Skynyrd famously got in a jab following the release of this song–a moment Young himself thought was well deserved.
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“Alabama richly deserved the shot Lynyrd Skynyrd gave me with their great record,” Young once said. “I don’t like my words when I listen to it today. They are accusatory and condescending, not fully thought out, too easy to misconstrue.”
Given that Young thinks his words are “Easy to misconstrue,” we’re combing through them below to glean his meaning. Check out our analysis, below.
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Behind the Meaning
I saw cotton and I saw black
Tall white mansions and little shacks
Southern man, when will you pay them back?
I heard screaming and bullwhips cracking
How long? How long?
Young opens up this seething song with a bang. He immediately orients the listener to his stance on the “Southern Man.” He references slavery and fights for some recompense. In the next breath, he reminds those guilty of racism that it goes against the sentiment of “The good book,” which is a guiding force many southerners live by.
Southern man, better keep your head
Don’t forget what your good book said
Southern change gonna come at last
Now your crosses are burning fast
Southern man
In the second verse, Young describes a lynching. Though there are multiple interpretations, we see these lines being sung from the perspective of Young’s “Southern Man.” Lily Belle, your hair is golden brown / I’ve seen your black man coming ’round / Swear by God, I’m gonna cut him down, he sings.
Being a Canadian, Young naturally came under fire for this song. Though his commentary on racism isn’t unfounded, many saw it as an attack from the wrong source. In hindsight, Young himself sees why the song became controversial.
“I’d rather play “Sweet Home Alabama” than “Southern Man” anytime,” he once said.
(Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
