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SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2009
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'Freebird' at 35: a Joke and a Classic

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(Newser) – Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Freebird" is 35 years old now, and in the course of its life, the song "has been an anthem, a demand, an ode to personal independence, the lamest heckle in the history of rock," writes Christopher Borelli in the Chicago Tribune. "But what it has never been is forgettable." Borelli tries to return a little "dignity" to the song, which is still shouted out to disparate bands as a prank request to this day.

“Someone yells it as a joke, I'm in that room, I'll punch them in the mouth,” says former Skynyrd drummer Artimus Pyle. “That's no joke. My friends died living out that song.” One modern rocker sums up the song's predicament: "I feel like I could write you a dissertation in defense of it as being one of the most underrated songs in rock history and I could write about its utter banality, and in both papers I would be sincere."

Lynyrd Skynyrd in 2005.
Lynyrd Skynyrd in 2005.   (AP Photo)
Mitch Myers wrote a book entitled
Mitch Myers wrote a book entitled "The Boy Who Cried Freebird."   (AP Photo)
Lynyrd Skynyrd in 1976.
Lynyrd Skynyrd in 1976.   (Getty Images)
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I feel like I could write you a dissertation in defense of it as being one of the most underrated songs in rock history and I could write about its utter banality, and in both papers I would be sincere. - Patterson Hood, Drive-By Truckers

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11 comments
VIEWING:
 
DarkFrancis
Jul 4, 09 7:59 PM CDT
I'll not view it as anything other than a stupidity that drunk lameass dickknuckles scream out for no other reason than to draw attention to themselves. Reply
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-1
IN RESPONSE:
Ioptout
Jul 5, 09 8:35 AM CDT
Freebird is the only song I will play in the jukebox, I think it's 13-15 mins and at $2.00 for 3 songs it's your best deal (great solo). I went to a Lynard Skynard concert with my cousin, it was a time I will never forget. I was the next to the stairs and a hillbilly-crackhead hybrid was trying to push out of the isle where he had been standing and move closer into the seats, standing right next to me. All it took was me screaming "Hell yea" and the Hyrbrid was talking my ears off the rest of the concert. Dancing, flailing his drenched bald-spot mullet all over me and he even hit the pipe a couple times (yes crack).
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+1
lonewolf17
Jul 5, 09 12:27 AM CDT
Skynyrd is one of my fav bands, but my fav song of theirs is "Simple Man" Reply
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+5
Snarfeh
Jul 5, 09 1:19 AM CDT
Curtis Lowe was the finest picker to ever play the blues... Reply
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0
riffran
Jul 5, 09 3:20 AM CDT
"SWEET HOME ALABAMA...".... *dancing the gump*... :) Reply
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+1

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