From Slow Ballard To Iconic Anthem: The Journey Of Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Free bird"
Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Free Bird” is a song that has defined not only the band but also an entire genre of music. Although it was not their biggest hit in terms of chart success, it has become their passport to immortality and the unofficial anthem of the southern rock nation.
The lyrics express a man’s desire for freedom, telling the story of a man leaving a woman because he cannot bring himself to settle down with her. He does not want to hurt her, but there are too many things he wants to do before committing to a relationship.
“It’s about what it means to be free, in that a bird can fly wherever he wants to go,” Ronnie Van Zant said in the 70s.
When the band recorded “Free Bird” for the first time in 1972, there were no guitar solos at the end. It ran seven and a half minutes long, but they still did not feel like it was finished.
“Ronnie didn’t like it in the beginning. He complained that the opening chord progression was too complicated, and he couldn't find a melody for it. Every once in a while we’d bring it up again, and he’d just tell us to forget about it. Then one day we were at rehearsal and Allen [Collins, guitarist] started playing the chord progression, and Ronnie said, ‘That’s pretty.’ And he wrote the lyrics in three or four minutes - the whole damn thing!
"We started playing Free Bird in clubs, and initially it was just a slow ballad. Then Ronnie said, ‘Why don’t you do something at the end of that so that I can take a break for a few minutes.’ So I came up with the ending chord progression and Allen played over them, then I soloed and then he soloed - it all evolved out of a single jam we had one night.”
Executives cautioned against adding the lengthy track to the album due to radio limitations, leading to the creation of a shorter version with a one-minute-long instrumental.
In 2010, John explained that every listener feels a different connection to it. “This kid was telling me that they used it for their graduation song and not too long ago somebody told me that they used it at a funeral," he said.
Also read: The Story of Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band
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