#WORDS TO FREE BIRD PROFESSIONAL#

Van Zant's lyrics underscore that he is about to leave, forever: Things settle down for a bit as Rossington plays another brief slide guitar solo, followed by Powell on piano.īut the tension is building. While those words originally were accusatory, Van Zant turned them on their ear as he created - in mere minutes, by at least one account - a song about a man explaining to a lover that he's not ready to commit to her:įor the opening minutes, 'Free Bird' is a gentle ballad - a melancholy breakup song.īut at the two-minute mark, it turns defiant. The words reportedly had been uttered by Collins' girlfriend, Kathy, during a fight. While Van Zant is credited with writing the lyrics, those particular words came from Skynyrd guitarist Allen Collins, who crafted the original chords of the song. It's a tribal celebration.Īt the 1:09 mark, Ronnie Van Zant takes the microphone and sings the opening lyrics:

By then, girls in the crowd are swaying with the music. Slide guitarist Gary Rossington kicks in seconds later with the first guitar solo of song. Within seconds, the fans realize what song is coming up it's unmistakable, really. A can of Budweiser sat within easy reach. The closing song began, as always, with Billy Powell - who had worked for the band as a roadie for a year or more before Ronnie Van Zant discovered that he was a gifted keyboardist - opening with a few sweet notes from his white grand piano. There's lot of footage of pretty girls in their halters or bikini tops, some of them perched on the shoulders of their boyfriend.

#WORDS TO FREE BIRD PROFESSIONAL#

It was a bargain nearly beyond comprehension today.įortunately, a professional film crew captured Skynyrd's performance. Tickets cost $11 - less than the cost of three record albums at the time. The Jconcert featured Peter Frampton, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Santana and The Outlaws. Among the performers at various Day on the Green concerts were The Grateful Dead, The Beach Boys, The Rolling Stones, The Doobie Brothers, Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson, The Eagles, Linda Ronstadt, The Who, Journey, Ted Nugent, Aerosmith and Parliament-Funkadelic, among others - and that was just from the concerts during the 1970s. The occasion was one of legendary rock promoter Bill Graham's Day on the Green recurring daytime concerts that took place at the Oakland stadium from 1973 into the early 1990s. So it was at Oakland Alameda Coliseum on a sunny Saturday two days before Independence Day in 1977. But there it was, and 'Free Bird' proved such a sensation that Lynyrd Skynyrd routinely played it as their closing song at concerts. It's almost unimaginable that a young band's debut album would enter the rock canon. (As recently as June 9, someone yelled out such a request at a Bob Dylan concert at the Greek Theatre in Berkeley, California - and Dylan and his band obliged, performing the famous Skynyrd song.) It's so beloved that it has become a decades-old rock concert tradition for someone in the audience - regardless of who is performing - to shout out a request for 'Free Bird.' It consistently shows up on greatest rock-song lists by Rolling Stone and VH1.

Understand, 'Free Bird' is one of the most iconic rock anthems ever. For one thing, it appeared on Skynyrd's very first album back in 1973.

Last Saturday - July 2 - was such a day.īy sheer coincidence, I found the song on YouTube, from a July 2, 1977, concert - exactly 39 years earlier.

Besides, Skynyrd could readily be heard on the radio in those days.īut there was one Skynyrd song that could get me - get anyone - moving: 'Free Bird.'Įvery now and then, I just have to hear it. I never even owned one of the band's albums, though I liked a lot of songs from a Jacksonville, Florida, band with the unlikely name of Lynyrd Skynyrd.ĭuring the late 1970s, I was more engaged with British bands - The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, Fleetwood Mac, Led Zeppelin.

Words to free bird