# Someone please explain "Sweet Home Alabama" (not movie, but the song) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 24, 2003, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-please-explain-sweet-home-alabama-not-movie-but-the-song/197331 "2003-08-24T15:51:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2003, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-please-explain-sweet-home-alabama-not-movie-but-the-song/197331/1 "2003-08-24T15:51:39Z")
I’m talking about Lynard Skynard’s song “Sweet Home Alabama”. I know it’s a response to Neil Young’s “Southern Man”, but I don’t understand why the response was needed. “Southern Man” is anti-racism-in-the-South, not anti-South. I don’t see why anyone decent would be against that song. Was their tension between Young and Skynard before “Southern Man”? I understand all the parts of the song except for this: > [@](#): > > In Birmingham they love the governor > Now we all did what we could do Who was the governor? And what was done that “they” could do? ---
**Author:** ![Jaade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/dfb087/32.png) [@Jaade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jaade)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2003, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-please-explain-sweet-home-alabama-not-movie-but-the-song/197331/2 "2003-08-24T16:16:14Z")
I think the governor was Wallace… ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2003, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-please-explain-sweet-home-alabama-not-movie-but-the-song/197331/3 "2003-08-24T17:06:39Z")
The Southern viewpoint (although I was born in Kansas, I have lived in the South since I was six) is this: Vilification of the South is the last acceptable form of bigotry. The whole world participated in the slave trade, the whole world profited and has dirty hands, but the American South bears the brunt of the blame for it by a lot of people who ought to know better. Brazil had African slaves a century before we did, and Cuba had them for several decades after. Sudan and Kuwait have slavery today. Race hatred is a fact of life in every state of the union and most every foreign country as well (The Irish manage it without any Blacks, and the Rwandans manage it without Whites), but racism is widely assumed to be a uniquely Southern and White state of disgrace. The Neil Youngs of the world should thoroughly crusade their own neighborhoods before they come down and reform ours. My view is that Southern racism differs from other regions’ in degree, but not in kind. It is worse down here, but our main crime is that we remind mainstream/Northern US of its own hidden sins and lamentable past. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2003, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-please-explain-sweet-home-alabama-not-movie-but-the-song/197331/4 "2003-08-24T17:16:45Z")
Well told, **Krokodil**! One of the redeeming qualities of **Gangs Of New York** is that Scorsese presented the events that demonstrate that racial hatred and bigotry are not an exclusive Southern property. It appears to be the result of the South’s loss of the War Between The States that the winner gets to write the history and ascribe the blame. The South gets accused of never giving up on The War. By the same token, the North never gets tired of banging the South over the head for something that is a National problem. Just last night Bill Maher’s guests (including Barr from Georgia) were quick to point out the latest idiocy with the 10 Commandments thing in Alabama and to strike the typical tone about all the rednecks involved. Only when Barr chose to point out the current stupidity in California did the issue simmer down. It is tiring to be the whipping boy for a country with such myopia about its hatreds and bigotries. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2003, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-please-explain-sweet-home-alabama-not-movie-but-the-song/197331/5 "2003-08-24T17:32:28Z")
[I asked this question a little while ago.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=196190) The general consensus from Lynyrd Skynyrd fans was that they were joking. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2003, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-please-explain-sweet-home-alabama-not-movie-but-the-song/197331/6 "2003-08-24T17:34:07Z")
**Biggirl** I **thought** this was a deja vu all over again! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Oy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bc8723/32.png) [@Oy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oy)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2003, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-please-explain-sweet-home-alabama-not-movie-but-the-song/197331/7 "2003-08-24T20:31:05Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by monstro \* > \*\*I’m talking about Lynard Skynard’s song “Sweet Home Alabama”. I know it’s a response to Neil Young’s “Southern Man”, but I don’t understand why the response was needed. “Southern Man” is anti-racism-in-the-South, not anti-South. I don’t see why anyone decent would be against that song. > > Was their tension between Young and Skynard before “Southern Man”? > > I understand all the parts of the song except for this: > > Who was the governor? And what was done that “they” could do? \*\* George Wallace (former governor of Alabama) ran against Richard Nixon as an Independent for the presidency. Supposedly the Alabamans would have elected him, in which case Watergate wouldn’t have happened. I doubt they were joking. There was a contemporaneous bumper sticker saying “Don’t blame me; I’m from Massachusetts!” the latter having gone for McGovern in '72. While I always loved the song, I also always got a kick out of: _I hope Neil Young can remember A southern man don’t need him around, anyhow._ Yeah. Witty comeback, that. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2003, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-please-explain-sweet-home-alabama-not-movie-but-the-song/197331/8 "2003-08-24T21:42:27Z")
I guess I’m just trying to be like you, **Biggirl**. I shoulda just done a search and saved myself the trouble. ---
**Author:** ![Skillet38](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8797f3/32.png) [@Skillet38](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skillet38)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2003, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-please-explain-sweet-home-alabama-not-movie-but-the-song/197331/9 "2003-08-24T21:42:56Z")
## quote: ## In Birmingham they love the governor Now we all did what we could do left the explanatory musical answer to the question out of the quote. In Birmingham they love the govenor Boo Boo Boo Now we all did what we could do how is Booing Wallace hard to understand ? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Fretful\_Porpentine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fretful_porpentine/32/2873_2.png) [@Fretful\_Porpentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fretful_Porpentine)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2003, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-please-explain-sweet-home-alabama-not-movie-but-the-song/197331/10 "2003-08-24T22:08:30Z")
> [@](#): > > I’m talking about Lynard Skynard’s song “Sweet Home Alabama”. I know it’s a response to Neil Young’s “Southern Man”, but I don’t understand why the response was needed. “Southern Man” is anti-racism-in-the-South, not anti-South. I don’t see why anyone decent would be against that song. Well, surely it’s also a response, at least in part, to [Alabama](http://www.lyricsdepot.com/neil-young/alabama.html), and I can certainly see why a decent person might be annoyed at _that_ song. ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2003, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-please-explain-sweet-home-alabama-not-movie-but-the-song/197331/11 "2003-08-24T22:25:13Z")
**Skillet** , it’s not clear that they’re booing, at least to me. I always thought they were going “woo, woo, woo”. ---
**Author:** ![Skillet38](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8797f3/32.png) [@Skillet38](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skillet38)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2003, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-please-explain-sweet-home-alabama-not-movie-but-the-song/197331/12 "2003-08-24T23:27:37Z")
roger that **Monstro**. I didn’t mean to imply that it was easy to discern the vocalisations, but it is clear after deducing what is sung that they were taking a stand Against segregation yet still sticking up for the south. Especially against Canadian vermin like Young hehe 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![nitroglycerine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c5a1d2/32.png) [@nitroglycerine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nitroglycerine)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2003, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-please-explain-sweet-home-alabama-not-movie-but-the-song/197331/13 "2003-08-24T23:34:07Z")
I’m not a Skynard fan, but it always seemed to me that they were a little to the left of your avarage redneck, at least back in the day. After all, “Mr. Saturday Night Special” was a pretty blunt pro-gun control song. I think the point with "Sweet Home Alabama"was “Hey don’t blame us Neil” Jon ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2003, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-please-explain-sweet-home-alabama-not-movie-but-the-song/197331/14 "2003-08-25T00:01:28Z")
I always thought it had to do with George Wallace opposing integration in the south…to the point of standing in the doorway of an all-white school, blocking the entrance for those black kids. Well, that’s what I think of when I hear the name George Wallace…is there anything positive he did? ---
**Author:** ![RikWriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/49beb7/32.png) [@RikWriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RikWriter)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2003, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-please-explain-sweet-home-alabama-not-movie-but-the-song/197331/15 "2003-08-25T01:28:19Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Zoggie \* > \*\*I always thought it had to do with George Wallace opposing integration in the south…to the point of standing in the doorway of an all-white school, blocking the entrance for those black kids. Well, that’s what I think of when I hear the name George Wallace…is there anything positive he did? \*\* Yeah, he got shot. ---
**Author:** ![lawoot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/35a633/32.png) [@lawoot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lawoot)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2003, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-please-explain-sweet-home-alabama-not-movie-but-the-song/197331/16 "2003-08-25T01:35:29Z")
I always thought it was more in response to [Southern Man](http://www.lyricsdepot.com/neil-young/southern-man.html), as opposed to **Alabama** ---
**Author:** ![jujuju](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7993a0/32.png) [@jujuju](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jujuju)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2003, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-please-explain-sweet-home-alabama-not-movie-but-the-song/197331/17 "2003-08-25T04:14:24Z")
once george wallace got shot in 72, he became a civil rights activist. whether this was a true turn around in his belief system or just a way to get re-elected, i don’t know. but he didn’t remain a segregationist his whole life. ---
**Author:** ![Cardinal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardinal/32/4000_2.png) [@Cardinal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardinal)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2003, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-please-explain-sweet-home-alabama-not-movie-but-the-song/197331/18 "2003-08-25T04:38:47Z")
I might point out that Wallace also took the opportunity of getting shot to turn around his attitude and stop being bigoted. ---
**Author:** ![jujuju](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7993a0/32.png) [@jujuju](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jujuju)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2003, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-please-explain-sweet-home-alabama-not-movie-but-the-song/197331/19 "2003-08-25T05:01:18Z")
ah hem. look above you **Cardinal** ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2003, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-please-explain-sweet-home-alabama-not-movie-but-the-song/197331/20 "2003-08-25T05:19:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by lawoot \* > \*\*I always thought it was more in response to [Southern Man](http://www.lyricsdepot.com/neil-young/southern-man.html), as opposed to **Alabama** \*\* … as did the OP … [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-please-explain-sweet-home-alabama-not-movie-but-the-song/197331.md?page=2)