Sweet Home Alabama Racist?

Question

i heard my freind saying Sweet Home Alabama had some racist remarks in it. i love the song, and i listened like three times and didn't find anything wrong with it. Does anyone know about this?

Answer 1

Your friend should do a little more research. If anything, he attacks Neil Young for the song "Southern Man" which I've heard is supposed to be a racist song.

Answer 2

This Site Might Help You.



RE:

Sweet Home Alabama Racist?

i heard my freind saying Sweet Home Alabama had some racist remarks in it. i love the song, and i listened like three times and didn't find anything wrong with it. Does anyone know about this?

Answer 3

Heres the Lyrics ??



Big wheels keep on turning

Carry me home to see my kin

Singing songs about the Southland

I miss Alabamy once again

And I think its a sin, yes

Well I heard mister Young sing about her

Well, I heard ole Neil put her down

Well, I hope Neil Young will remember

A Southern man don't need him around anyhow

Sweet home Alabama

Where the skies are so blue

Sweet Home Alabama

Lord, I'm coming home to you

In Birmingham they love the governor

Now we all did what we could do

Now Watergate does not bother me

Does your conscience bother you?

Tell the truth

Sweet home Alabama

Where the skies are so blue

Sweet Home Alabama

Lord, I'm coming home to you

Here I come Alabama

Now Muscle Shoals has got the Swampers

And they've been known to pick a song or two

Lord they get me off so much

They pick me up when I'm feeling blue

Now how about you?

Sweet home Alabama

Where the skies are so blue

Sweet Home Alabama

Lord, I'm coming home to you

Sweet home Alabama

Oh sweet home baby

Where the skies are so blue

And the governor's true

Sweet Home Alabama

Lordy

Lord, I'm coming home to you

Yea, yea Montgomery's got the answer

Answer 4

You need to listen to the song Southern Man by Neil Young, to understand this was a rebuttal to that song. Sweet Home Alabama has a catchy melody, but a poor rebuttal to the Neil Young song. I am not a fan of Neil Young's singing, but his song writing is top notch. His song hit the nail on the head, highlighting slavery and intolerance in the South. By the way, I am a big Lynard Skynard fan; however, Sweet Home Alabama is their only piece of work they should have left on the floor from an artistic point of view; however, it scored them cash from an audience without very much depth of historical knowledge.

Answer 5

I like the song myself.



I imagine it's due to the fact that the band is from the south. I think the band is called Lynyrd Skynyrd. (possible bible belt region) and may get negative pub in some pockets due to that.

It's also possible that maybe some fans of the band are more on the racist side *shrug Can't say for sure.



Don't fret too much about it......racism is still around no matter where you live. I was born and raised in south Texas and now living in NYC and you will find racism/discrimination no matter what.

Thankfully even though I'm Hispanic, I have not received what I consider direct negativity or anything. Guess it comes down to how one conducts themselves, though I'd be lying if I said it was not around me to some degree.



Sorry got somewhat off topic. At the end of the day people will hear/see/believe what they want to believe no matter what you or I say. Don't read too much into it. Enjoy yourself and the song! :D

Answer 6

Wow really? Well there is the part attacking Neil Young's Southern Man (not criticizing it musically, or disputing it factuall, but just by saying the "Southern man" doesn't need to hear it). Also, I've always found it hard to read this bit as anything but purely racist, or at least as sympathetic to segregation.



In Birmingham they love the governor

Now we all did what we could do

Now Watergate does not bother me

Does your conscience bother you?

Tell the truth

Answer 7

What I'd heard was that there's a line that's *anti*-racist:



"...in Birmingham they loved the governor. Boo boo boo, now we all did what we could do."



The Governor at the time being this huge segregationist.

I also figure they can't be true racists if they liked & listened to Jimi Hendrix. That's who I'd read the band were into as kids.

Answer 8

I've never noticed anything racist about it and I've been listening to it for a long time. Perhaps since they're a southern rock band someone started that rumor?

Answer 9

Yeah, it's slightly racist in nature. It's a song about being from the south, which brings in slight racist undertones. The line about the governor is about him supporting segregation even after it became illegal, and the attack on Neil Young is due to him song telling southerners to 'Put their burning crosses away'.

Answer 10

That's a good question, I was wondering the same thing myself

Answer 11

I dont really see anything wrong with the lyrics. Its a great feel-good song.

Answer 12

nope but ill check it out

Answer 13

i dont see anything wrong with it



this might seem a little over the top, but if that friend is black, they were probably just saying that because they are a sonthern rock band but if the person was white, i dont know what they were listening to

Answer 14

i didn't hear anything wrong.All i head was a great song.

Answer 15

hi bollocks, he,s reading to much into it.

Answer 16

I don't know, ya hear what you wanna hear.

Answer 17

no it isn't, goddamn zipperhead **** slope

Answer 18

bullshit...