One way to judge whether a song is iconic is if it has sold a gazillion copies over 40 years. Or, if it gets played on the radio every three hours. In the case of Lynyrd Skynyrd's hit "Free Bird," both of those qualifiers are true. First issued on the band's 1973 debut album, (Pronounced 'Lĕh-'nérd 'Skin-'nérd), and later as a single in 1974, the epic power ballad -- with its trademark scorching triple guitar solo-- is still a staple of classic rock radio and that album has been certified double platinum.
But here's perhaps the best argument for longevity: If you've attended a concert in the past several decades, chances are you have heard someone in the crowd call out, “Play 'Free Bird!'” And usually, its yelled in the direction of a band that has absolutely nothing to do with Skynyrd or Southern rock in general. Still, whether you laugh or simply tolerate the joke, there's no denying that has become not only the most-common encore request, but Southern rock's most identifiable and iconic anthem.
In a conversation with Soundcheck host John Schaefer, Scott B. Bomar, the author of Southbound: An Illustrated History of Southern Rock marks the occasion of 40 years of "Free Bird" and explores Lynyrd Skynyrd's connection to the South.
Interview Highlights
On the origins of yelling, “Free Bird” during concerts:
[The song] was also a single in 1977 in a live version, and the live version was like 14 minutes long. At the end of the album, the last song that they play is "Free Bird" and you hear the audience yelling, "Free Bird! Free Bird!" and Ronnie Van Zant, the lead singer says, "What song is it that you want to hear?" He’s just baiting the audience and getting everybody worked into a froth and you hear them chanting "Free Bird" and then of course they go into the song and everybody goes nuts.
That album was triple platinum. It was the most successful Lynyrd Skynyrd album ever. I think a lot of people heard that record and it sort of became this idea of calling out "Free Bird" at the end of a concert.
On the Allman Brothers versus Lynyrd Skynyrd as the pillars of Southern rock:
The Southern rock world kind of grew up around Duane Allman and the Allman Brothers. In some ways the Allman Brothers have transcended that -- in a way that Lynyrd Skynyrd has not. I think Lynyrd Skynyrd are thought of in most people’s minds… that they sort of represent Southern rock even more so than the Allmans.
The first piece that Rolling Stone ever did on the Allman Brothers was when Duane was still alive and they sort of transliterated, for lack of a better word, their speech patterns and their accents in this sort of ridiculous stretching out all the vowel sounds… and that burned the Allman Brothers on Rolling Stone for a while. It was a couple of years before they were willing to do any Rolling Stone coverage again.
On Lynyrd Skynyrd’s association with the South and the Confederate flag:
In the context of that time you had something really interesting going on. People sometimes categorize Southern rock as "redneck music." When these guys were in their garage bands as teenagers in high school, growing their hair long and listening to hippy music so to speak, they were certainly not rednecks. Back then, a redneck was a guy with a crew cut and was not interested in long-haired guys and rock ‘n' roll, so these guys were sort of outcasts.
Then what happened is they became successful and they go out into the larger world of rock ‘n' roll. Suddenly they don’t fit in there either because they drink sweet tea and have accents. So they didn’t quite fit in completely in the world of the South where they came from and they didn’t quite fit into the larger rock ‘n roll world. And I think a lot of that rebel flag stuff was sort of a thumbing of the nose to those that considered them less than or that they didn’t fit in. It was a way of sort of saying we have regional pride.