Look into the background of this song, it's not just well written it's their real life experience.

@Greg-io1ip

11 ай бұрын

It's got a multitude of metaphors. Death, drugs, success vs failure, lost love depression... it's got everything.

@navagate1900

11 ай бұрын

@Greg-io1ip Gary Rossington bought a Ford Torino and crashed it into an oak tree, he also had the nickname Prince Charming. Ronnie Van Zant was using H. The rest of the band were drinking heavily, smoking weed and doing cocaine.

@coinneachmaclellan3121

11 ай бұрын

​@navagate1900 The Allman Brothers Band biography, 'One Way Out', is a great eye-opening read that reveals the inside story of the band...at one point every member was hooked on heroin.

@marksims6425

11 ай бұрын

And most of their songs had a big element of real life experience to them !!!

@Macstick

11 ай бұрын

So we'll said my man

A lot of us in the 70’s smelled that smell. Lucky to be alive.

@robertprice6830

11 ай бұрын

Got that straight.

@mrmiscast

11 ай бұрын

In spite of ourselves... Or maybe it was TO spite ourselves...

@olly8

11 ай бұрын

What was Fun back in the day, catches up with you- if you survived! Saw them in 197?- Fillmore style. Was 3rd row back in line of standing people... right in front of Ronnie! His facial expressions had such ATTITUDE!! This song never gets old. Neither does the massage! ☠️ Air Play Beats on 🔥🔥🔥today!!!

@timothyroberts8347

11 ай бұрын

You dam right 😂😂

@padresteve619

11 ай бұрын

You got that right.

The song was written as a warning to guitar player Gary Rossington who was doing all the things mentioned in the song. After the success of the first album and tour, he crashed his car into an oak tree during a night of partying. He delayed the second tour by months. Singer Ronnie Van Zant(band leader) was furious and worried about fellow band member Gary Rossington. So he wrote this song as a warning to Gary and all others who indulge. Oddly enough, with all of Gary's vices, he was the last surviving member of the original band.

It's an over used cliche, but to me, Leon Wilkerson was a tragically underrated bass player. His name is never mentioned among the elites, but his tremendous talent and style drove many Skynyrd tunes, this song being a great example. With Van Zant's in-yer-face vocals and that three guitar battalion tearing it up, it was easy to overlook Leon's huge contribution, but that boy deserves serious respect.

@ewoe21

11 ай бұрын

Leon was one bad dude.

@Tuesdays_Gone

11 ай бұрын

I agree. The Mad Hatter is absolutely flawless on that bass.

@williamdemerchant7295

11 ай бұрын

He certainly had to have some chops to lay it out for all those guitars to play off of.

@richardeast3328

8 ай бұрын

Especially in the song Saturday Night Special.

@pamela1144

4 ай бұрын

Yes Leon!!! He made the songs with his bass lines!!

You're just scratching the surface with Skynyrd .. Truly the greatest American band in history ..

@JAMESMOORE-gq4vv

5 ай бұрын

What about Tucker.

Always loved it when Ronnie Van Zandt would do that whistle during a song because you knew he was calling out his three guitarist to the front to jam it out with each other

@rsw1227

11 ай бұрын

"Bring out my mules and kick 'em one time. (Whistle)"

@jeremywanner4526

11 ай бұрын

Or trying to get the dope mans attention on the street

@edwardmunoz7853

11 ай бұрын

One more from the road 💯🔥

@rudedogmat

10 ай бұрын

​@@jeremywanner4526loser

You guys crushed it today! Zep, Who, Skynyrd! Hell Yes. This is an iconic song. Their first 5 albums has all bangers!

@BarbButler

11 ай бұрын

💙💙💙💙💙

I challenge anyone to dispute the fact this isnt one of the best songs ever written and performed. The drums, the bass, the guitars, the vocals, and the lyrics are all perfect. Absolutely legendary song.

@mikesievert3018

10 ай бұрын

ABSOLUTELY!!!!

@OGMagg

6 ай бұрын

It’s so good it’s been stuck in my head for a long time

@mbsnyderc

4 ай бұрын

It's my favorite song of there's.

"... one hell of a price for you to get your kicks" Says it all. We lost so many back in those days, and still are. A cautionary tale for the ages. With some very dope music to drive it home.

@josephgallagher945

11 ай бұрын

Heroine has decimated the Seattle alternative scene bands. Almost all gone now.

Skynyrds guitar army is absolutely Astonishing.

I wish we could bring back this era of great bands with deep meaning lyrics. So glad I was around back then when it all went down.

This album cover is something of a collector's item. The record had shipped when they had their awful plane crash and the company pulled it in a hurry.

@mikeb36240

11 ай бұрын

It's interesting but VERY easy to find for around $20. They printed 750,000 of it. The flames were removed after the crash, but it is commonly thought of as rare when it's not.

@willblood7082

11 ай бұрын

I was a huge Skynyrd fan so I bought this the day it came out, still have it in my vinyl collection!

@almondroca

11 ай бұрын

The 'flames' photo was brought back eventually, and has been the cover for reissues, deluxe editions etc for a while now.

Processed music of today can't hold a candle to the decades of raw organic music so many of us were lucky to grow up with.

@wthforever

Ай бұрын

Amen to that!

This great song takes you on such an intense journey about the horrors of drug and alcohol addiction. The guitar and descriptive lyrics are perfect. Thanks guys for reacting to this one!💞

Very personal to me. A good friend, fraternity brother and basketball teammate would play this for me during a difficult time in my life. Thankfully I survived! Thanks my friend Karl

As a kid growing up in the 60's and 70's songs like this from bands like this were on the radio all day everyday. What a time to be alive. I had forgotten how much of a banger this is and Skynyrd with there legendary dual guitar solos.

@johnbolin3325

10 ай бұрын

TRIPLE

I hope this spoke to someone who needed to hear the message. As the Righteous Brothers once said, "If there's a rock n' roll heaven Well you know they've got a hell of a band" RIP Skynyrd.

'I know a little' is another awesome tune of this album.

@chrisweidner4768

11 ай бұрын

Thanks for the reminder. Going to go there as soon as this finishes.

Skynyrd rockin' truth. Thanks for your reaction.

One of the guitar players, Gary Rossington, got his front teeth knocked out in a bad car crash because he was high. Strangely enough, he was one of the survivors of the plane crash. He just died this year at 71 years old.

@BlackSmokeDMax

11 ай бұрын

Deep irony that he was the last one standing. Dark as well.

@324cmac

11 ай бұрын

@@BlackSmokeDMax Artemis Pyle, the drummer who replaced Bob Burns, is still alive. He also survived the crash.

@BlackSmokeDMax

11 ай бұрын

@@324cmac Ah, you are right, guess I meant original members are all gone, but you are right about survivors!

@324cmac

11 ай бұрын

@@BlackSmokeDMax I actually forgot that he wasn't the original drummer. That documentary, If I Leave Here Tomorrow, is great!

@mbsnyderc

4 ай бұрын

@@324cmacTrue but he wasn't a founding member of the band.

They're so good, it's almost exhausting to endure the greatness.

You can never go wrong with Skynyrd, but this is my personal favorite.

Written about guitarist Gary Rossington as a warning. Can't imagine playing live on a song for 40+ years that was about you.

@klasseact6663

11 ай бұрын

Ironically he was the last original member to SURVIVE EVERYTHING❗️📣

@2869may

11 ай бұрын

"DON'T MISSUNDERSTAND ME".....!!!

Really doesn’t get much better than Lynyrd Skynyrd! Everyone on that album cover who has fire touching them died in the plane crash. RIP

@diverdown631

11 ай бұрын

That is not correct

@RobertWilliams-bo5nf

11 ай бұрын

Not every one on the album cover died in the plane crash

@timyaowen6420

10 ай бұрын

Only Ronnie and Steve from the cover photo died in the crash and there was no fire at the crash site - the fuel tanks were empty

Such a powerful song and it is so well constructed and so well delivered. It's so sad that this is the last album before the plane crash, because they had just picked up Steven Gaines on guitar, brother to Cassie Gaines in the trio of women backing vocalists known as The Honkettes, and it just seemed like they were really starting to take off even more and creating such incredible albums for the time.

@user-bh5jv8hi3b

11 ай бұрын

They were on the precipice of SUPERSTARDOM when the plane crash occurred . The Live "Freebird" video from the Day on the Green show in Oakland where they opened for Peter Frampton at the height of Framptonmania , proves it . Frampton had to go on after THAT ! Talk about going on stage under that kind of pressure to perform 😲

@stevedahlberg8680

11 ай бұрын

@@user-bh5jv8hi3b Oh yeah, I was in junior high and it was just devastating. And then we get John Bonham ending Led Zeppelin with his death and Bon Scott ending an era of AC DC with his death. All right around that time. John Lennon being assassinated. Keith Moon of The Who, etc.

@edwardvolner8678

11 ай бұрын

Yep, they were taking off like a racket, straight out the stratosphere,it was that penny pinching coke sniffing Peter Rudge that saddled them with that relic of a plane

That plane crash happened 3 days after the release of this album 😢 Great song / great album Great reaction!

@MikeOstrowski-iq8wf

11 ай бұрын

🔥❤️🙏🏻🥲

@johngilmer6782

11 ай бұрын

I bought the album the day it was released. Enjoyment to sadness in three days.

@kenneth9874

8 ай бұрын

I had tickets for the show that night.....

@Rock_Snob

8 ай бұрын

@@kenneth9874 tell you what’s worse… going to see Peter Frampton, Ted Nugent & Skynyrd. I blacked out during Ted Nugent and came to AFTER Skynyrd left the stage… now that is f*ckef up!

@kenneth9874

8 ай бұрын

@@Rock_Snob oh no! Lol, at least I was able to see them a couple of times before but that day was still a bummer, although I did get to see Blue Oyster Cult and Led Zeppelin on the same night that same year.

All this band did was tell us what we needed to hear again and again.

Man....The Who, Zep, Skynyrd back-to-back......greatness overload.

My favorite band of all time, so much talent gone far too soon. RIP Ronnie, Steven, Leon, Billy, Allen and Gary. You’ll forever be missed

Led Zep, The WHO, and now Skynyrd taking me back to the days of young unabashed craziness. I do enjoy watching you men discovering the music that I discovered as a teenager in the 70s. Here are some songs you never hear them talking about with LS. Hide, Road Fatigue, Cottonmouth Country, Double Trouble, Woman of Mine, Hide your face, Cheatin Woman, Every Mothers Son. all as good as any LS song written.

If you really want to see and appreciate how tight they were listen to their live record one more from the Road

One of my all time favorites from Skynyrd. Thanks for the reaction ❤

@gingerkloepfer1043

10 ай бұрын

Needle & the Spoon is a great one as well ❤

There's only ever been a handful of rock and roll songs this good, really. This is a musical masterpiece.

ALL THOSE BROTHERZ KNEW THAT SMELL!!! STEVE GAINES, THANK YOU MY BROTHER FOR BRINGIN' A COMPASS!!!!! YOU ROCKED WITH THE HOMIES, AND INSPIRED!!!!! ROCK IN PEACE!!

Written in Hell House a couple miles down the road from me in Green Cove Springs , Fl. We love them boys!

That Smell and The Needle and The Spoon are both 70's interventions done Skynyrd style!

La and Che your on fire 🔥 today. I was fortunate to see them twice as a warm up band. I thought they were better than the headline band. On once with Ronnie's younger brother. So many great songs to delve into. One I would recommend is The Ballard of Curtis Lowe. As always fellas great reaction. Appreciate you 🙏 ❤

I saw lynyrd skynyrd in 1977,Anaheim stadium, there last time in California....awesome,they played, that smell.

Guitar heaven…watch this live. The story behind this song is great but sad. The three guitars killed it.

“Story-telling at its finest.” That’s the genius of Ronnie Van Zant.

The smell of death surrounds you......Hard words when I was 18 years old listening to this song......

This song was actually about Gary Robinson last surviving member that passed away on April 5 this year, they guitarist who did the slide.

I don't know if anyone else has mentioned this... this album, with the cover shown on here came out around the same time they were touring, right before the plane crash. After the plane crash, for obvious reasons, they discontinued this album cover and then re-released it without the flames in the background.😢

this song is just epic, guitar work transcendent, clear and righteous message

Y'all are wise beyond your years!

@wthforever

Ай бұрын

Agree, many others that give their reactions on You Tube don't seem to have a clue about what many of the 70's Southern rock songs were all about. Helps to study some history of the times. I like these two guys, seem to understand and appreciate good music

I saw them in 1977 you can't go wrong with a Skynyrd song

The song was directed specifically at guitarist Gary Rossington (as well as other band members) nicknamed "Prince Charming" who had caused the delay of one of their tours because he crashed his new car into an oak tree. Be just so no one though he was moralizing he says in the song "I been there before" because Ronnie Van Zant was no stranger to any of the stuff he was singing about! You should do Needle and Spoon for a song with similar message.I think you should do literally every song they recorded prior to their plane crash and many of the songs they recorded after reuniting

could have been one of the best bands ever. RIP

Fellas, the looks on your faces are priceless! I love it. You appreciate good music and you show it!

I went down a Skynyrd documentary rabbit hole years ago and ever since then, I've considered this one of the most ironic songs in rock and roll history (including Isn't it ironic by Alanis, which, ironically, isn't all that ironic). The nutshell of what I learned is that the band understood and accepted its descent into hedonism. Reportedly, they had decided to attempt to "right the ship" as it were. Hence, this song. Of course, the irony is the subsequent plane crash, which, in hindsight might not be so much irony, as fate.

That's the original album cover, they took the flames away after the plane crash, this song was written for Gary, probably Allen too.

Yup brothers because By Far One Of The Greatest Songs Ever Written with deepest darkest meanings ever if you know what i mean if you been there dun that and survived this song says it all on all levels

That's the original album cover for Street Survivors. The plane crash happened October 20, 1977, the album was to be released on October 23rd. The record company freaked out and had to change the cover quick. No way they could release it with the band surrounded by flames. Eery coincidence.

@timmorin2304

11 ай бұрын

I still have my copy. Flames cover it has since been reissued with the original cover.

@marqmars3599

11 ай бұрын

There is a flame above the head of each member that perished.

@gregrambo606

11 ай бұрын

@@marqmars3599 Yes. Band leader Ronnie Van Zant (3rd from the left, black hat), Steve Gaines, (tall guy middle, that first beautiful guitar solo). Gaines's sister Cassie, backing singer, the pilot and co-pilot, all killed. All the rest very badly injured.

@tommythompson9565

11 ай бұрын

I was building an album collection back in the 70's. An album every Payday Friday. Bought Street Survivors right when it came out. With the flames. Can remember exactly where I was when the news came on the radio about The Crash. Was crushed. Lynyrd Skynyrd was idolized Down South In New Orleans. And not only Down South , of course. I also had the original Rolling Stones album Some Girls. The album cover had pictures of celebrities that The Rolling Stones did not obtain the rights for. They had to reissue the album without these stars on the cover.

Back in 1980, I was at an audio store looking to buy a a stereo set and the salesman put this on a cool JVC set and I was sold.

More Lynyrd Skynyrd please!! More Southern Rock period!

I was building an album collection back in the 70's. An album every Payday Friday. Bought Street Survivors right when it came out. With the flames. Can remember exactly where I was when the news came on the radio about The Crash. Was crushed. Lynyrd Skynyrd was idolized Down South In New Orleans. And not only Down South , of course. I also had the original Rolling Stones album Some Girls. The album cover had pictures of celebrities that The Rolling Stones did not obtain the rights for. They had to reissue the album without these stars on the cover.

"Oak Tree, you're in my way...." I've luckily lived thru that line myself.

Three great classics from the 70s today! Zep, The Who, Lynyrd Skynyrd....the soundtrack of my teens. So grateful!

Earlier anti-drug song from 1960s was “Kicks” by Paul Revere and The Raiders.

The panning of the last solo is iconic,Ed King was a musical genius

@davidwade5807

11 ай бұрын

Ed King was not on this record. He left a couple years before Street Survivors came out. Guitar line up for this LP was Gary Rossington, Allen Collins and last but not least the new kid on the block Steve Gaines. Respect

@darkarcher22miller44

10 ай бұрын

Allen Collins!

Steve Gaines, great guitar work, so clean, so funky, so effing good. What a loss.

Hi la and Che... you are the best reactors... most reactors think the smell is weed 🌳but it’s the smell of death....

I can remember saying "see Dad, they're singing against drugs". :)

Tight is right. Ronnie ran a tight ship! Love listening to ya'll. Soundin like producers. Keep going, you 2 are damn good at it. yo!

The album cover with the flames was recalled after their airplane went down during this tour. One of the back up singers (Cassie Gaines), lead singer (Ronnie Van Sant) and 3rd guitarist Steve Gaines were all killed. Lynyrd Skynyrd was already a great band. After Steve joined late in the original line up, he was going to take them to new levels. Damn shame that plane went down.

70’s was a lot of fun as a young man but I’m glad it’s over..I’m fortunate to be alive

"Saturday Night Special " is a great song that should be listened to. Like this is about the pitfalls of drugs and has some "grit" to it, SNS covers three different scenarios of gun violence and death via the use of a Saturday Night Special just as much grittiness

Sounds as great today as the first time i heard it back in the 70's

The back up singers, The Honkettes, deserve some love for their contribution to this song and others.

Great band leader, must of been good with animals, communicating on a high level, that whistle is awesome

I'm in Portland and I see that smell every day!

Check out Lynyrd Skynyrd live performances. They were amazing in the 70’s on stage. Total guitar overload with awesome story telling.

'Can't speak a word when you're full of lude's',he is referring to Quaaludes,a prescription drug that was for depression and mental disorders.They were being used everywhere in the 70's,they were banned in the early 80's.

You guys are the best out here Been a fan of skynyrd since the early to mid 70s my fav Pick any song won't be disappointed Mr Banker On the Hunt Ballad of Curtis Lowe Was I right or wrong

They lived this song like so many other rock bands, money, drugs and booze at their fingertips and hard, sometimes deadly lessons to be learned!

“The smell of death surrounds you”

Skynyrd is one of the rock goats!

This album was the first with young Steve Gaines and Steve's sister Cassie as one of the singers (3 girls back up singers) Steve gave the band new juice and they were maturing and the best was yet to come. Sadly....it all ended same week album was released. Listen to "I Know a Little" from this album with Steve writing the song and playing lead. You will be blown away at where this band was rising to.

@guystephens2881

11 ай бұрын

Steve was on on more for the road live album

Great Band and song…Ohhh that Smell 😊

Always loved this song, takes me way back to the wild and crazy times of my youth. Them boys sure could play!

I share the same story this song tells when an oak tree took the the life of a dear friend ❤the year 1978

You guys know what’s up. You recognize excellence. Skynyrd forever.

When the A's fan was closing his eyes, I knew he was hearing those guitars.

The ones who lived to tell from the darkness of addiction, can relate to this song.

The guitar work in this song is epic.

It was about one of the band members that was drunk and high hit a tree and almost died!

Y’all gotta listen to “Things goin on” by Lynyrd Skynyrd as well as On The Hunt!

Thanks for the throwback to the day. Can’t sit still when this is on.

Che is rocking this the way we did back in the day, close your eyes and get into it

"Oak tree, you're in my way" He hit the tree. I've seen it, it's famous now; in Jacksonville. This was a warning to himself as well as everybody else.

You are right about band being tight. They were probably the most rehearsed band ever. The lead put them together and demanded perfection.

"That was magnificent." Word.

These dudes were the every man storytellers along with ZZ Top in my option just told the dirty side of the regular dudes life. More Skynyrd!

There’s a great documentary about LS called “If I Leave Here Tomorrow”. It comes with the Live at Knebworth DVD (which is a great concert and has the best live version of Free Bird IMO as well as other great live tracks). In the documentary the plane crash is discussed in depth. As well Rossington does a lot of the narration and touches upon the subject of this song…driving his brand new Gran Torino into an oak tree while high and drunk. Lucky to have lived through that, the plane crash and all the drugs and booze. As others have mentioned, ironically the last surviving original member until earlier this year. In the documentary he even discusses his mortality and where he wants to be buried etc. Side note…I had a ‘74 Gran Torino that was such a POS, it should have been driven into an oak tree! 😂

@suecook1326

11 ай бұрын

I agree that the Knebworth Free Bird performance is the best version. That entire concert was amazing! I like that on this song and at Knebworth, you see and hear the Honkettes whereas they weren't at Oakland in 1977.

@midnightrambler7716

11 ай бұрын

I like the Oakland version fine, which seems way more popular with the reactors. However, to me the Knebworth one doesn’t spend so much time focused on the crowd, many of whom were there (in Oakland) to see Frampton apparently. And the finish on the Knebworth one seems stronger and rawer. Van Zant prompting Collins and Gaines onto the tongue part of the stage in defiance of the Stones was bad-assed too! Much as I love the Stones, Skynryd apparently stole the show on this day and many of the Brits in the crowd did not know about them. They sure did after this show!

That "hell yeah" after " one hell of a price to get your kicks" 🔥

3 Absolute bangers today keep em coming

You speak the truth that should be playing for all or youth. ❤

As much as you both seem to enjoy Lynyrd Skynyrd, you should add their first five studio albums and the live One More From the Road album to your music collection. They really don't have any bad songs on any of them. And I love the deep cuts the best. Listen to the song Things Going On from their debut album, Pronounced. And that was another great reaction!! 👍👍

this song still hits as hard as it did 40+ years ago..

Hypnotized By Fleetwood Mac 🎶 ❤I Love you 2...I'm serious you'll be Mesmerized by the Lyrics an the Vibe. That's my #1 request. It'll take you on a Deep thinking...hypnotic Ride 🎶