The Meaning Behind “Free Bird” by Lynyrd Skynyrd

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This is one of my all-time favorite songs. I bought a special extended edition back in the 80s. And, frankly, I just about wore it out playing it. It is also one of my favorite songs to hear played live, and I never tire of hearing a guitarist take on the long solo at the end. Although, admittedly, quite a few make a bit of a hash of it.

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It is a wonderful song. And, although “Sweet Home Alabama” is their most successful song, I think “Free Bird” is their best, both musically and lyrically. The recording and the meaning behind “Free Bird” by Lynyrd Skynyrd also have an interesting story. However, before I look at that, I want to first look at the band’s history and chart success. Let’s get started.

Band History

Lynyrd Skynyrd was formed in 1964 in Jacksonville, Florida. They were originally called “My Backyard” but later changed to the more charismatic name Lynyrd Skynyrd, which sounds great but is tough to spell.

They are still happily around and playing music today. And they continue to specialize in Southern Rock, Country Rock, and Blues. The original lineup consisted of Ronnie Van Zant, Gary Rossington, Allen Collins, Bob Burns, and Larry Junstrom.

Like many bands with almost a 60-year history, there have inevitably been changes in band members. But, undoubtedly, the biggest of these was when lead singer Ronnie Van Zant was replaced by his younger brother, Jonny. This happened as the tragic consequence of a plane crash in 1977. That crash saw the deaths of Ronnie Van Zant (vocals), Steve Gaines (guitar), and Cassie Gaines (backing vocalist), along with band crew member Dean Kilpatrick and the pilots William Gray and Walter McCreary.

Following the crash…

The band effectively went into a ten-year hiatus. They did write some music, but with the loss of Ronnie, the band lost direction and was not focused on their careers or music.

In 1987, that all changed. They got back together and decided to reform and tour again. At this point, they were looking for a new lead singer. And, in a move that seemed like fate, Ronnie’s younger brother, Jonny, stepped up to the plate.

Initially, it was intended that they would just get together for one tour, The Lynyrd Skynyrd Tribute Tour 1987, and that would be that. However, such was the success from a critical and musical standpoint that they decided to continue where they left off ten years ago.

From this point…

There were legal problems to be overcome. These involved promises made to the widows of the previous members killed in the plane crash. However, things were eventually sorted out, and the band was officially back together, making music and touring.

With things back on track, Jonny Van Zant became not only the lead singer but also the principal songwriter. And what a great job he did of both.

I have watched plenty of videos of the band with Ronnie and Jonny singing. And I have to say that Jonny does a wonderful job. He frequently pays tribute to his late brother, whom he clearly loved, and acknowledges his huge contribution to the band. Now, let’s look at the highlights of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s recording career.

Chart Success

When most people are asked to name a famous song by Lynyrd Skynyrd, you can guarantee that they will say either “Sweet Home Alabama” or “Free Bird.” This is understandable. “Sweet Home Alabama” was their best-selling single, and “Free Bird” is the fan’s favorite live Lynyrd Skynyrd song.

But what about the rest of their music?

They released their first single, “Gimmee Three Steps,” in 1973. Shockingly, nine years after the first band got together. It was taken from their debut album, the self-titled Lynyrd Skynyrd, which was released in the same year.

The single failed to chart; however, Lynyrd Skynyrd was a different story. That saw plenty of love and made it to #27 in the US and #44 in the UK. The album also went double-platinum in the US and silver in the UK. It was a great start for the band. And, thankfully, we didn’t have to wait another nine years for their subsequent single or album release.

In the following year…

They released “Don’t Ask Me No Questions” from their second studio album, Second Helping. The single again failed to chart, but the one that followed struck gold. That was “Sweet Home Alabama.”

It went on to make it to #8 in the US and #31 in the UK. Furthermore, it went double-platinum in the UK and gold in America. For the life of me, I don’t understand why it wasn’t the other way around. The album got to #12 in the US and went double-platinum in the US.

The follow-up release, also in 1974, was “Free Bird.” Although not as popular as “Sweet Home Alabama,” it still made it to number 19 on the US Billboard charts and to number 21 in the UK. It also went platinum in the UK.

So, in the space of just a year…

And, with consecutive releases, Lynyrd Skynyrd produced their now two most iconic songs. Before their hiatus, they released another nine singles and three albums. Their most popular single of these was their 1977 release, “What’s Your Name.”

It was the lead single from their fifth studio album, Street Survivors. The single got to #13 in the US but failed to chart in the UK. However, the album ended up achieving the band’s highest-ever chart position at #5 in the US.

Then, following the hiatus, they released close to 15 singles…

But, maybe due to shifting musical trends, they failed to score a single hit on any mainstream chart in America or Europe. A great shame since they made some great tracks.

More happily, they have released nine more studio albums since this date. And they all have enjoyed some level of chart success. Furthermore, the best of these was the release of their last album in 2022, Last of a Dyin’ Breed. That got to #14 in the US and #83 in the UK.

“Free Bird” Recording

This song has an interesting history. In the first instance, the song was a series of chords that had been put together by Allen Collins and forgotten about for over two years. Apparently, Ronnie Van Zant felt that there were too many chords. As a result, they were too complicated to come up with any kind of melody.

However, one day, during a rehearsal, Collins was idly playing the chord progression when it sparked something in Ronnie’s imagination. He asked Collins to repeat the chords, and in less than five minutes, Ronnie had come up with both the lyrics and the melody. This was the resurrection of the song. But it still had a long way to go before it could be recorded.

The band began to play it live…

However, as part of their set, they added the long guitar solo to give Ronnie a rest from singing. That was because they would play more than one gig a night. So, they tried their best to accommodate Ronnie to save his voice.

Before they got into the recording studio, the band found out that an introduction for the song had been secretly written by Billy Powell, their roadie at the time. They were so impressed that not only did they use it, but they also invited Billy to join the band, which he duly did.

One final piece of the puzzle left to put into place…

The opening line of the song. This came up because of a question posed by Allen Collin’s girlfriend. It stuck so much in his mind that he proposed that it should be used, and the band agreed.

The only problem that remained was persuading their record label to record a song with a four-minute guitar solo. Ultimately, they were successful. Although, a few compromises were made.

The single was limited to a little under five minutes. That meant just one minute of the guitar solo. However, if you want to capture the sheer brilliance of “Free Bird,” then I’d recommend listening to the album version, which is 9:08.

What Is The Meaning Behind “Free Bird” By Lynyrd Skynyrd – Lyrical Interpretation

“Free Bird” is essentially about a man not being able to settle down and feeling unable to commit to his girlfriend. The character still wants to explore the world and be free to make the most of any opportunities that come his way.

Despite his desire to be free, he is still in love with his girlfriend. The song plays on his conflicting emotions between his desire to be as free as a bird and to continue with his relationship. He is further conflicted by not wanting to hurt his girlfriend, which is perfectly understandable.

Despite the love he feels for his partner, it is the primal urge for freedom that ends up the winner. He is compelled to escape from the confines of his relationship. And the song is his way of trying to explain the inexplicable to his unfortunate girlfriend.

In many ways…

“Free Bird” mirrors the conflicting emotions that Allen Collins was feeling at the time towards his girlfriend, Kathy. She was the one that provided the line that expressed her concern for him. It was ultimately used as the opening line. But, as it turned out, she need not have worried. The pair eventually ended up getting married a couple of years later.

The song is also thought to be a tribute to the sadly departed Duane Allman. He died in 1971 and was the guitarist for The Allman Brothers. That is because much of the guitar work towards the end of the song was very similar to Duane’s style.

Finally, many see this as a farewell song for people leaving this world and passing on to the next. I think there is a lot of merit to this. Although I still believe it is about the emotional troubles of a relationship, it is easy to see why people choose this meaning of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Free Bird.” If people believe it is a goodbye to their loved ones, I think it is a great song to remember them by.

Want To Learn The Meaning Behind Other Songs?

If so, check out our thoughts on The Meaning Behind “Night Moves” by Bob Seger, The Meaning Behind “Blackbird” by The Beatles, the Meaning Behind “Purple Rain” Song By Prince, The Meaning Behind “Summer of ‘69” by Bryan Adams, and The Meaning Behind “Cats in the Cradle” by Harry Chapin for more interesting song interpretations.