Free Bird – Lynyrd Skynyrd

Lore & Background

According to guitarist Gary Rossington, for two years after Allen Collins wrote the initial chords, vocalist Ronnie Van Zant insisted that there were too many for him to create a melody. After Collins played the unused sequence at rehearsal one day, Van Zant asked him to repeat it, then wrote out the melody and lyrics in three or four minutes. The guitar solos that finish the song were added originally to give Van Zant a chance to rest. Billy Powell wrote an introduction to the song; upon hearing it, they included it as the finishing touch and had him formally join as their keyboardist.

Record company executives initially felt the song was too long and "wouldn't get any airplay", but the band refused to change the length. Allen Collins's girlfriend, Kathy, asked him, "If I leave here tomorrow, would you still remember me?" which became the opening line. The song is dedicated to the memory of Duane Allman by the band in their live shows.

Reader's Guide

The song is Lynyrd Skynyrd's signature song, the finale during live performances, and their longest song, often going well over 14 minutes when played live. It was once the most requested song on FM radio, and remains a staple on classic rock stations. A live version, recorded at Atlanta's Fox Theater and included on the album One More from the Road, re-entered the charts in late 1976, eventually peaking at No. 38 in January 1977. The song achieved No. 3 on Guitar World's list of greatest guitar solos of all time in 2010 and 2016, while placing at No. 8 in their rankings by 2022.

Did You Know?

• During the 1987–1988 Lynyrd Skynyrd Tribute Tour, the band played "Free Bird" as an instrumental.
• Dolly Parton covered "Free Bird" on her 49th and final studio album Rockstar, featuring Lynyrd Skynyrd and the Artimus Pyle Band, with Ronnie Van Zant's vocals from the original sessions.