Yesterday marked the anniversary of the plane crash on October 20, 1977 that killed Lynyrd Skynyrd band members Ronnie Van Zant, Steve Gaines and Cassie Gaines, along with assistant road manager Dean Kilpatrick and the two member flight crew. The remaining band members suffered severe injuries and have had difficulties in life since the crash. There is a Lynyrd Skynyrd today, but only one member from the crash remains (Gary Rossington). Three more members have died since.
The Lynyrd Skynyrd story is one of the saddest in the history of recorded music. In 2001, Drive-By Truckers released the album Southern Rock Opera, which touches on many subjects (the evil mind of George Wallace, the "duality of the Southern thing", and a fictitious band named after the blunt instrument that has been rumored to have killed Van Zant), all of which circles around the story of Lynyrd Skynyrd. This song is played in my house every October 20th, and whatever band I happen to be in at the time plays it live as close to the anniversary date as possible.
Lynyrd Skynyrd was an important part of my life. They were at their peak when I was just learning how to be in a band, and they influenced myself and my friends a lot. I was fortunate enough to have gotten to see them when I was 15 years old. The plane crashed the following year. I wanted to share this story, and I wanted to share this song with you to mark the anniversary of the crash. Remember that the people who make the albums we love are ultimately just people like the rest of us.
Here is Angels And Fuselage by Drive-By Truckers (words by Patterson Hood).
Looking out the window
The trees are getting closer it seems
Thinking 'bout you darling
Adding up the cost of these dreams
Strapped to this projectile
Just a blink ago I was back in school
Smoking by the gym door
Practicing my rock-star attitude
And I'm scared shitless
Of what's coming next
I'm scared shitless
These angels I see in the trees
Are waiting for me
The engines have stopped now
We all know we are going down
Last call for alcohol
Sure wish I could have another round
And I'm scared shitless
Of what's coming next
I'm scared shitless
These angels I see in the trees
Are waiting for me
Waiting for me
Friends in the swamp
Friends on the ground
In the trees
Angels and fuselage.
Link _________________ I'm leaning on the threshold
Of her mystery
And crashing through the walls
Of dying history
Nice to see some other fans of these bands. SRO is an amazing album. I usually have to ease people into it by getting them into Decoration Day first. But it's just full of great tracks, including Zip City (which I think may be, pound for pound, the best DBT song).
junodog4 wrote:
Lynyrd Skynyrd deserves a better reputation than the one they get around BEA...
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