They were talking about the smell of death. Band member Gary Rossington guitarist (long dark curly hair)was drunk and he crashed his new car into a tree.
The smell of "Death" surrounds you, it was Skynyrds Anti-Drug song, as well as Saturday Night Special was Anti Gun. That smell was directed also at the band members, Whiskey bottles, brand new car, oak tree your in my way was written about Gary Rossington which had just got a brand new car and got drunk and stoned and struck an oak tree. Ronnie knew the band as well as himself had to clean up, the drinking was the worse, but then the drugs came to play as well. He had hired his best freind to travel with them, to keep them from useing so much. Van Zant said in an interview he hated guns to, because he had been shot. The anti drug message of the 70s was done by many bands, Neil Youngs The Needle and the Damage done, Eagles Hotel California, Jefferson Airplanes White Rabbit, and many more. The 60s hippies started the drug culture, they are gone, but the drug culture remained, and is the very biggest problem in America today, yet the most denied. Drugs are responsible for almost all of our violent crimes, divorce , single mothers, and has poisioned our society like a virus of addict mentality. Generations of use has genetic malfunctions on the offspring of drug and alcohol abuse, before the 1960s, you never seen kids go into highschool and blow away their classmates. The mentality of being "COOL", has become so out of control children are commiting suicide because of being bullied over not making the mark, husbands work 80 hours a week for the almighty dollar because they confuse actually loving their families with providing for them, the mother is either so bored she becomes a scotch and weed addict all day,or of on her career she feels entitled to have, the father is on speed and coke just to keep going, the kids are pampered with a big house full of anything they want, so they get stoned all day and play video games, and this type of child has now been forced into society and thinks they are owed everything. The poor people use and sell, just because thats life. I worked at a movie theatre my sister run back in the late eighties, I always had to go get kids 12 to 17 years old from off of the roof (they got dropped off then met there thinking nobody could see them). They were drunk and stoned, having sex like rabbits, and when the parents were there to pick them up, they got mad at us for calling the cops. THATS addict mentality. This country needs alot more songs like this, drugs are wayyyy to over rated, Sex Drugs and Rock and Roll should be called suicide instead. Like Van zant said, use drugs and your just a fool, just a fool, just a fool!!!!
You are delusional. You act like Boomers invented substance abuse. You’ve heard of Prohibition, right? Opium Wars. Hashish was “invented” in the 1800’s? How many drunks are in the Bible? I accuse you of pontifical bloviation. Look up Bloviate
@@dianaspears571 Alcoholism has been around since man crushed grapes. I am an alcoholic, but have not drank in over 18 years. The drinking thing is very diversified. A person that`s not an actual alcoholic can be a problem drinker, and drink as much as an alcoholic, but whenever they choose, they can simply quit, or slow down to social drinking. Alcohol has always been accepted because there are actually more social responsible drinkers than there are drunks, but most people will argue the differ. Drugs on the other hand, anyone can become addicted to. My point was not until the 1960s did large amounts of our society accept addiction as cool. Drug addiction was around in the 17 and 1800s but was NOT accepted as a norm in society. By the 1970s, even though people didnt agree, they turned their heads and let it happen. It destroyed the country....
@@grege9019 They worked their asses off thanks to Ronnie pushing hell out of them! He made them the best thru brutal practice. Best Band ever assembled was the result of backbreaking hard tedious work. God Bless Lynyrd skynyrd!!!
There's a lyric that I think was funny and very cleverly used . It's at the beginning. Its says , " Oak tree here in my way ". Lol. As if it walked right out in front of Gary Rossington.
My all time favorite band. Lynyrd Skynyrd is the granddaddy of Southern Rock. One of many outstanding Southern Rock bands from Jacksonville, Florida. The others being The Allman Brothers Band, Blackfoot, .38 Special and Molly Hatchet.
The smell of death surrounds you. I knew the singer, Ronnie Van Zant. 3 days after this album was released in 1977, he, Steve Gaines guitar, Cassie Gaines background singer and Dean Kilpatrick assistant road manager were killed in an airplane crash Oct. 20 1977. Lynyrd Skynyrd continues on today with Ronnies brother Johnny singing. I think they should have renamed the band as the previous Skynyrd WAS Ronnie's band and he did most of the songwriting. I recommend the song "I know a Little" from their last album Street Survivors.
I agree they should have tweaked the name to show respect to the Hall of Fame line-up. Like the Jefferson Airplane became the Jefferson Starship. The Grateful Dead became just 'the Dead'. I think I could have respected the new band more. But I cringe when I hear someone say that they just saw 'Lynyrd Skynyrd' last week!
The genius of this song was brought about by the lead guitarist Gary Rossington crashing while high into a tree and caused their tour to start late. I consider this in their top 3 of all songs. Watch this live on a dvd and you will see greatness.
Not just a tree, Gary in his brand new Ford Torino was with his girlfriend and driving while he was wasted. He took out a telephone pole, an oak tree, AND a house. Allen Collins was also in a major crash, same circumstances. Ronnie wasn't happy, they lost a lot of tour dates.
Yeah I loved both your Lynyrd Skynyrd reactions a lot, i enjoy how they play all instruments and melt those sounds into the song! Amazing music 👌 I wasnt sure about the meaning of the title,but yeah enjoyed the music itself a lot! Second round listening 🙌 just like you said. 😉👍🎵
Guitarist extraordinaires .That should just about sum their musical abilities up . Gotta love the slamming of guitars back and forth in your ears with headphones on . Love the hell outta that .
The Charlie Daniels Band - The Devil Went Down to Georgia (Official Music Video). He was a Southern rock and country legend, and a fan of Lynyrd Skynyrd, he even referenced the group in one of his songs.
If you want to see a great cover of That Smell, check out the Lexington Lab Band, from Lexington, Kentucky in the US. They are probably the best cover band out there today. Their cover of this is technically perfect with fantastic musicianship. And their vocalist does a magnificent job. They have about 250+ songs in their catalogue and they are all fantastic performances.
NICELY DONE. ONE OF GUITARIST GOT A NEW CAR GOT HAMMERED WRECKED THIS CAR INTO A OAK TREE. THE LEAD SINGER WAS SINGING ABOUT HIM. IRONICALLY BOTH THESE TWO WERE KILLED IN A PLANE CRASH WITH A BACKUP SINGER... "THAT SMELL" GOT EVERYONE'S ATTENTION. "GIVE ME THREE STEPS", "SATURDAY NIGHT SPECIAL"
Skynyrd probably partied harder with drugs and booz more than any other band at the time, and they almost lost Gary Rossington after he slammed his car into a oak tree while drunk and high on Quaaludes. This song is on the last album before the plane crash that killed 3 of them including Ronny Vanzant (lead singer song writer) and putting several others in the intensive care. Amazing song that rocks with probably some of the most serious lyrics.
I'm old school and the, " Monkey on your back" , means that ( here's something else that's giving you a problem along with everything else that's already giving you shit that you're having a hard time dealing with).
Think about it for a second what a monkey on your back would be like and that's your answer for that lyric. How would an actual monkey react on your back? He would be everywhere, here there, everywhere, all over going crazy spazzing out driving you insane as an addiction would do the same.
They have like 95% of there songs are top rate live video version are the. Best Ronnie Van Zant the lead singer wanted to sound just like the albums and live they are perfect
All the records are good I’ve got every record them and may still go to their concerts his brother Ronnie was killed in the airplane crash along with three others but his brother Johnny took over the lead singing in the group is just as good
That smell is Ronnie's interpretation to put the drugs and the alcohol was doing to his band. What are you saying it is the smell of death is around you.
Great review. Love watching you interpret lyrics too. Which gave me an idea. I would really enjoy your reaction to Puscifers song potions.. their lyrics are deep and the music has a unique flavor. Not sure if your already familiar with them.. here is a link to a cool video of it: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-gLvCVBSmdKI.html
Anti-drug song, talking about cocaine, marijuana, heroin, Quaaludes, and alcohol all in one song, oww that smell the smell of death that surrounds you!
The drugs one guitar player would light up smell is drugs needles in your arm even though their pilot on plane no drugs of any kind the car at the beginning is one of their guitar players got in a bad car accident oak tree it paralyzed him from the waist down he was behind their sound. Several of the original members they grew up together and they kept adding as Ronnie saw fit. They were a band of the late 60's until 1977 . They loved drugs and alcohol. I've read stories when their manager would try to book a room for them they were told no to. They were known for messing the rooms. Enjoy listening to your channel. I'm new to this so I'm not sure how everything works. Simple Man Ronnie's mom asked him to write for her.
Hi Hap! Just reported another porno post in the comments. That Smell I’d think they were talking about marijuana. With all the other references to drugs. Never was a Skynyrnd fan. I did enjoy the music itself not the lyrics
It's obvious you weren't around in the 1970s or early 80s because any time you were doing drugs or smoking something there was a smell around you and that's what they're talking about who that smell around you.
