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Rating: With a Jack Daniel's-style cover, "Old Time Greats" is the ultimate expression of the poetics of dust. But what dust? The dust of roads worn by time, the dust of smelly bars in the desert, the dust of scraps abandoned in desolate lands, the dust symbolizing the slowness of a season or the loss of a memory: these and many other feelings can be conveyed by the sounds of Lynyrd Skynyrd. However, no one has captured the ills of a society that grew too quickly quite like Rob Zombie with his film "The Devil's Rejects." There, among dust and debris, among faces scarred by alcohol or for defending some brothel's tawdry woman from the county, and the outcasts of a province without a future, the "bad guys," as in the final scene with the notes of "Free Bird", are free to fly, riddled with lead, towards other shores.
"Free Bird" is a symbolic anthem of an era, it is an uncompromising piece, not just for fair dreamers, but it is a "proletarian" song with which we can all dream, attempt to be free, good or bad: 9 minutes of solid, primitive rock (in the positive sense of the term) without added frills, it is pure rock and not the sterile type we're accustomed to today.
"Free Bird", "Sweet Home Alabama", "Tuesday's Gone" and "Gimme Back My Bullet" capture an era, sing a generation, and bring back the sound of a genuine rock, now hidden under the dust on record store shelves to make room for the bland catchy tunes of up-and-coming bands or the best of the best of singers and bands still in circulation.
This is not rhetoric because the thirty songs of the double album have the flavor of a good aged wine, they are thirty tracks in which Lynyrd Skynyrd bring back the sounds of the American province, the rhythms of the folklore of a society that grew too quickly and forgot its origins. There is nothing to be surprised about, Lynyrd Skynyrd with their rock lying somewhere between Creedence Clearwater Revival and the Allman Brothers Band, have redrawn the coordinates of rock that emerged from the fervor of Woodstock, and this best of with its boozy cover can be a good starting point for those who wish to know them, while for everyone else, it is advisable not to let them gather dust and enjoy them properly.
The double CD was distilled and packaged in Hamburg, Germany in 1988 and can be found as on import sites.
Tracklist and Lyrics
01 I've Been Your Fool (04:28)
(Ronnie VanZant -- Allen Collins -- Gary Rossington)
Well ever since I met you babe you've been running around
Spendin' my hard earned money on any ol' man in town
I've been your fool
Oh I've been your fool
I've been a fool ever since mama I met you
Now I got something to you mama, ain't gonna say no lie
Ain't gonna stand no runnin' around, don't wanna hear no alibi
I've been your fool
Oh I've been your fool
I've been a fool ever since mama I met you
You've taken every thing I had, you hurt me deep inside
Money wasn't good enough, you had to take my pride
I've been your fool
Oh I've been your fool
I've been a fool ever since mama I met you
Oh, I've been a fool baby
Yes I have
Now I got something to you mama, ain't gonna say no lie
Ain't gonna stand no runnin' around, don't wanna hear no alibi
I've been your fool
Oh I've been your fool
I've been a fool ever since mama I met you
You've taken every thing I had, you hurt me deep inside
Money wasn't good enough, you had to take my pride
I've been your fool
Oh I've been your fool
I've been a fool ever since mama I met you
03 Down South Jukin' (02:13)
Well Billy Joe told me, said everything's lookin' fine
He's got the place all secured, got the icebox full of wine
He said hurry on over and don't be late
He got three lovely ladies who just won't wait
Do some down south jukin'
And lookin' for a peace of mind
Now put your Sunday pants on, lets get out on on the road
We been workin' all week, and thinkin' its time we let go
I got three fine mamas sittin all alone, gonna sip my wine and get it on
And do some down south jukin'
Lookin' for a peace of mind
Now come Monday morn we'll be headin' out to the field
And we'll be doin our thing for Papa and ol' Uncle Bill
Lord, but come Friday night we'll be headin to town
Tryin' to pick up any woman hanging around
And do some down south jukin'
Lookin' for a peace of mind
04 White Dove (02:57)
(Rickey Medlocke)
White Dove sittin' on a blackberry bush
Is there any questioning why
Tell me what heaven you're bound for today
Feel just like I could cry
Feel just like I could cry
Little squirrel sitting on a ___ ___ rock
Wodering where the winter meal is coming from
Tired of fighting for it, gonna lay down my gun
Just know that my work is done
Just know that my work is done
Little boy blue now come blow your horn
No more of the sheep is around
Said I'm tired of fighting, gonna lay down my gun
Just know that my work is done
Just know that my work is done
Just know that my work is done
Just know that my work is done
05 I Ain't the One (03:53)
Now I'll tell you plainly, baby, what a plan to do.
Say, I may be crazy, woman, but I ain't no fool.
Your daddy's rich, mama, and you're overdue
but I ain't the one, baby, been messin' with you.
Got bells in your mind, lady, and it's easy to see.
I think it's time for me to move along, I do believe.
Or are you tryin' to put a hook on me, oh no?
Now you're talkin' jive, woman, when you say to me
that your daddy's gonna take us in, mama, 'n take care of me.
You know and I know, woman, I ain't the one.
I never hurt you, sweetheart, said, I never pulled my gun.
Got bells in your mind, mama, and it's easy to see.
I think it's time for me to move along, I do believe.
Time for me to put my boots out in the street..
Now you're talkin' jive, woman, when you say to me
that your daddy's gonna take us in, mama, 'n take care of me.
You know and I know, woman, I ain't the one.
I never hurt you, sweetheart, said, I never pulled my gun.
Got bells in your mind, mama, and it's easy to see.
I think it's time for me to move along, I do believe.
Oh, I must be in the middle of some kinda conspiracy
06 Tuesday's Gone (07:30)
Train roll on, on down the line,
Won't you please take me far away?
Now I feel the wind blow outside my door,
Means I'm, I'm leaving my woman at home, Lordy
Tuesday's gone with the wind.
Oh, my baby's gone with the wind.
And I don't know, oh where I'm going.
I just want to be left alone.
Well, when this train ends I'll try again,
But I'm leaving my woman at home, Lordy
Tuesday's gone with the wind.
Tuesday's gone with the wind.
Tuesday's gone with the wind.
My baby's gone with the wind.
Train roll on, Tuesday's gone.
Train roll on many miles from my home,
See I'm, I'm riding my blues away, yeah
Tuesday, you see, she had to be free
But somehow I've got to carry on, Lordy
Tuesday's gone with the wind.
Tuesday's gone with the wind.
Tuesday's gone with the wind.
My baby's gone with the wind.
07 Gimme Three Steps (04:28)
I was cutting the rug
Down at a place called The Jug
With a girl named Linda Lu
When in walked a man
With a gun in his hand
And he was looking for you know who.
He said, "Hey there fellow,
With the hair colored yellow,
Watcha tryin' to prove?
'Cause that's my woman there
And I'm a man who cares
And this might be all for you."
I was scared and fearing for my life.
I was shakin' like a leaf on a tree.
'Cause he was lean, mean,
Big and bad, Lord,
Pointin' that gun at me.
I said, "Wait a minute, mister,
I didn't even kiss her.
Don't want no trouble with you.
And I know you don't owe me
But I wish you'd let me
Ask one favor from you."
"Won't you give me three steps,
Gimme three steps mister,
Gimme three steps towards the door?
Gimme three steps
Gimme three steps mister,
And you'll never see me no more."
Well the crowd cleared away
And I began to pray
As the water fell on the floor.
And I'm telling you son,
Well, it ain't no fun
Staring straight down a forty-four.
Well he turned and screamed at Linda Lu
And that's the break I was looking for.
And you could hear me screaming a mile away
As I was headed out towards the door.
"Won't you give me three steps,
Gimme three steps mister,
Gimme three steps towards the door?
Gimme three steps
Gimme three steps mister,
And you'll never see me no more."
08 Simple Man (05:55)
Mama told me, when I was young
Come sit beside me, my only son
And listen closely, to what I say.
And if you do this
It'll help you some sunny day.
Oh take your time...don't live too fast,
Troubles will come, and they will pass.
Go find a woman and you'll find love,
And don't forget son,
There is someone up above.
(Chorus)
And be a simple kind of man.
Oh be somethin you love and understand.
Baby be a simple kind of man.
Oh won't you do this for me, son,
If you can?
Forget your lust for the rich man's gold
All that you need is in your soul,
And you can do this if you try.
All that I want for you my son,
Is to be satisfied.
And be a simple kind of man.
Oh be somethin you love and understand.
Baby be a simple kind of man.
Oh won't you do this for me, son,
If you can? (Oh yes I will)
Boy, don't you worry... you'll find yourself.
Follow your heart and nothing else.
And you can do this, oh babe, if you try.
All I want for you my son,
Is to be satisfied.
(Chorus)
Baby be a simple,
Be a simple man
Oh be something you love and understand
10 Free Bird (09:05)
If I leave here tomorrow
would you still remember me?
For I must be traveling on now
'cause theres too many places I've got to see.
…but, if I stayed here with you, girl,
things just couldn't be the same
'cause I'm as free as a bird now
and this bird you cannot change…
and this bird you cannot change…!
and this bird you cannot change!
Lord knows, I can't change.
Bye-bye, baby, it's been a sweet love,
though this feeling I can't change,
but please don't take it badly
'cause Lord knows I'm to blame.
…but, if I stayed here with you girl
things just couldn't be the same
'cause Im as free as a bird now
and this bird you'll never change…
and this bird you cannot change…!
and this bird you cannot change!
Lord knows, I can't change.
Lord help me, I can't change.
Lord, I can't change…!
Won't you fly high, free bird?
Yeah...!
11 Sweet Home Alabama (04:44)
Turn It Up
Big wheels keep on turning
Carry me home to see my kin
Singing songs about the Southland
I miss ol'Bamee once again
And I think its a sin, yes
Well I heard Mister Young sing about her
Well, I heard ol' Neil put her down
Well, I hope Neil Young will remember
A Southern man don't need him around anyhow
Sweet home Alabama
Where the skies are so blue
Sweet Home Alabama
Lord, I'm coming home to you
In Birmingham they love the governor, booo hooo hooo
Now we all did what we could do
Now Watergate does not bother me
Does your conscience bother you?
Tell the truth
Sweet home Alabama
Where the skies are so blue
Sweet Home Alabama
Lord, I'm coming home to you
Here I come, Alabama
Now Muscle Shoals has got the Swampers
And they've been known to pick a song or two
(yes they do)
Lord they get me off so much
They pick me up when I'm feeling blue
Now how about you?
Sweet home Alabama
Where the skies are so blue
Sweet Home Alabama
Lord, I'm coming home to you
Sweet home Alabama
Oh sweet home
Where the skies are so blue
And the governor's true
Sweet Home Alabama
Lordy
Lord, I'm coming home to you
Yeah, yeah
12 Don't Ask Me No Questions (03:26)
well everytime that i come home nobody wants to let me be
seems that all the friends i got just got to come interigate me
well i appreciate your feelings and i don't want to pass you by
but i dont ask you about your business don't ask me about mine
well it's true i love the money
and i love my brand new car
i like drinking the best of whiskey
playin in a honkey tonk bar
when i come off the road
well i just gotta have my time
cause i got to find a break in this action
or else i'm gonna loose my mind
so don't ask me no questions
and i won't tell you no lies
and don't ask me about my business
and i won't tell you good-bye ( that's right )
well what's your favorite color
and do you dig the brothers
it's driving me up the wall
and everytime i think i can sleep
some fool has got to call
well don't you think that when i come home
i just want a little piece of mind
and if you wanna talk about this business
buddy you just waistng time
so don't ask me no questions
and i won't tell you no lies
so don't ask me about my business
and i wont tell you good-bye
i said don't ask no stupid questions
and i won't send you away
if you want to talk fishin'
i guess that would be okay (whoo)
13 Workin' for MCA (04:45)
Seven years of hard luck, comin' down on me
From the Florida border, yea up to Nashville Tennessee
I worked in every joint you can name, mister every honkytonk
Along come Mr Yankee Slicker, sayin' maybe you're what I want
Want you to sign your contract
Want you to sign today
Gonna give you lots of money
Workin' For MCA
9000 dollars, that's all we could win
But we smiled at the Yankee Slicker with a big ol' Southern grin
They're gonna take me out to California gonna make me a superstar
Just pay me all of my money and mister maybe you won't get a scar
Want you to sign your contract
Want you to sign today
Gonna give you lots of money
Workin' For MCA
Slickers took my money since I was seventeen
If it ain't no pencil pusher, it got to be a honkytonk queen
But I'll sign my contract baby, and I wan't you people to know
Every penny that I make, I've gotta see where my money goes
Want you to sign your contract
Want you to sign today
Gonna give you lots of money
Workin' For MCA
14 Swamp Music (03:32)
Going down to the swamp
Gonna watch me a hound dog catch a �coon
Well, I'm going down to the swamp
Gonna watch me a hound dog catch a �coon
You know the hounddog make-a music
On a summer night under a full moon
Lord, fetch my cane pole mama
Gonna catch a brim or maybe two
Lord, fetch my cane pole mama
Gonna catch a brim or maybe two
And when the hound dog start barkin�
Sounds like ol� son house singin� the blues
(chorus)
Hound dog sing that
Swamp, swamp, swamp, swamp music
Swamp, swamp, swamp, swamp music
When the hound dog starts singin�
I ain't got them big ol� city blues
Well, hey pretty mama
Lord, just take that city hike
Said go ahead pretty mama
Lord, just take your city hike
Well, I'd rather live with the hound dogs
For the rest of my natural born life
(chorus)
Singing that
Swamp, swamp, swamp, swamp music
Swamp, swamp, swamp, swamp music
Well, I'd rather live with the hounddogs
For the rest of my natural born life
Well, I'd wanna live with the hound dogs
For the rest of my natural born life
15 The Needle and the Spoon (03:52)
Thirty days, lord and thirty nights
I'm comin' home on an airplane flight
Mama waitin' at the ticket line
Tell me son why do you stand there cryin'
It was the needle and the spoon
And a trip to the moon
Took me away, took me away
I've been feelin' so sick inside
Got to get better, lord before I die
Seven doctors couldn't help my head, they said
You better quit, son before your dead
It was the needle and the spoon
And a trip to the moon
Took me away, took me away
Quit the needle. Quit the spoon
Quit the trip to the moon
We gonna take you away. Lord, we gonna take you away
It was the needle and the spoon
And a trip to the moon
Took me away, took me away
It was the needle and the spoon
I've seen a lot of people who thought they were cool
But then again, lord I've seen a lot of fools
Well, I hope you people, lord can hear what I say
You'll have your chance to hit it some day
It was the needle and the spoon
And a trip to the moon
Took me away, took me away
Don't mess with the needle or a spoon
Or any trip to the moon
It'll take you away
Lord, their gonna bury you boy
Don't mess with the needle
Now I know, I know, I know
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