Lynyrd Skynyrd: Freebird Meaning
Song Released: 1974
Freebird Lyrics
Would you still remember me?
For I must be travelling on, now,
’cause there’s 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...
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1TOP RATED
#1 top rated interpretation:Ronnie did say that "FreeBird" does reflect on his desire to literally be as free as a bird. He always thought of them as creatures with no boundaries and could just fly away. This is gonna sound crazy but the rest of the song is actually him breaking up with a girl in order to have no boundaries or limits himself. "If I stay 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"
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2TOP RATED
#2 top rated interpretation:First of all, I have to say that this is by far my favorite song-period-and my interpretation of it may be a bit biased.
As many people know, this song is LS's tribute to Dwane Allman. It was originally written as a simple love song, though. The original song didn't have any piano in it. In fact, this song is the reason the keyboard player (Billy Powell) joined the band (before, he was just a roadie.
Ironically enough, this song was rejected by several record companies because it sounded too much like an Allman Bros. Song!
Freebird is, in my opinion, is great song-one of those rare songs that really makes you think about life differently. The death of 4 of LS's original members only helped in making this song more legendary. There's no other song like it. I love this song. -
3TOP RATED
#3 top rated interpretation:Are you serious? There is waaaaaayyyyyyy too much emotion for Free Bird to be just about groupies and one night stands. Have you heard the song or did you just read the lyrics? Anyway. My personal belief is that songs like Free Bird and other great songs like it that are a little ambiguous about the meaning are MENT TO BE THAT WAY! They are meant to help the listener through whatever they are going through. Death or Breakup, no matter the circumstances are hard and this song is about coping and letting go.
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We can choose to live happily in our lives if we are conscious about our thinking.
So it is very IMPORTANT we are mindful about our thoughts and energy and what we speak about, who & how we spend our time and energy. -
Free Bird
What makes something great? Is it memorable? Do you have a strong personal connection with it, or is it just something that really hits close to your heart? When looking at music, it seems that it can make people feel a range of emotions, some good and some bad. Music has a way of touching people's hearts and bringing them into a different state of mind. The song Free Bird by Lynyrd Skynyrd has always had a special place in my heart, from the first time that I heard it when I was in middle school, all the way until now. Looking at some of the reasons that come to mind when considering free bird as the greatest song of all time, a few things come to my mind. The first thing that I think of why it is the greatest is my personal connection to it when my dad introduced me to the different styles of rock and roll. The second is the popularity of it and how it has been a staple of rock and roll throughout the decades and how everyone seems to always still yell “Play Free Bird” at concerts. The third reason is that many songs have tried to implement the style that Lynyrd Skynyrd used in Free Bird. Its unconventional style of southern blues rock moving into a guitar solo that will make you want to get up on your feet. Free Bird is considered by many to be a great song but I am one to argue that for me personally, I believe that it is the greatest song of all time.
To start off, I would like to go back and look at my personal connection to this song. The first time I heard the song Free Bird I was in 3rd grade and my family and I were driving down to Florida on our yearly spring break trip. One of the days while we were there, my Dad took me on a drive to go look around at some of the houses down in LongBoat Key Florida. He put in his Lynyrd Skynyrd CD and told me that everyone before they die has to hear this song. As it began to play I noticed instantly that the lyrics talked about being free, at that time I was not sure what the singer was referring to when it says, “Cause I'm as free as a bird now, And this bird you can not change.” I still understood at a young age that this song was a power ballad about leaving your worries behind, and what's in the past is there to stay and that there is nothing you can do about it. Hearing for the first time, I thought that the entire song was going to have this melancholy feeling to it. The song is 9 minutes and 7 seconds long and the guitar solo does not start until 5 minutes into the song. I remember hearing that guitar solo and thinking that this is one of the greatest things I have ever heard in my life. For them to go from such a somber tune and then ramp it all the way up to a sound that makes you want to stand up and jump around was something that was so new to me at the time. It made me just want to roll the windows down and coast along the beach with the sun shining down.
The second reason why this is the greatest song of all time is because of its popularity. As I began to grow older and my music taste in the rock and roll genre began to expand, I always found myself still listening to Free Bird whenever I needed a “pick me up” sounding song to bring me into a good mood. I never understood how popular that song was until I began to realize that on my favorite radio station, 106.5 The Lake, it was one of the most requested songs that they get asked to play. Not only is Free Bird played often on the radio, but it is also played in many movies throughout the years. Some of the movies that Free Bird appears in is Forrest Gump, and Kingsman: The Secret Service. Forrest Gump is one of those movies that whenever it is on, I can always go back and watch and never get bored with. Seeing that movie at a young age also made me happy when I heard that song in it because it brought me back to the time when I first heard it and how happy it made me. When a song has the capability of bringing you back to a memory that makes you as the listener happy, I think that is great criteria for making a song great in the listeners opinion. Free Bird was released in 1973 and still to this day is one of the most played songs on the radio and on television. Still to this day, king of as a running joke, at the end of concerts, fans will still yell, “Play Free Bird” at the end of whatever concert that they are at as a running joke because of the popularity of the song. In an article titled, “Why DO People Keep Screaming For ‘Free Bird’ At Concerts?”, the writer states For a refresher course in this annoying-yet-enduring phenomenon, we consult writer Jason Fry's classic article for the Wall Street Journal, which attempts to trace the origins of what the headline refers to as 'Rock's Oldest Joke: Yelling 'Free Bird' in a Crowded Theater.' As Fry makes clear, hearing shouts for 'Free Bird' is something public performers from all walks of life are forced to deal with; the article references a bootleg recording of one of late comedian Bill Hicks' early '90s gigs, during which he grumbles in response to the call: "And in the beginning there was the Word -- 'Free Bird.' And 'Free Bird' would be yelled throughout the centuries. 'Free Bird': the mantra of the moron.``it is one thing if it was a song that was played a lot for a year and then fades away, but to have a song still be popular and recognizable over 40 years after its released, that's when you know you are hearing something more than just a song.
My Final reason for looking at Free Bird’s greatness is how unique the musically style of this song is. Growing up, I began to see friends of mine have music taste that was similar to their parents. This usually had to do with the music that they were brought up listening to on the radio on a long car ride or even playing on a speaker at home. My dad and my mom both were in the baby boomer generation, and naturally, the music that they love the most are songs from the 60s, 70s and 80s. As long as I can remember, I have always heard the sounds of bands such as Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Beates, The Rolling Stones in our house and the list goes on and on. One of the bands that always stuck out to me when I was younger was Lynyrd Skynyrd. There was a certain sound that this band had that I had previously never heard before as a 3rd grader. Lynyrd Skynyrd is known for being one of the greatest and one of the most iconic rock bands of all time. Their style was that of southern mixed with hard rock. The style of this song has the tendency to evoke different emotions in different people whenever they listen to it. In an article titled, “ ‘Free Bird’ Song evokes memories as Lynyrd Skynyrd’s fair date nears” this article states, "I also told my son and daughter that I wanted them to grow up as free birds and enjoy their freedom in this country. Of course, as they got older and into their teens, I almost wanted to take back that statement, because I wanted to still control my kids. My husband and I last saw Lynyrd Skynyrd at Musikfest a few years back and were taken aback at my son's sentimental feelings over hearing their music. Thanks to Lynyrd Skynyrd for seeing the music cross generations."Now a days, it seems to be popular to infuses different styles of music into a song to make it seem like you are listening to multiple tunes within one song. Free Bird is one of the first to do that and one that mainstreamed that style for other bands to use in their songs. Some other recognizable songs to use this style is Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen, and most recently, Sicko Mode by Travis Scott. Hearing these kinds of songs allows for a refreshening reminder that within a song, there can be multiple styles that are infused into one. This breaks away from the norm while also being creative.
In conclusion, Free Bird is not just a song in my opinion, it is an experience that everyone needs to go through and listen to at least once in their lives. There is a reason why at every Lynyrd Skynyrd concert the band chooses to play this song as their encore. I have had some family members tell me that back in the day, their reasoning to going to a Skynyrd concert was just to hear this song live, which sometimes in their live performances had their famous guitar solo drag out for over 10 minutes! Free Bird is not only one of the songs that I will go back to listen to from time to time, but it also makes me feel better about myself and gives me confidence to let the past be in the past and set my eyes toward the future to be the best I can be. -
Because of depression I'm not the same person I once was. A happy person... one I feel is now dead. It is hard to explain. I want to be her again. Free with joy, happiness, laughter. To be free from my depresss and glide as a bird. A free bird. That is how I feel when I hear this song. Free and alive again.
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Because of depression I'm not the same person I once was. A happy person... one I feel is now dead. It is hard to explain. I want to be her again. Free with
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My husband died on February 27, 2018. 15 days before his death we found out he was sick due to cancer. The song is his way of telling us that he couldn't stay because his life as we knew it would never be the same. He was a "man's man" and his body and his health would never be the same and he would have never wanted to be taken care of. He is free of all pain and suffering, he has things he needs to see, and we will always remember him. For those reasons I had it played at his funeral. Everytime my grandkids see a bird they remind us that it is Pa Pa keeping an eye on them. May Donald Rest In Peace and know that he made an impact on our lives.
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Ronnie always said he would never love to be 30. I partially believe it was part of his good bye.
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About letting go and moving on.
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Watch the music video it will change your perspective
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Getting hard times behind you an pushin forward its as simple as that.
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My ex-husband just passed away and left 2 children behind. Free bird was played at his funeral because he loved it. As a family we knew he couldnt change some bad habits He is indeed as free as a bird now and totally happy and healthy.
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A man who decided it was safe to come out after living a lie all his earlier years with his wife.
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Free Bird..
Free as in..... free from a relationship....but what a fitting tribute to the souls & memorium of all those of LS & Allman Brothers that died the violent deaths...motorcycle accidents & airplane crash. -
This song seems at first to be about not settling down with one girl and living the "average life", which sounds more simple minded than it actually is. The world is a big place and there is much to enjoy about it. A person is free as a bird because they have nothing holding them down, and this sounds like an asshole thing to say, but this is another reason they are free as a bird, because they are not afraid to admit to the kind of guys they are. In a world that looks down on this kind of guy, it is actually quite admirable in my opinion. When they say "And this bird you cannot change" its about not changing who you are, even if people think you are an asshole for it.
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Excuse me, but he wrote this song saying that he is like a free bird, unable to stay and commit to anything. (Hints using his girlfriends words in the opening of the song) (If I leave here tomorrow, would you still remember me.)
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Ssheska77 this song was written before the plane crash so its not a farewell to Ronnie and the other three and if it is than Ronnie did a kick ass job of singing it from heaven
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