Pass It On Down

Album: Pass It On Down (1990)
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Songfacts®:

  • Written by Alabama's Randy Owen and Teddy Gentry, along with co-writers Ronnie Rogers and Will Robinson, this is the title track and lead single from Alabama's 13th studio album. The song peaked at #3 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart.
  • Teddy Gentry brought the idea for the environmentally conscious track to there rest of the band. The lyrics lament acid rain, unsafe drinking water, the hole in the Ozone layer and other issues that are "bringing Mother Nature to her knees." Gentry explained in a Songfacts interview: "My son actually gave me the idea for the song. He was fishing and they had just released a thing telling people not to eat the fish out of the river anymore because there was high lead mercury content in the fish. So we were fishing and my son says, 'Daddy, think there'll be fish around when I have a son one of these days?' And he got me to thinking. We got together with the rest of the guys and finished the song."
  • This was featured in the 1997 thriller Fire Down Below, starring Steven Seagal as an environmental protection agent who uncovers a toxic dump conspiracy.

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