Lynyrd Skynyrd Jones

Album: Soul (2021)
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Songfacts®:

  • "Lynyrd Skynyrd Jones" is a bare-boned ballad that tells the story of a biracial man from Gadsden, Alabama. His parents met at a Lynyrd Skynyrd concert in the '70s, but his dad walked out on the family when he was a young child. Lynyrd grows up wondering about his father's identity, but only learns the truth at his mama's funeral.
  • This is the closing track on the Heart & Soul album. The project came out of Church's 28-day recording session in early 2020 at an old restaurant in the mountains of North Carolina that he turned into a studio for the occasion. It found the country star, producer Jay Joyce, and a team of songwriters and musicians writing and recording one song each day.
  • Casey Beathard wrote the song. It is one of only two tracks on Heart and Soul that Church didn't pen, the other being "Stick That In Your Country Song." The only earlier song Church recorded but didn't write was the 2011 track "Like Jesus Does," which Beathard also penned with Monty Criswell.
  • This was one of the toughest tracks on Heart and Soul to record and it was only when acoustic guitarist Bryan Sutton came up with the right feel that Church and Jay Joyce felt they'd cracked it.

    "I first played it laying back on my bed for a guitar vocal," reflected Church. "I tried to play it the same way a thousand times after that, but there's a way that song develops that we never could recapture - something about relaxing and laying back; there's a lope to that song. I started to worry about the soul going away the more we tried, so Jay Joyce said, 'let's let Bryan Sutton have a shot at it.' We let him hear it one time and then he was feeling it as we went. There's some extra pauses and spaces in the back of the recording as he figured it out – I think that's what makes that song. It's compelling and that's a lot to do with Brian and Jay."

Comments: 3

  • Harold Fowler from Gadsden, AlabamaEveryone around is forming an opinion on who Eric is/was referring to: several have that talent an background. Like yo see Eric add us to his venue.
  • Tony Shrum from Chattanooga As a 60 year old man in the south I grew up on Skynyrd and when I listened to this song the first time I cursed and cried. I didn't have a clue as to what would happen as I listened in wrapt in this song, it all came together in the last few lines and it's very fitting the way it ended up. I don't think that my reaction will be out of the norm for folks of my generation. Thank each of you for the part you played in putting this together.
  • Tran Charlton Boler from Metro AtlantaLynyrd S. Jones is a very thought provoking song that could be a huge hit if promoted properly. The fact that my home town Gadsden, Alabama, is in the chorus only increases my interest. Eric Church is a true country singer and one of the best. I am hoping it goes to the top.
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