The Ballad of the Top Ten: The Ballad of Curtis Loew (#3) / myLot

United States

December 11, 2022 10:39am CST

What’s left on this list of songs with “the ballad of” in the title? One country, one pop, and one rock. Two of the three artists you’ve heard of (and if you’re old enough, you’ve heard of all three). What order? Well, you’re gonna find out in the next three days!

Let’s let the free bird loose for today’s song. #3: The Ballad of Curtis Loew - Lynyrd Skynyrd Yes, friends, Skynyrd did record more than “Sweet Home Alafreebird.”

In fact, this here is my favorite Skynyrd song! And it’s one you probably haven’t heard on the radio in 45 years or so.

Semi-autobiographical (a composite of various black blues musicians the white kids would sneak around to see in the segregated south), it speaks volumes to the draw of music, as well as the fact that some of the greatest musicians to ever walk this earth have lived and died virtually unknown by the masses. The Ballad of Curtis Loew Written by Allen Collins and Ronnie Van Zant Recorded by Lynyrd Skynyrd From Second Helping, 1974 He looked to be sixty:

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10 people like this

9 responses

CarolDM

@CarolDM (203396)

• Nashville, Tennessee

11 Dec 22

Huge Skynyrd fan here. Met them a few times at my sister's home. Love their guitar sound. I recognized it in the first 2-3 beats of the song.

2 people like this

Four Walls

@FourWalls (86993)

• United States

12 Dec 22

I enjoy a lot of Skynyrd stuff, and they were so much more than Sweet Home Alafreebird.

1 person likes this

CarolDM

@CarolDM (203396)

• Nashville, Tennessee

12 Dec 22

@FourWalls Indeed they were. Very cool sound.

1 person likes this

Angie

@andriaperry (118793)

• Anniston, Alabama

11 Dec 22

I know this one, love it

2 people like this

Four Walls

@FourWalls (86993)

• United States

12 Dec 22

Awrite!!

Hope you’re doing well.

Go Crossbones

@crossbones27 (53005)

• Mojave, California

11 Dec 22

Lynyrd Skynyrd always was a neat band even though hated Neil Young. I will forgive them for that and you are right they were trying to help with the hate instead of what we see today and how people sweared the problem was over, no people were just hiding it as we always knew.

1 person likes this

Four Walls

@FourWalls (86993)

• United States

12 Dec 22

They were actually friends, Ronnie and Neil. Neil said that “Alabama” deserved the shot they took at it because he was stereotyping, “accusatory and condescending, not well thought-out, and easy to misconstrue.”

1 person likes this

Go Crossbones

@crossbones27 (53005)

• Mojave, California

12 Dec 22

@FourWalls I did not know that but did seem strange like how two best friends get in a fight but they mad at same thing but just had different ways to go about it.

1 person likes this

Anne Marie Guyer

@LeaPea2417 (40064)

• Toccoa, Georgia

14 Dec 22

That's my favorite Lynyrd Skynyrd song.

1 person likes this

Four Walls

@FourWalls (86993)

• United States

15 Dec 22

Mine, too, so I think you have great taste.

1 person likes this

Anne Marie Guyer

@LeaPea2417 (40064)

• Toccoa, Georgia

15 Dec 22

@FourWalls

1 person likes this

Judy Evans

@JudyEv (382826)

• Rockingham, Australia

12 Dec 22

Nice song, thanks.

1 person likes this

Four Walls

@FourWalls (86993)

• United States

12 Dec 22

You’re welcome. I love the storyline in this song, how the youngster is drawn to the music and knows the man just wants money for drinking but that’s okay because the kid loves the music so much.

1 person likes this

Judy Evans

@JudyEv (382826)

• Rockingham, Australia

13 Dec 22

@FourWalls It's like he understands and is tolerant of it.

1 person likes this