George Mann - The Lynyrd Skynyrd Band
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This story starts on a baseball field, 1960s Jacksonville
Bob and Gary in the stands
Ronnie’s foul ball hit Bob’s head, knocked him out, they thought he was dead
And there they formed a band
Ronnie was sixteen, had a car, already thinking like a star
And man, that boy could sing
There was something stirring in his soul, it was 1960s rock and roll
And he was chasing just one thing
It was the freedom in the music, and in the power of a song
He knew nothing lasts forever, we won’t be together long
It was an inauspicious start, the three boys played in Bob’s carport
And in the car next day
They chased poor Allen up a tree, he cried “Ronnie, please don’t beat on me!”
But they just wanted him to play
With Ed and Leon in the band, and Billy on that baby grand
They were finally on their way
Through years and years of playing bars, just scraping by and living hard
But they learned to make it pay
’Cause there was freedom in the music and the power of a song
They knew nothing lasts forever, and they weren’t together long
Jacksonville might have the Jaguars, and Mandarin is grand
But the greatest thing came out of here was the Lynyrd Skynyrd band
It was one big party on the road, fame is such a heavy load
But all of it was real
And over time, the lineup changed, Artimus joined and then Steve Gaines
And The Honkettes sealed the deal
That’s the band that I recall, I was fourteen in the concert hall
When they blew The Doobies off the stage
Yeah, they were wild and they were free, they were everything I hoped to be
That’s why I’m here at Ronnie’s grave
’Cause there was freedom in the music and the power of a song
They knew nothing lasts forever, and they weren’t together long
Jacksonville might have the Jaguars, and Mandarin is grand
But the greatest thing came out of here was the Lynyrd Skynyrd band
Yeah, the greatest thing came out of here was the Lynyrd Skynyrd band
Bob and Gary in the stands
Ronnie’s foul ball hit Bob’s head, knocked him out, they thought he was dead
And there they formed a band
Ronnie was sixteen, had a car, already thinking like a star
And man, that boy could sing
There was something stirring in his soul, it was 1960s rock and roll
And he was chasing just one thing
It was the freedom in the music, and in the power of a song
He knew nothing lasts forever, we won’t be together long
It was an inauspicious start, the three boys played in Bob’s carport
And in the car next day
They chased poor Allen up a tree, he cried “Ronnie, please don’t beat on me!”
But they just wanted him to play
With Ed and Leon in the band, and Billy on that baby grand
They were finally on their way
Through years and years of playing bars, just scraping by and living hard
But they learned to make it pay
’Cause there was freedom in the music and the power of a song
They knew nothing lasts forever, and they weren’t together long
Jacksonville might have the Jaguars, and Mandarin is grand
But the greatest thing came out of here was the Lynyrd Skynyrd band
It was one big party on the road, fame is such a heavy load
But all of it was real
And over time, the lineup changed, Artimus joined and then Steve Gaines
And The Honkettes sealed the deal
That’s the band that I recall, I was fourteen in the concert hall
When they blew The Doobies off the stage
Yeah, they were wild and they were free, they were everything I hoped to be
That’s why I’m here at Ronnie’s grave
’Cause there was freedom in the music and the power of a song
They knew nothing lasts forever, and they weren’t together long
Jacksonville might have the Jaguars, and Mandarin is grand
But the greatest thing came out of here was the Lynyrd Skynyrd band
Yeah, the greatest thing came out of here was the Lynyrd Skynyrd band
