Play It All Night Long

They didn't take it personally, they thought it was funny, and so did Neil Young, they were all friends.

And I don't think Warren Was taking a Jab At Skynard. It seems like more of a jab at the radio stations who play Sweet Home Alabama over and over and over and over....

I think that the whole lot of you are wrong. This song is about taking comfort in escapism. I will agree that the family discussed in this song are a bunch of rednecks, but they are trying to make a honest life and are genuinely struggling. The narrator is trying to find a way out, and the only way he can is through identifying with the rock music he hears on the radio. Also, through my reading it seems as if Zevon has an admiration for Skynyrd for touching people who are at odds with such strife. This song was certainly not meant as a jab at rednecks or popular music, but an observation how low art and popular culture really do help in allowing people to withstand suffering.

While the last two posters' analysis is pretty, I think it misses the mark a lot - this song isn't pretty. It's pretty damn irreverent when you get down to it, the way a lot of Zevon's work is. He's contrasting this great image of the South with the terrible reality. Look at the gritty, vulgar language he uses in the verses, contrasted with the reverence of the chorus. Mixed with the way the music actually sounds, it comes off a lot more sarcastic and cutting. Rather than admiring popular culture for helping people make it through suffering, he's attacking them for saying that the South is a wonderful, great place when there's so much hardship everywhere.

While the song isn't anti-redneck, it's still pretty harsh. He's saying that popular music is stupid for ignoring the problem, but also saying that the people are stupid for letting the music lull them into the concept that everything is just a-ok because they're Southern. Play it all night long.

Also, Warren Zevon is awesome. AWESOME.

1) Neil Young records 'Southern Man', decrying the lingering racial attitudes of the American south.

2) Lynyrd Skynyrd proves that their name should be Thinnerd Skinnerd by taking it personally.

3) Warren Zevon not only laughs at LS, but kicks them when they're down.

MAN, do I ever love Warren Zevon!!!

And miss him terribly... :^(

I totally agree. I love the line "play that dead band's song" As far as I'm concerned Skinnard sucks. Zevon is the man.

I like Skynyrd moe than Zevon but I don't think this song is really anti-skynyrd just anti redneck.

absolutely. i always consider the college bars near Hofstra University, where heavily makeuped, shit faced on watery beer young ladies belt out Sweet Home Alabama three times a night, and scream and yell when it comes on like they weren't expecting it.

i wish i had something intelligent to add about this song, but you guys pretty much covered it.

I tend to agree with the last posting. If imitation is the best form of flattery then witness the lead guitar fills and solos - they remind me of Skynyrd's powerful 3-pronged lead guitar attack.

To me it sounds like the moral of the song is something on the lines of “were in bad times, how are you gona go play the happy crap right now.” As to imply escapism doesn’t work for Zevon, which would explain the tone of most of his songs. Regardless of the band in the song.

This song is more relevant now than it has been for a long time.