When I was young
Come sit beside me
My only son
And listen closely
To what I say
And if you do this it'll help you some sunny day (Oh yeah)
Oh take your time
Don't live too fast
Troubles will come
And they will pass
Go find a woman
And you'll find love
And don't forget son, there is someone up above
And be a simple kind of man
Oh be somethin' you love and understand
Baby be a simple kind of man
Oh won't you do this for me son, if you can?
Forget your lust
For the rich man's gold
All that you need
Is in your soul
And you can do this
If you try
All that I want for you my son, is to be satisfied
And be a simple kind of man
Oh be somethin' you love and understand
Baby be a simple kind of man
Oh won't you do this for me son, if you can? (Oh yes I will)
Boy don't you worry
You'll find yourself
Follow your heart
And nothing else
And you can do this, oh babe, if you try
All that I want for you my son, is to be satisfied
And be a simple kind of man
Oh be somethin' you love and understand
Baby be a simple kind of man
Oh won't you do this for me son, if you can?
Baby be a simple, be a simple man
Oh be somethin' you love and understand...
Lynyrd Skynyrd (, LEN-ərd SKIN-ərd) is an American rock band formed in Jacksonville, Florida. The group originally formed as My Backyard in 1964 and comprised Ronnie Van Zant (lead vocalist), Gary Rossington (guitar), Allen Collins (guitar), Larry Junstrom (bass guitar), and Bob Burns (drums). The band spent five years touring small venues under various names and with several lineup changes before deciding on "Lynyrd Skynyrd" in 1969. The band released its first album, (Pronounced 'Lĕh-'nérd 'Skin-'nérd), in 1973. By then, they had settled on a lineup that included bassist Leon Wilkeson, keyboardist Billy Powell, and guitarist Ed King. Burns left and was replaced by Artimus Pyle in 1974. King left in 1975 and was replaced by Steve Gaines in 1976. At the height of their fame in the 1970s, the band popularized the Southern rock genre with songs such as "Sweet Home Alabama" and "Free Bird". After releasing five studio albums and one live album, the band's career was abruptly halted on October 20, 1977, when their chartered airplane crashed, killing Van Zant, Steve Gaines, and backup singer Cassie Gaines; and seriously injuring the rest of the band.
Lynyrd Skynyrd reformed in 1987 for a reunion tour with Ronnie's brother, Johnny Van Zant, as lead vocalist. They continued to tour and record with co-founder Rossington, Johnny Van Zant, and Rickey Medlocke, who first wrote and recorded with the band from 1971 to 1972 before his return in 1996. Over the years, other founding members of the band have died either during—or after—their time in the band. In January 2018, Lynyrd Skynyrd announced its farewell tour, and continued touring until 2022. Members were still working on the band's fifteenth album at the time of Rossington's death in 2023, after which no original members remained in the band.
In 2004, Rolling Stone magazine ranked Lynyrd Skynyrd No. 95 on its list of the "100 Greatest Artists of All Time". Lynyrd Skynyrd was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on March 13, 2006. As of 2023, the band has sold more than 28 million records in the United States.
