These three Southern rock songs celebrate home down south without a hint of cheesiness. If you’re from the Southern U.S., you’ll feel a sense of pride wash over you while listening to these tracks. If you’re not, these songs will make you wish you were. Revisit these deeply visual Southern rock songs to be transported to these artists’ hometowns.
“Mississippi Kid” – Lynyrd Skynyrd
“Oh, I was born in Mississippi / And I don’t take any stuff from you / And if I hit you on your head / Boy, it’s got to make it black and blue,” the lyrics to Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Mississippi Kid” read. Though this isn’t exactly a love letter to home, it paints an enticing portrait of the Southern man.
It might be a little dramatized for good measure. But it’s the Southern rock mystique that makes listeners from down south feel seen. “Ah, well, I’m going to Alabama / Got my pistols out by my side,” the lyrics continue. It’s impossible not to get sucked into the imagery these Southern rock icons are delivering here.
“Texas” – The Charlie Daniels Band
“There’s a place not too far away from here / Out with the cows and the Lone Star beer / Where the living and loving is quite all right with me,” Charlie Daniels sings in “Texas”. This Southern rock song brings the listeners along with Daniels to the titular state. It’s a testament to Daniels’ love of wide open spaces.
“And there’s Houston, Dallas, Austin and San Antone / People in Texas sure do make you feel at home,” he sings, calling out cities in Texas by name. Daniels creates a compelling portrait of life out west with sharp detail.
“A Country Boy Can Survive” — Hank Williams Jr.
Hank Williams Jr. might be best known as a country artist, but his sound is rough enough to be considered southern rock-adjacent. Take “A Country Boy Can Survive”, for example. In this song, he touts a sense of rural independence that many listeners of this sub-genre can relate to.
“I live back in the woods, you see / Y2K don’t mean a thing to me / I’ve got a shotgun, a rifle, and a four-wheel drive / A country boy can survive,” the lyrics read. This song instills a sense of pride in the southern listener.
(Photo by Richard Creamer/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
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Author: Alex Hopper
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