Free Bird was the first success of Lynyrd
Skynyrd, "the definitive Southern rock band" , according to AllMusic, and
one of the trademarks of the ensemble, with the opening of high-impact
assigned to three guitars. Included in their debut album,
Pronounced Leh-Nerd Skin-Nerd, produced by
Al Kooper, the song was their battle cry until the huge success
of Sweet Home Alabama, the most famous
song of their next album,
Second Helping, published in 1974. As
everyone reminds, the band of
Ronnie Van Zant
was destroyed in an air crash in 1977, three days aftre the release of their
sixth album, the leader died together with two other members of the band,
and three others were seriously injured.
The song was chosen for the soundtrack of the 1994 film
Forrest Gump, to comment one of the
most dramatic scenes, the attempt of suicide of Jenny Curran. In addition to
high-impact rock music, there were also these lyrics:
"But, if I stayed here
with you girl,
Things just couldn't be the same.
Cause I'm as free as a bird now,
And this bird you'll never change.
And this bird you can not change.
Lord knows, I can't change.
Lord help me, I can't change."