The Song’s Controversy
Controversy surrounded the song that Young wrote about racism and slavery in the American South. In his 2012 autobiography “Waging Heavy Peace,” Young wrote of his role in the song’s creation, saying, “My own song ‘Alabama’ richly deserved the shot Lynyrd Skynyrd gave me with their great record. I don’t like my words when I listen to it. They are accusatory and condescending, not fully thought out, and too easy to misconstrue”.
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There were no hard feelings. Van Zant, for his part, even wore a Neil Young t-shirt on several occasions. But Van Zant’s response was also controversial. He referenced the Governor of Alabama, George Wallace, and the Watergate scandal. His lyrics: “In Birmingham, they love the governor (boo boo boo)/ Now we all did what we could do/ Now Watergate does not bother me/ Does your conscience bother you?”