Young felt that Skynyrd's implied criticism was deserved because his lyrics to “Alabama” were condescending and accusatory. Young has expressed pride at being name-dropped in Skynyrd’s song and said in his book ‘Waging Heavy Peace’ that Skynyrd actually wrote "Sweet Home Alabama" not in response to "Southern Man," but in response to Young's song "Alabama" (from the ‘Harvest’ album). Young seems to advocate for reparations when he sings, “I saw cotton and I saw black, tall white mansions and little shacks/Southern Man, when will you pay them back?” Many fans feel that the song inspired Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Sweet Home Alabama” (“Well I heard Mister Young sing about her/Well I heard ol' Neil put her down/Well I hope Neil Young will remember/A southern man don't need him around anyhow”). In the lyrics, Young tells the story of a white man and how he mistreated his slaves. Neil Young originally released Harvest written by Neil Young and Neil Young released it on the album Harvest in 1972. The song describes the racism towards Black people in the American South. Another one of Young’s most politically charged songs.
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