Lynyrd Skynyrd has always been a fan of singer-songwriter J.J. Cale. They certainly aren’t alone, because many of Cale’s songs have been recorded by artists in multiple genres, including everyone from Eric Clapton to Johnny Cash.
Skynyrd has also recorded some of Cale’s songs over the years, including the opening track from his 1972 debut album titled “Call Me the Breeze.”
The song tells the story of a man who considers himself a free spirit, unable to stay in one place for long. Since the man doesn’t have a woman in his life, he’s free to go wherever he pleases, singing “I keep blowin’ down the road/I ain’t got me nobody/I don’t carry me no load. Although the song wasn’t written with Skynyrd specifically in mind, it’s a good fit for them, since many of their other songs play off of a similar theme.
In 1992, the group took “Call Me the Breeze” to Texas for a performance at Farm Aid, which is an annual benefit concert created to help raise money for family farmers.
Skynyrd made quite the entrance prior to their performance, as a rotating stage brought the band front and center to the delight of the roaring crowd. Johnny Van Zant was able to showcase the raspiness of his voice in the song, which added to its raw, natural vibe.
Between Johnny’s vocals and the jammin’ instrumental solos scattered throughout the song, Skynyrd’s Farm Aid performance of “Call Me the Breeze” is one for the history books. You can watch it in the video below.
No wonder this song has been a fan-favorite for so many years!
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