In 1994, Lynyrd Skynyrd released their eighth album, called Endangered Species, which featured the song, “Down South Jukin'”, which was previously only released as a demo.
Written by Ronnie Van Zant and Gary Rossington, the lyrics tell the story of a group of friends living down south, who can’t wait for Friday night so they can unwind after a long week of work. They end up spending the weekend with three lovely ladies, and make plans to do the same thing all over again next weekend.
The acoustic version of “Down South Jukin'” features a short acoustic guitar solo at the beginning before lead singer Johnny Van Zant jumps in and starts singing. With the types of instruments playing and the way Johnny styles his voice, the song almost takes on the sound of an old country tune.
One of the best parts of the acoustic version of “Down South Jukin'” comes in the middle of the song, when Billy Powell delivers a fun, upbeat solo on the piano. After a powerful build up toward the end, almost all of the instrumentals cut out in the last few seconds of the song, allowing Johnny’s voice to truly shine through as he holds out the last note.
You can listen to the acoustic version of “Down South Jukin'” below. What do you think of it?
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