Anyone can see how talented the members of Lynyrd Skynyrd are as performers and musicians. But only true fans know the depths of the band’s talent, which takes strong roots in their songwriting.
Late lead singer Ronnie Van Zant lead the charge on most of the songwriting during the band’s early days. His mind was the one that ended up crafting works of lyrical genius such as “The Ballad of Curtis Loew,” “Simple Man,” “Free Bird,” and so many more.
One of the most powerful tracks that Ronnie ever wrote was called “Things Goin’ On.” The song was included on the band’s debut album, and also featured guitarist Gary Rossington as a co-writer.
“Things Goin’ On” took a bold stance against politicians at the time, and what the band viewed as a mishandling of certain issues. The end of the song serves as a warning to the listener, as Ronnie sings, “They’re gonna ruin us all, by and by. I’m telling you all beware. I don’t think they really care.“
It was a huge risk for Skynyrd to release such a song so early in their career, but the risk paid off. In the years that have followed, Skynyrd has never shied from addressing real-life issues, which they’ve done again in songs such as “Saturday Night Special” and “Something to Live For.”
“Things Goin’ On” was revived in 1994 for Skynyrd’s unplugged album Endangered Species. The acoustic instrumentation stripped down the song completely, so that your main point of focus is on lead singer Johnny Van Zant and the lyrics he sings.
This acoustic arrangement of “Things Goin’ On” proves that it doesn’t need all the bells and whistles of electric instruments to pack a powerful punch. Go ahead and give it a listen by clicking on the live performance in the clip below. You won’t regret it!
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