The polls are closed, folks. For the past three weeks Yellowhammer News readers have been voting for the greatest song ever written about Alabama. It was a brutal battle between old songs and new songs, classic favorites and unexpected underdogs. Plenty were worthy, but there could only be one winner.
Today, we finally have a champion.
Let’s take a look back at the final round.
“My Home’s in Alabama” by Alabama vs. “Sweet Home Alabama” by Lynyrd Skynyrd
It seemed obvious that these two songs would be facing off, and the race was the closest we’d seen throughout this series. In fact, after several days of voting, the two songs had each received exactly 50 percent of the vote. It doesn’t really get much closer than that. But “Sweet Home” pulled away over the weekend. The final tally was 51.1% to 48.9%.
“My Home’s in Alabama” is a sweeping ballad about following dreams, wandering, and eventually finding your way back home. It’s generally considered the song that propelled the band Alabama into stardom. In the beginning we hear the singer reminisce about his days as a young boy in Alabama, but we quickly follow him as he begins a journey across the country trying to make a name for himself in the music industry. No matter where he goes, he always remembers his home and dreams of the day when he’ll make it back to Alabama. “My Home’s in Alabama” is slow and thoughtful–the sound of spending one too many nights on the road.
“Sweet Home Alabama,” on the other hand, is a celebration of the South. Without a doubt, this is the most culturally important song ever written about Alabama–or any state, really. The intro guitar lick is immediately recognizable and infectious. It’s the sound of being on the lake with a cooler packed full of beer. Play this anthem at a party and everyone will be singing it at the top of their lungs within seconds.
Of course, the common thread throughout these songs is the idea of Alabama as home. I’ve only lived in the Yellowhammer State for about two months, but what I’ve noticed more than anything is the pride Alabamians have in their home state.
These songs are so intimately woven into Alabama culture not just because they’re catchy and fun to sing, but because they remind people that Alabama is so much more than just a geographic place to live. Alabamians living elsewhere might be drawn to “My Home’s in Alabama” while Alabama residents might find the celebratory tone of “Sweet Home Alabama” more relatable. But at the end of the day, both songs are saying the same thing: Alabama is indeed home — a sweet, sweet home.
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