Dear Ignorant DJ: Stop Playing “Sweet Home Alabama”

My wife and I were at a recent street festival in Prague, Czech Republic. A DJ was playing standard mainstream music for the masses when suddenly the distinctive opening riff of Lynard Skynard peeled out from the loudspeakers. We groaned. “They have no clue what this song means,” my wife said. “Sadly, no,” I replied,” though it would be worse if they did know and they played it because of that.”

The song stopped about a minute in and someone made an announcement that was quickly followed by a children’s choir beginning their set. I knew from experience what the DJ had done. He had timed his set to end when the choir was supposed to start, but they weren’t quite ready so he threw on something with a familiar catchy opening to fill the time for the crowd. “Sweet Home Alabama” filled the bill.

The DJ probably had no clue about the song. Few in Europe do. yet, I hear the song on occasion — too many occasions — in street fairs, pubs, and restaurants across Europe. Europeans know that America has long had its unique brand of racism. They don’t much understand it, which is not their fault. They really don’t understand Lynard Skynard’s song defending racial segregation.

To be fair, many Americans don’t understand “Sweet Home Alabama.” They are fooled by its childishly simple melody and chord progressions into thinking it is no more than a hymn praising home. Well it is. Only what is being wistfully praised about “sweet Alabama” is its racially segregated past.