Part of the compilation of the character Curtis Loew was Son House, the black blues player. Ronnie loved him, and mentions him in Swamp Music. Great reaction!
Ronnie Van Zant described this sons as a tribute and compilation of all the Black blues musicians he listened to during his youth. After Ronnie was killed the the plane crash, his brother Johnny took over as lead vocalist, the Van Zants other brother Donnie is the lead singer and co-founder of the rock group, .38 Special. Needless to say, the Van Zants can sing!!!
I really appreciate you reacting to this song, as no one else seems to ever get around to it. It's a hidden gem of Skynyrd's which I think deserves some attention. Not every Skynyrd song needs the monster guitar playing to be good.
My personal favorite Lynyrd Skynyrd song in their entire discography and they had a plethora of great tunes. Taletelling gets no better than this. Great reaction.
Curtis Loew is also based on a early 20th century black blues musician named Rufus "Tea Tot" Payne whom Ronnie was a big fan of. He got his nickname because he supposedly always carried a homemade mixture of tea & alcohol with him wherever he went and yes, he played guitar and a dobro. Ricky Medlocke mentions him in the recent documentary, "If I leave here tomorrow." He was also a mentor to Hank Williams Sr.
when I was a kid in the late 70's early 80's I would collect pop bottles and take them to the store and get 10 cents a bottle. I would use it for candy though.
So glad you love their music, these guys were my favorite band of all time, I was in high school while they were playing, the plane crash that killed Ronnie and Steve and Cassie happened the fall after I graduated, it broke my heart and still does. Thanks for the reaction.
True story, different name. Pop bottles sold for 5 cents each. That store was here for the longest time. I think it was tore down about 20 years ago. Much of Lynard Skynards sites are still here in Middleburg FL. Was part of Jacksonville back then.
A lot of states have a deposit on drink bottles. You pay it when you purchase it and when you return it for recycle you get the deposit back. Here it's .10 cents. people throw their bottles and cans and plastic out and litter up the country side. When we were kids we'd walk or ride our bikes everywhere so we always picked up bottles and cans and turned them in for $$ to buy candy and sodas. Back in the day a Big Hunk candy bar was .5 cents and a soda was .10 or so. So for a few hours work riding around etc. you could get a soda and a candy bar. We used to turn in the bottles and cans and at night we'd climb the fence and steal them back and turn them in again somewhere else. Hey we were poor and it was something to do.
One time, late at night, my friend & I were sitting in the back of a bar parking lot, rolling a joint & we saw the bartender lug out two big trash bags of bottles, so we grabbed em & took off. It was in Michigan & bottles are .10 deposit there. The haul was around $40 if I recall. I had t thought about that for a long time (this was almost 40 years ago now), until this dude got me thinking about bottle returns again🤣
yeah, you could do that back in the day, up until maybe the late 70s when everything started being in plastic bottles. when i was 10, soda came in glass bottles. i enjoy your reactions.
They used to have deposits on reusable soda and beer bottles; 5 or 10 cents each. Kept the ditches clean and scavengers got some coin in their pockets. I used to work in a supermarket in High School, and one of the worst jobs was being assigned Bottle Bin duty - where you had to wheel carts full of returned bottles and stack them outside in a chainlinked area to sort and stack neatly until the delivery drivers would pick them up the next day. Most songs are amalgams of real life mixed with imagination - so this song is still one of the best creations of Lynyrd Skynyrd.
Yes, walking the ditches looking for bottles, our little grocery store was eleven houses up the road from my house. I averaged 5 bottles everyday. If I went the back way, I could get a big brown paper bag full. That was jackpot week lol. But always had enough to buy a bottle of pop , candy bar, plus other candy. 😅😅😂😂❤❤❤sweet memories. I lived in bfe, in the country 😅😅 always pop bottles in our ditches.😂😂😂❤❤❤
It's good you're reacting to Skynyrd today... We were sitting around talking about that crash today. It happened about thirty miles from here... I've been sad about it all over again. Thanks for the memorial!
I can't imagine how that must've felt...being so close to the crash. I was a teenager here in Jacksonville Florida when it happened. Everyone stopped, everything stopped in this town. Even the older folks not into this music were so upset. It was a terrible day and for a long time after.
@@maryreilly5092 I remember the day my mama came in crying "that poor child. Oh heavens, that poor child". She was talking about Duane Allman...SkyDog. We've lost a lot of talent in horrible ways. We live not too far apart.
@@deannacrownover3 Hey, Deanna, Girl! Bless your wonderful Mama for her tears for Duane! I wish you a good night, my love. We will always be connected by our love for the good music and the folks who made it.💗
Selling bottles was a thing. I did it as a kid in the late 70's / early 80's. Back in the day, soda bottles (Coke, Pepsi, etc.) came in glass bottles. Manufacturers would request their bottles back so they could be re-used. Regardless, thanks for selecting this song! One of my faves!
Oh yes people saved their glass soda bottles and cashed them in. It was before plastic bottles. I still have a small scar at the base of my thumb nail where I stuck my hand into the carton at a young age. The top of one of the bottles was broken and cut it pretty bad. That was in about 1966 or so. Thanks for the reaction.
I was still doing that in the early 80s in rural Appalachia. I used to walk a mile or so to the local country store and collect any bottles or cans I found on the way. I’d usually collect enough buy a 10 oz. bottle of coke and a candy bar, which I believe was about 80 cents, as long as I drank the coke in the store and left the bottle there.
The band’s website says that the song is based on a composite of people. These people actually lived in the Van Zants‘ original neighborhood in Jacksonville, Florida. Specifically, the country store “is based on Claude’s Midway Grocery on the corner of Plymouth and Lakeshore in Jacksonville.”
I just about cried when I saw the notification for your video and saw it was THIS song. I love Simple Man like a lot of mothers of sons do, but this one right here is my #1 Lynyrd Skynyrd song just for the pure enjoyment I get from it.
Soda bottles were returnable for 2 cents each (this went up a little, but then plastic bottles replaced the glass bottles). Used to walk the highway road ditches near my hometown and collect bottles to buy a soda and/or candybar.
Yes. It was a thing. Back in the day, many of us young kids would search for soda bottles and when we got enough we'd take them to the store to cash them in for money. Soda doesn't come in glass anymore. It's sold in plastic jugs and aluminum cans. Now, some people sell aluminum cans and other metals.
Ever since I was a young girl, this tune touched by heart and I still cry every time I listen to it. My heart aches for all the Curtis Lowe's of.the World, who never received the Love, the Recognition and the Respect they deserved. Females too, of course. The World is a hard place. Thank you for playing it.
I grew up in Appalachia in the "sticks" and we kept cartons of pop bottles under the trailer. When we got sick or we had some kind of extra expense, mom sold the pop bottles for money for medicine or whatever it was we didn't have money for. We used to walk the road looking for pop bottles to sell. As far as I can remember, soda pop bottles were the only kind you could sell. They weren't meant to go in the trash back then. When you bought a carton of pop, you always brought some empty ones to turn in. They were recycled and washed and that's what soda pop came in. And I love this song. If I had to guess, Shorty Medlocke probably wasn't the only inspiration for Curtis Low. There probably was a black man among the people he based the song on. It said it was a compilation of different people, not just Shorty. And I wish you would not call yourself stupid, too. But I walk around calling myself "dummie" and "fool" all the time, so I can't say much. But I cringe when I hear you call yourself stupid. 😮😊
In 1966, a Coke Bottle was worth 2 cents. As kids we'd ride around on our bicycles and find them and take them to the local store and turn them in. You could buy a Coke for 10 cents and a Milky Way Bar was a Nickel. So if you found 8 bottles you were set.
Most people regard Skynyrd as rock, hard rock or country rock but they had some of the greatest ballads. Most of the songs written by Ronnie, Allen and Gary have a story behind them, usually from life experience.
This song is magic. Ronnie was the best rock singer period. No frills . Barefoot . no flashing lights or explosions. No dancing around like a puppet. He sang like an American badass .Curtis wasn't exactly real ,but he was . Still is .
When you called yourself stupid and said trust me "when you've done a lot of stupid things in your life you start to get the picture"...😅😅😅😅 I couldn't relate anymore thank you for saying that because I'm in the same boat man!! ..married for long time, divorced, 4 good kids, battled addictions you name it! At least I'm still friends with my ex after a couple decades of marriage some divorces ive heard are pretty damn nasty! Love Skynyrd ❤️ Well don't stop your Skynyrd journey again and have to get all stupid and down on yourself again😂 you got to do at least a few more reactions to Skynyrd how about my favorite "I know a little" from album, the best Chicken Pickin guitar you will ever hear by Steve Gaines who sadly died with his sister Cassie in the plane crash along with their lead singer Ronnie Van Zant and also reaction to "T for Texas" from their live show in 76 or 77" Call me the breeze" from that live show.
Never knew Curtis wasn't really black, but I prefer to see him as one, because he is killing the blues. Besides every small town has their wino lol. Mine was actually my great uncle Rocky, 😂😂❤❤this song actually reminds me of him😂😂😂❤❤ thanks. More good memories.😂😂
There are reasons why some bands are considered "the greatest", and Lynyrd Skynrd is one of those bands. Had a massive impact on their fans. Not sure why you "waited so long", but I'm glad you got back to them. For more Skynrd, try "That Smell", its an important song. I'm also not sure why you are waiting on The Who? Your a fan of Bass and Drums, yet you haven't yet heard The Who's top 30 bass and drum songs. "Baba O'Reily" is a great song, but not for the drums and bass. It's time to try "Won't Get Fooled Again" and "The Real Me".
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve played Skynyrd tunes on stage in front a bunch of drunks. Going on 40 years of playing Honky Tonks, Biker Bars and dives. Always been in bands that nailed Freebird. Freaks those drunks that yell Freebird at every show they go to when we played it perfectly! 3 Steps, Sweet Home Alabama and Breeze? I’ve probably played thousands of times. Doesn’t matter where you play, somebody wants some Skynyrd!
Great reaction to my favorite band!!! Gimme back my bullets Tuesday's gone , before they come, there's so much great music to enjoy! Have a blessed day!
Ronnie van Zant loved the old black man delta blues style of music that came out of Mississippi. He also loved county music. He picked a generic name but the story in the song is true. Curtis is all the people that inspired him rolled up into one person.
in SE Georgia, Me and my cousin, when we were kids , used to crawl underneath houses ( they were Not mobile homes, just wooden shotgun houses and were supported by concrete blocks), we would go under houses and collect the soda bottles, clean them up and take to the store, hell man, we thought we were rich! might get 50 cents or so, And the same store we cashed them at is where we spent every penny we had! Was different times back then, and the older I get, the more I miss it...simple, innocent....and we used to love to get in the fog of the "skeeter sprayer" truck...may explain a lot! LOL
Skynyrd sang SO many heart felt meaningful songs that they never play on the radio..then and now. I turn to their deep tracks to soak in good vibes. Nice work!
I'm pleased you decided to react to this song -- my favorite Lynyrd Skynyrd tune. From the time this album was released (1974?, I think) until the present day, I have played The Ballad of Curtis Lowe pretty much on constant repeat, sometimes for hours at a time... this one resonates deeply with me. I don't care if the lyrics are about any particular individual or not -- the story, the emotion, the joy of listening to good music, and the appreciation of great talent gone unnoticed by others is something we can all understand! It gives me chills every time I hear this song. You were struggling to name well-known musicians with deep roots in American black blues? Just about every rock group of the late 1960s-1970s would be included, particularly those from England (Led Zeppelin and The Rolling Stones might be at the top of the list...). Do some reading about the Delta Blues influence on Rock music! Please keep listening to early Skynyrd for more amazing music!
Great reaction. This is a great song. Yes the bottle thing was a real thing. You could take glass pop bottles to the store and get money for them. I remember doing that and getting.10 cents a bottle. Keep up the good work. Thank you for the videos
I’m glad you’re back on Skynyrd. Great song, great reaction. I read a comment that told the artist Ronnie was referring to and mentions him in the song “Swamp Music “. That would be another great song for you to check out. Keep it up!
Well I've always thought of it as it essentially is about a real person because it was directly based on two different people that two of the band members were very close to when they were kids and respected highly as musicians and apparently they were both characters. So that's how you write a good song is you combine these real life experiences into something that represents all of it, even though you're not mentioning individual people by name.
Music has been unifying people forever❤❤. That's basically how we got rock and roll. As Bon Scott says, white had the smaltz, black man had the blues, and my mind just went blank on the name, he had the news, let there be light, and there was light, etc... ❤❤😂😂😂look the lyrics up to Let There Be Rock. ACDC.
I got this comment directly from Ronnie Van Zant, the writer: when I was 17 I had the amazing luck of being invited back to their hotel (Howard Johnson's) in Savannah Ga. after a show. I sat beside Ronnie on the end of his bed in his hotel room for about 2 hours, we smoked my Marlboros and drank his Bud in the can, while police were everywhere, investigating the theft from all their rooms during the concert. As we sat and talked about many things, I asked him about Curtis Lowe. He grinned and said, "It's just a story, man. But it's a good story, ain't it?" That was a Saturday, May 14, 1977. They crashed and Ronnie died 5 months later. I'll never forget our hours-long one-on-one conversation. I was only 17.
Bob left and Steve Gaines was added. Billy Powell piano player was also added. Billy was a roadie and when group took a break he sat down and started playing Free Bird, Ronnie heard him and said your NOW in the band. Steve's sister Cassie was a backup singer and suggested they try him out. It was reported he was on The bus too. Ronnie Steve, Cassie , road manager and 2 pilots were killed in plane crash fall of 1977.
Thats a true story van zant wrote into a song about a older black man who played the blues for a 8 year old boy and changed his life curtiss lowe is why van zant became a rock star
Back in the days when soda came in glass bottles and you would take the empties to a store and get a deposit for them, usually a few cents per bottle. This was in the days before plastic bottles. We used the bottle caps for collecting or flipping. That was something we did to entertain ourselves and pass the time before there were cellphones and cable TV. This is a favorite of mine from Skynard. They had a lot of great songs that told great stories, but this one just hits me different (as the youngsters say today lol).
Yeah, I'm in my 70s and used to look for old empty glass Coke bottles and turn them in from a bit of change in my pocket. Back in the day, the soda company would wash/clean and reuse the bottles. Now everyone just throws away plastic. I did the same thing in the deep backwood country of Florida, and a sweet old Blackman played a string guitar outside and told us kids great stories and sang old work and blues songs. He died when he was 80, and his funeral was a segregated commentary, and the only white folks there were me, my brother, and four other young dirt poor white boys under 14. We were treated with respect and invited to a meal afterward. Everyone shows us nothing but love. I cry every time I hear this song., To much hate in the world these days. RIP, Mr. Moses Jefferson. You touch people's hearts with wisdom, music, and a smile.
How you think we got ourkoney in those days…lol..we’d go house to house and ask if they had bottles and then we’d sell them 5 cents a piece. It was great.
yes they used to pay deposits for glass bottles so they could recycle them. as a kid in the 60's I had a lill wagon I pulled behind me and I collect them and get money for candy, drinks, comics etc. a dollar could buy you a hot dog ,drink ,comics ,penny candy and a song on the jukebox at our corner drugstore/ malt shop.
If you haven’t already, listen to Brooks and Dunn “Believe”. It’s a similar story, but more of a tear jerker and it’s true. The lead singer is telling his own story.❤️ Yes, we collected glass soda bottles for money back in the day. Last I remember it was 5 cents a bottle.❤️🐝🤗
In Michigan 60 years ago, you got two cents for everybody turned in. Today, you pay an extra ten cents for every beverage you buy. Some people save the empties and get their comeback for everyone they turn in. But some people just tossa beer bottle out. Kids and the homeless still collect them to get the refund. A small but sometimes.pirtant income.
Gary Rossington, played the Dobro in the song. Lynyrd Skynyrd, was never prejudiced. We are "All" God's children!! This was a song dedicated to the Black Man's Blues!! We Love You!!
Some states have bottle deposits on water and soda. You are charged a nickel or a dime for each bottle. When you return them to a store you get your money back
When I was a kid in the 60's we got ten cents on a tall glass bottle of pepsi or coke. They were reused after cleaning and was a great way of keeping broken glass off the streets and landfills.
Damn ! That blows my mind to hear you ask about getting money back for returning soda pop bottles... We used to do it daily during the Summer to raise $ for reefer, 70's & early 80's... Suppose I'm just getting older my friend... So glad you enjoyed "the Ballad of Curtis Loew" ! It's a beautiful part of Americana in a much simpler time than we live in today... Thanks man,,, Love the channel ! Have a nice Labor Day weekend... 👣
In the mid 60's I was around 5 or 6. I would take my red wagon and my dog (Bobo) and we would walk up and down the streets pulling old bottles out of the ditch which I would sell back to the store for 5 cents. Back then everyone just threw their bottles out the car window when they were finished with it.
Yeah it used to be , the 16 ounce glass bottle when bought the soda you pay a 10 cent deposit,and you could go to any store and redeem them, I used to do that back in the good old days
There were the bottles and stuff and much of the story is true. There was a guy playing guitar. (The friends uncle) There was an old black dude down at the corner store that they always talked to. Ronnie Van Zant would build the stories in his mind and didn’t write down lyrics. There are some channels on UA-cam that do deep dives into it. One of the most interesting band stories I ever heard.
Growing up in the 70's there was returnable pop ( soda ) and beer bottles I remember it being 10 cents a piece pop came in 8 packs and that's how we made our money other than chores which didn't pay near as much as you could get for the bottles 👍
Yes. That was how we recycled back in the day. I remember 5 cents for a glass bottle of coke. You took the empty bottles back and got a Nicole for each. They were sanitized and reused by the companies. We fuss about all the plastic now, but we don't do this anymore. Interesting
We live in Michigan and they have 10 cent deposits on bottles and cans.. My son has been raising some spending money for a boy scout trip he is goin on... He's raised over $300 just taking back cans and bottles..
The slide guitar work on this song makes you feel like you are seeing an old black man playing a dobro at the corner store... don't read so much into they say the inspiration wasn't a black guy... I played years of music and I loved that groove!! Bass player from way back!!
Back then bottles were made of glass not plastic like today. So you could collect glass bottles to be recycled and you would receive 5 to 10 cents per bottle depending on which state you lived in.
Everyone does stupid things, but none of us should think we are stupid! We are not, just maybe we have so full of a plate today, that we just get lost in living. Love you.
Yep we used to get $0.05 a bottle back in the day we used to get up just like you said early go hunt for bottles and turn them in and get money to buy what we wanted
Song is dedicated to all the unknown musicians who were so great and skilled but never recognized , especially blues players.
I don’t know why reactors don’t react to this song. So thank you! This is my #1 favorite Skynyrd cut.
By far my favorite,,, Curtis Loew & "Searching"
Skynyrd is a deep rabbit hole, and you’ll enjoy this band.
Part of the compilation of the character Curtis Loew was Son House, the black blues player. Ronnie loved him, and mentions him in Swamp Music. Great reaction!
Ronnie Van Zant described this sons as a tribute and compilation of all the Black blues musicians he listened to during his youth.
After Ronnie was killed the the plane crash, his brother Johnny took over as lead vocalist, the Van Zants other brother Donnie is the lead singer and co-founder of the rock group, .38 Special.
Needless to say, the Van Zants can sing!!!
Without black blues musicians there would be no rock music.
That is a fact!!!!
TRUTH!!!
No country music. That is more "the white man's blues". Just listen to guys like Hank Williams. What do you think inspired them?
Could we all be so lucky to have a song of this emotion written about us, or even a just a memory. It's one of my favorites.
I really appreciate you reacting to this song, as no one else seems to ever get around to it. It's a hidden gem of Skynyrd's which I think deserves some attention. Not every Skynyrd song needs the monster guitar playing to be good.
My personal favorite Lynyrd Skynyrd song in their entire discography and they had a plethora of great tunes. Taletelling gets no better than this. Great reaction.
Curtis Loew is also based on a early 20th century black blues musician named Rufus "Tea Tot" Payne whom Ronnie was a big fan of. He got his nickname because he supposedly always carried a homemade mixture of tea & alcohol with him wherever he went and yes, he played guitar and a dobro. Ricky Medlocke mentions him in the recent documentary, "If I leave here tomorrow." He was also a mentor to Hank Williams Sr.
Hank Jr did a song about Tea Pot and his Daddy on The Allimida Recordings.
when I was a kid in the late 70's early 80's I would collect pop bottles and take them to the store and get 10 cents a bottle. I would use it for candy though.
Same 😊 Great time back in the day!
So glad you love their music, these guys were my favorite band of all time, I was in high school while they were playing, the plane crash that killed Ronnie and Steve and Cassie happened the fall after I graduated, it broke my heart and still does. Thanks for the reaction.
True story, different name. Pop bottles sold for 5 cents each. That store was here for the longest time. I think it was tore down about 20 years ago. Much of Lynard Skynards sites are still here in Middleburg FL. Was part of Jacksonville back then.
A lot of states have a deposit on drink bottles. You pay it when you purchase it and when you return it for recycle you get the deposit back. Here it's .10 cents. people throw their bottles and cans and plastic out and litter up the country side. When we were kids we'd walk or ride our bikes everywhere so we always picked up bottles and cans and turned them in for $$ to buy candy and sodas. Back in the day a Big Hunk candy bar was .5 cents and a soda was .10 or so. So for a few hours work riding around etc. you could get a soda and a candy bar. We used to turn in the bottles and cans and at night we'd climb the fence and steal them back and turn them in again somewhere else. Hey we were poor and it was something to do.
One time, late at night, my friend & I were sitting in the back of a bar parking lot, rolling a joint & we saw the bartender lug out two big trash bags of bottles, so we grabbed em & took off. It was in Michigan & bottles are .10 deposit there. The haul was around $40 if I recall. I had t thought about that for a long time (this was almost 40 years ago now), until this dude got me thinking about bottle returns again🤣
yeah, you could do that back in the day, up until maybe the late 70s when everything started being in plastic bottles. when i was 10, soda came in glass bottles. i enjoy your reactions.
They used to have deposits on reusable soda and beer bottles; 5 or 10 cents each. Kept the ditches clean and scavengers got some coin in their pockets. I used to work in a supermarket in High School, and one of the worst jobs was being assigned Bottle Bin duty - where you had to wheel carts full of returned bottles and stack them outside in a chainlinked area to sort and stack neatly until the delivery drivers would pick them up the next day. Most songs are amalgams of real life mixed with imagination - so this song is still one of the best creations of Lynyrd Skynyrd.
Yes, walking the ditches looking for bottles, our little grocery store was eleven houses up the road from my house. I averaged 5 bottles everyday. If I went the back way, I could get a big brown paper bag full. That was jackpot week lol. But always had enough to buy a bottle of pop , candy bar, plus other candy. 😅😅😂😂❤❤❤sweet memories. I lived in bfe, in the country 😅😅 always pop bottles in our ditches.😂😂😂❤❤❤
My entire family loved singing along with LS, during this song. Speakers wide open in the country of East Tennessee.
Yes as kids we picked up glass soda bottles and got money back from the store.Early recycling!This is one of my favorite Lynyrd Skynyrd songs.
It's good you're reacting to Skynyrd today... We were sitting around talking about that crash today.
It happened about thirty miles from here... I've been sad about it all over again.
Thanks for the memorial!
I can't imagine how that must've felt...being so close to the crash. I was a teenager here in Jacksonville Florida when it happened. Everyone stopped, everything stopped in this town. Even the older folks not into this music were so upset. It was a terrible day and for a long time after.
@@maryreilly5092 I remember the day my mama came in crying "that poor child. Oh heavens, that poor child".
She was talking about Duane Allman...SkyDog.
We've lost a lot of talent in horrible ways.
We live not too far apart.
@@deannacrownover3 Hey, Deanna, Girl! Bless your wonderful Mama for her tears for Duane! I wish you a good night, my love. We will always be connected by our love for the good music and the folks who made it.💗
@@maryreilly5092 Aww! We'll always be connected by great music! You have a wonderful night too! ♥️
@@deannacrownover3 💕
Selling bottles was a thing. I did it as a kid in the late 70's / early 80's. Back in the day, soda bottles (Coke, Pepsi, etc.) came in glass bottles. Manufacturers would request their bottles back so they could be re-used. Regardless, thanks for selecting this song! One of my faves!
❤❤My 2nd Favorite❤❤ Freebird❤❤my fav.
Oh yes people saved their glass soda bottles and cashed them in. It was before plastic bottles. I still have a small scar at the base of my thumb nail where I stuck my hand into the carton at a young age. The top of one of the bottles was broken and cut it pretty bad. That was in about 1966 or so. Thanks for the reaction.
I was still doing that in the early 80s in rural Appalachia. I used to walk a mile or so to the local country store and collect any bottles or cans I found on the way. I’d usually collect enough buy a 10 oz. bottle of coke and a candy bar, which I believe was about 80 cents, as long as I drank the coke in the store and left the bottle there.
The band’s website says that the song is based on a composite of people. These people actually lived in the Van Zants‘ original neighborhood in Jacksonville, Florida. Specifically, the country store “is based on Claude’s Midway Grocery on the corner of Plymouth and Lakeshore in Jacksonville.”
I just about cried when I saw the notification for your video and saw it was THIS song. I love Simple Man like a lot of mothers of sons do, but this one right here is my #1 Lynyrd Skynyrd song just for the pure enjoyment I get from it.
Soda bottles were returnable for 2 cents each (this went up a little, but then plastic bottles replaced the glass bottles). Used to walk the highway road ditches near my hometown and collect bottles to buy a soda and/or candybar.
Yes. It was a thing. Back in the day, many of us young kids would search for soda bottles and when we got enough we'd take them to the store to cash them in for money. Soda doesn't come in glass anymore. It's sold in plastic jugs and aluminum cans. Now, some people sell aluminum cans and other metals.
Ever since I was a young girl, this tune touched by heart and I still cry every time I listen to it. My heart aches for all the Curtis Lowe's of.the World, who never received the Love, the Recognition and the Respect they deserved. Females too, of course. The World is a hard place. Thank you for playing it.
I grew up in Appalachia in the "sticks" and we kept cartons of pop bottles under the trailer. When we got sick or we had some kind of extra expense, mom sold the pop bottles for money for medicine or whatever it was we didn't have money for. We used to walk the road looking for pop bottles to sell. As far as I can remember, soda pop bottles were the only kind you could sell. They weren't meant to go in the trash back then. When you bought a carton of pop, you always brought some empty ones to turn in. They were recycled and washed and that's what soda pop came in. And I love this song. If I had to guess, Shorty Medlocke probably wasn't the only inspiration for Curtis Low. There probably was a black man among the people he based the song on. It said it was a compilation of different people, not just Shorty. And I wish you would not call yourself stupid, too. But I walk around calling myself "dummie" and "fool" all the time, so I can't say much. But I cringe when I hear you call yourself stupid. 😮😊
Yeah❤ I would have been the kid selling soda bottles to hang out and listen to Curtis
I believe Curtis Loew is/was a person alive somewhere that impacted peoples' lives positively. We all have the potential to be Curtis. ✌❤
I don't always listen to Skynyrd, but when I do, my neighbors do too... and yes, I am stupit too.
In 1966, a Coke Bottle was worth 2 cents. As kids we'd ride around on our bicycles and find them and take them to the local store and turn them in. You could buy a Coke for 10 cents and a Milky Way Bar was a Nickel. So if you found 8 bottles you were set.
My favorite Skynard tune. What a tribute to poor Curtis!
Most people regard Skynyrd as rock, hard rock or country rock but they had some of the greatest ballads. Most of the songs written by Ronnie, Allen and Gary have a story behind them, usually from life experience.
This song is magic. Ronnie was the best rock singer period. No frills . Barefoot . no flashing lights or explosions. No dancing around like a puppet. He sang like an American badass .Curtis wasn't exactly real ,but he was . Still is .
This band is just great, they combine a lot of my favorite types of music rock, blues and a little country
Excellent music has no color boundaries. It's one of the main things that helps us come together and forget the BS.
When you called yourself stupid and said trust me "when you've done a lot of stupid things in your life you start to get the picture"...😅😅😅😅 I couldn't relate anymore thank you for saying that because I'm in the same boat man!! ..married for long time, divorced, 4 good kids, battled addictions you name it! At least I'm still friends with my ex after a couple decades of marriage some divorces ive heard are pretty damn nasty! Love Skynyrd ❤️
Well don't stop your Skynyrd journey again and have to get all stupid and down on yourself again😂 you got to do at least a few more reactions to Skynyrd how about my favorite "I know a little" from album, the best Chicken Pickin guitar you will ever hear by Steve Gaines who sadly died with his sister Cassie in the plane crash along with their lead singer Ronnie Van Zant and also reaction to "T for Texas" from their live show in 76 or 77" Call me the breeze" from that live show.
Never knew Curtis wasn't really black, but I prefer to see him as one, because he is killing the blues. Besides every small town has their wino lol. Mine was actually my great uncle Rocky, 😂😂❤❤this song actually reminds me of him😂😂😂❤❤ thanks. More good memories.😂😂
There are reasons why some bands are considered "the greatest", and Lynyrd Skynrd is one of those bands. Had a massive impact on their fans. Not sure why you "waited so long", but I'm glad you got back to them. For more Skynrd, try "That Smell", its an important song. I'm also not sure why you are waiting on The Who? Your a fan of Bass and Drums, yet you haven't yet heard The Who's top 30 bass and drum songs. "Baba O'Reily" is a great song, but not for the drums and bass. It's time to try "Won't Get Fooled Again" and "The Real Me".
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve played Skynyrd tunes on stage in front a bunch of drunks. Going on 40 years of playing Honky Tonks, Biker Bars and dives. Always been in bands that nailed Freebird. Freaks those drunks that yell Freebird at every show they go to when we played it perfectly! 3 Steps, Sweet Home Alabama and Breeze? I’ve probably played thousands of times. Doesn’t matter where you play, somebody wants some Skynyrd!
Great reaction to my favorite band!!! Gimme back my bullets Tuesday's gone , before they come, there's so much great music to enjoy! Have a blessed day!
Ronnie van Zant loved the old black man delta blues style of music that came out of Mississippi. He also loved county music. He picked a generic name but the story in the song is true. Curtis is all the people that inspired him rolled up into one person.
in SE Georgia, Me and my cousin, when we were kids , used to crawl underneath houses ( they were Not mobile homes, just wooden shotgun houses and were supported by concrete blocks), we would go under houses and collect the soda bottles, clean them up and take to the store, hell man, we thought we were rich! might get 50 cents or so, And the same store we cashed them at is where we spent every penny we had! Was different times back then, and the older I get, the more I miss it...simple, innocent....and we used to love to get in the fog of the "skeeter sprayer" truck...may explain a lot! LOL
Skynyrd sang SO many heart felt meaningful songs that they never play on the radio..then and now. I turn to their deep tracks to soak in good vibes. Nice work!
Tuesday’s Gone!
I'm pleased you decided to react to this song -- my favorite Lynyrd Skynyrd tune. From the time this album was released (1974?, I think) until the present day, I have played The Ballad of Curtis Lowe pretty much on constant repeat, sometimes for hours at a time... this one resonates deeply with me. I don't care if the lyrics are about any particular individual or not -- the story, the emotion, the joy of listening to good music, and the appreciation of great talent gone unnoticed by others is something we can all understand! It gives me chills every time I hear this song.
You were struggling to name well-known musicians with deep roots in American black blues? Just about every rock group of the late 1960s-1970s would be included, particularly those from England (Led Zeppelin and The Rolling Stones might be at the top of the list...). Do some reading about the Delta Blues influence on Rock music!
Please keep listening to early Skynyrd for more amazing music!
Great reaction. This is a great song. Yes the bottle thing was a real thing. You could take glass pop bottles to the store and get money for them. I remember doing that and getting.10 cents a bottle. Keep up the good work. Thank you for the videos
I’m glad you’re back on Skynyrd. Great song, great reaction. I read a comment that told the artist Ronnie was referring to and mentions him in the song “Swamp Music “. That would be another great song for you to check out. Keep it up!
Well I've always thought of it as it essentially is about a real person because it was directly based on two different people that two of the band members were very close to when they were kids and respected highly as musicians and apparently they were both characters. So that's how you write a good song is you combine these real life experiences into something that represents all of it, even though you're not mentioning individual people by name.
Music has been unifying people forever❤❤. That's basically how we got rock and roll. As Bon Scott says, white had the smaltz, black man had the blues, and my mind just went blank on the name, he had the news, let there be light, and there was light, etc... ❤❤😂😂😂look the lyrics up to Let There Be Rock. ACDC.
I got this comment directly from Ronnie Van Zant, the writer: when I was 17 I had the amazing luck of being invited back to their hotel (Howard Johnson's) in Savannah Ga. after a show. I sat beside Ronnie on the end of his bed in his hotel room for about 2 hours, we smoked my Marlboros and drank his Bud in the can, while police were everywhere, investigating the theft from all their rooms during the concert. As we sat and talked about many things, I asked him about Curtis Lowe. He grinned and said, "It's just a story, man. But it's a good story, ain't it?" That was a Saturday, May 14, 1977. They crashed and Ronnie died 5 months later. I'll never forget our hours-long one-on-one conversation. I was only 17.
You need to hear Four Walls of Raiford.
We used to pick bottles for candy money all the time back in the 60s/70s.
Bob left and Steve Gaines was added. Billy Powell piano player was also added. Billy was a roadie and when group took a break he sat down and started playing Free Bird, Ronnie heard him and said your NOW in the band. Steve's sister Cassie was a backup singer and suggested they try him out. It was reported he was on The bus too. Ronnie Steve, Cassie , road manager and 2 pilots were killed in plane crash fall of 1977.
Thats a true story van zant wrote into a song about a older black man who played the blues for a 8 year old boy and changed his life curtiss lowe is why van zant became a rock star
Back in the days when soda came in glass bottles and you would take the empties to a store and get a deposit for them, usually a few cents per bottle. This was in the days before plastic bottles. We used the bottle caps for collecting or flipping. That was something we did to entertain ourselves and pass the time before there were cellphones and cable TV. This is a favorite of mine from Skynard. They had a lot of great songs that told great stories, but this one just hits me different (as the youngsters say today lol).
This song always makes me cry.
That was a real story for Hank Williams. When he was a boy he learned from a black blues street performer called Tee tot.
One of the best reviews I have heard on this channel!
Yeah, I'm in my 70s and used to look for old empty glass Coke bottles and turn them in from a bit of change in my pocket. Back in the day,
the soda company would wash/clean and reuse the bottles. Now everyone just throws away plastic. I did the same thing in the deep
backwood country of Florida, and a sweet old Blackman played a string guitar outside and told us kids great stories and sang old work and blues songs. He died when he was 80, and his funeral was a segregated commentary, and the only white folks there were me, my brother,
and four other young dirt poor white boys under 14. We were treated with respect and invited to a meal afterward. Everyone shows us
nothing but love. I cry every time I hear this song., To much hate in the world these days. RIP, Mr. Moses Jefferson. You touch people's
hearts with wisdom, music, and a smile.
Never go wrong listening to those guys!!
Take a tour of LS and enjoy their real life stories! Outside of Country…modern music is missing heart!
Do a Marathon!!
How you think we got ourkoney in those days…lol..we’d go house to house and ask if they had bottles and then we’d sell them 5 cents a piece. It was great.
yes they used to pay deposits for glass bottles so they could recycle them. as a kid in the 60's I had a lill wagon I pulled behind me and I collect them and get money for candy, drinks, comics etc. a dollar could buy you a hot dog ,drink ,comics ,penny candy and a song on the jukebox at our corner drugstore/ malt shop.
I walk/rocked my Granddaughters to sleep and whisper sang this song to them. They wouldn't go to sleep if I didn't.
Nashville had Country Music, Memphis had the Blues and Soul,
Elvis Presley had the Rhythm and became the King of Rock & Roll:
If you haven’t already, listen to Brooks and Dunn “Believe”. It’s a similar story, but more of a tear jerker and it’s true. The lead singer is telling his own story.❤️
Yes, we collected glass soda bottles for money back in the day. Last I remember it was 5 cents a bottle.❤️🐝🤗
In Michigan 60 years ago, you got two cents for everybody turned in. Today, you pay an extra ten cents for every beverage you buy. Some people save the empties and get their comeback for everyone they turn in. But some people just tossa beer bottle out. Kids and the homeless still collect them to get the refund. A small but sometimes.pirtant income.
Yes, back in the day you could get a few cents back on a Coke bottle so they could be reused. That’s probably not a thing now, but I remember it.
Gary Rossington, played the Dobro in the song. Lynyrd Skynyrd, was never prejudiced. We are "All" God's children!! This was a song dedicated to the Black Man's Blues!! We Love You!!
No dobro in this song. Ed King played slide guitar on Curtis Loew
Next please....The Breeze
Some states have bottle deposits on water and soda. You are charged a nickel or a dime for each bottle. When you return them to a store you get your money back
When I was a kid in the 60's we got ten cents on a tall glass bottle of pepsi or coke. They were reused after cleaning and was a great way of keeping broken glass off the streets and landfills.
Fuckin classic Skynyrd tune! One of my favorites.
My kids would ask for Curtis Loew and Swamp Music when I picked them up from church.
Damn ! That blows my mind to hear you ask about getting money back for returning soda pop bottles... We used to do it daily during the Summer to raise $ for reefer, 70's & early 80's... Suppose I'm just getting older my friend... So glad you enjoyed "the Ballad of Curtis Loew" ! It's a beautiful part of Americana in a much simpler time than we live in today... Thanks man,,, Love the channel ! Have a nice Labor Day weekend... 👣
Yes back when I was growing up we take empty coke bottles n they would give us a nickle a piece for them yes it's real.
"Cheating Woman" by Lynyrd Skynyrd is right up your alley Blue's for days
In the mid 60's I was around 5 or 6. I would take my red wagon and my dog (Bobo) and we would walk up and down the streets pulling old bottles out of the ditch which I would sell back to the store for 5 cents. Back then everyone just threw their bottles out the car window when they were finished with it.
Yeah it used to be , the 16 ounce glass bottle when bought the soda you pay a 10 cent deposit,and you could go to any store and redeem them, I used to do that back in the good old days
Shorty was an Indian, Ricky Medlocke told me this story before a show in Greensboro, NC
In Ontario Canada we still return Beer Bottles when they are empty.
There were the bottles and stuff and much of the story is true. There was a guy playing guitar. (The friends uncle) There was an old black dude down at the corner store that they always talked to. Ronnie Van Zant would build the stories in his mind and didn’t write down lyrics. There are some channels on UA-cam that do deep dives into it. One of the most interesting band stories I ever heard.
FYI, "country rock" is a new / made-up thing. We called it Southern Rock.
Growing up in the 70's there was returnable pop ( soda ) and beer bottles I remember it being 10 cents a piece pop came in 8 packs and that's how we made our money other than chores which didn't pay near as much as you could get for the bottles 👍
Simple Man next
You can't go wrong with SKYNYRD
Yes. That was how we recycled back in the day. I remember 5 cents for a glass bottle of coke. You took the empty bottles back and got a Nicole for each. They were sanitized and reused by the companies. We fuss about all the plastic now, but we don't do this anymore. Interesting
In Michigan any carbonated beverage has a 10 cent deposit that you pay for when you buy it. Then you take them back whenever you want.
We live in Michigan and they have 10 cent deposits on bottles and cans.. My son has been raising some spending money for a boy scout trip he is goin on... He's raised over $300 just taking back cans and bottles..
I used to pick up empty bottles and return them for nickels and dimes.
The slide guitar work on this song makes you feel like you are seeing an old black man playing a dobro at the corner store... don't read so much into they say the inspiration wasn't a black guy... I played years of music and I loved that groove!! Bass player from way back!!
Great song
Refundable bottles are still a thing. They are becoming more common as the worries about the environment spread across the country.
Back then bottles were made of glass not plastic like today. So you could collect glass bottles to be recycled and you would receive 5 to 10 cents per bottle depending on which state you lived in.
Everyone does stupid things, but none of us should think we are stupid! We are not, just maybe we have so full of a plate today, that we just get lost in living. Love you.
Great f n song.
"Ronnie only sang about what he knew" Artemis Pyle.
Yep we used to get $0.05 a bottle back in the day we used to get up just like you said early go hunt for bottles and turn them in and get money to buy what we wanted