Simple Man

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"Simple Man"
Song by Lynyrd Skynyrd
from the album Pronounced Leh-nerd Skin-nerd
Released	September 1973
Recorded	Studio One, Doraville, Georgia
Genre	Southern Rock
Length	5:57
Label	MCA Records
Writer(s)	Ronnie Van Zant Gary Rossington
Producer(s)	Al Kooper
Pronounced Leh-nerd Skin-nerd track listing
"Gimme Three Steps" (3)	"Simple Man" (4)	"Things Goin' On" (5)

Simple Man is the name of a song on the album Pronounced Leh-Nerd Skin-Nerd, by the southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd. The song was made a trademark classic done by the band, known for their soothing country ballads and steady guitar solos. The song was composed by lead singer Ronnie Van Zant and guitarist Gary Rossington.

[edit] History

Shortly after Ronnie Van Zant's grandmother and Gary Rossington's father died, they got together in Van Zant's apartment and started telling stories about them. Rossington came up with a chord progression, and Van Zant wrote the lyrics based on advice the women in their lives had given them over the years. They wrote it in about an hour. The theme of the song is based on a mother sharing wisdom on the facts of life and growing up with her son. Although the lyrics proclaim this was spoken to her "only son", that wasn't the case. Van Zant had two younger brothers and an older sister. Simple Man has been covered by numerous groups including Shinedown, Deftones, Hank Williams Jr. and Government Mule.