The Ballad of Curtis Loew
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Ballad of Curtis Loew[sic] is a song written by Allen Collins and Ronnie Van Zant and performed by Lynyrd Skynyrd. The song was first released on the band's 1974 album, Second Helping[1] and again on their compilation, The Essential Lynyrd Skynyrd and later on All Time Greatest Hits. It is not one of the band's best known songs, but is on many of their compilation albums and before the Lynyrd Skynyrd plane crash, was performed once live. In Ed King says, "The original version of the band only played 'Curtis Loew' ONE time on stage. We were playing in a basement in some hotel and thought we'd try it. We never played it again until the Tribute Tour with Johnny Van Zant."
[edit] Synopsis
The song tells of a young boy who wakes up in the morning "Before the rooster crows" and searches for soda bottles to cash in for money to give to a man named Curtis Loew. Curtis is described as a "Black man with white curly hair". The boy gives Curtis money from recycling soda bottles for a fifth of wine, and Curtis plays him songs on his Dobro guitar. According to the song "Curtis Loew was the finest picker to ever play the blues". Curtis eventually dies and the boy is perplexed at the fact that nobody came to pray at his funeral.[2]
[edit] Origin
The band's website says that the song is based on a composite of people who actually lived in the Van Zants' original neighborhood in Jacksonville, FL. Specifically, the corner store "is based on Claude's Midway Grocery on the corner of Plymouth and Lakeshore in Jacksonville." [3] The business has since been renamed Sunrise Food Store, but still occupies the same location. The Loew character is sometimes thought by Skynyrd fans to be inspired by Shorty Medlock, the grandfather of Rickey Medlocke, Lynyrd Skynyrd's drummer during their 1970 tour.
