Southern Man

Oh, come on, Neil.

You already done this on a much better song called Southern Man on your previous album.

We know racism was and still is rampant in the United States, especially in the South.

See all the old folks tied in white robes.

It's right on the nose, just like Southern Man.

The electric guitar riff isn't far off from the other song either, as is the piano played by Nietzsche, and bringing along David Crosby and Stephen Stills on backing vocals sweetens the sound of the chorus, but to me this is just an inferior rewrite of your own song.

Come on, Neil.

Uh, I mean, first let's start with Neil Young's vocal.

But, yeah, but that was written in character.

And, like, Neil Young, I mean, I hope Neil Young will remember Southern Man Don't Want Him Around Anyhow.

But he loved that song.

And he and Ronnie Van Zandt got to be good buddies.

Like what?

Like, well, you know, like just as a, for instance, like Southern Man, which is like, which is.

Les didn't want to do that song at first.

Well, no, I had to think about it.

And they kind of let the legend shine.

You're talking about the

damage, the Southern man, the damage done.

They're kind of like fighting back with each other with their hit singles.

Yeah

... did Neil get to hear your version of Southern Man, which by the way, is fucking great.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Well, I hope Neil Young will remember.

A southern man don't need him around anyhow.

Sweet home Alabama.

Where the skies are so blue.

Director Jonathan Demme wanted the perfect song to open his film Philadelphia, starring Tom Hanks as a lawyer facing AIDS.

Demme had met Bruce Springsteen way back in 1985 on the Sun City video, but hadn't seen him since.

Initially, he'd cut the title sequence to Neil Young's Southern Man, and even asked Neil for a new song.

He got Philadelphia, which ended up at the film's finale, but the opening, that needed Bruce.