Quote Originally Posted by Fengzi
Huh, I knew that part of Sweet Home Alabama was in response to Southern Man but always assumed they hated each other.
"It is a popular belief that the country rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd wrote their song "Sweet Home Alabama" as an attack on Neil Young for the opinions expressed in "Southern Man". In actuality, Lynyrd Skynyrd wrote their song as a response, showing the good things about the South. Young was even friends with the members of Lynyrd Skynyrd, saying that he is a fan of both "Sweet Home Alabama" and Ronnie Van Zant, the lead vocalist for Lynyrd Skynyrd. Young has been known to play "Sweet Home Alabama" in concert occasionally. To demonstrate this camaraderie, or perhaps as a mocking gesture, Van Zant frequently wore a Neil Young Tonight's the Night t-shirt while performing "Sweet Home Alabama"."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Man

Neil Young also wrote a song called "Alabama" at about the same time.

Oh Alabama
The devil fools
with the best laid plan.
Swing low Alabama
You got spare change
You got to feel strange
And now the moment
is all that it meant.

Alabama, you got
the weight on your shoulders
That's breaking your back.
Your Cadillac
has got a wheel in the ditch
And a wheel on the track

Oh Alabama
Banjos playing
through the broken glass
Windows down in Alabama.
See the old folks
tied in white ropes
Hear the banjo.
Don't it take you down home?

Alabama, you got
the weight on your shoulders
That's breaking your back.
Your Cadillac
has got a wheel in the ditch
And a wheel on the track

Oh Alabama.
Can I see you
and shake your hand.
Make friends down in Alabama.
I'm from a new land
I come to you
and see all this ruin
What are you doing Alabama?
You got the rest of the union
to help you along
What's going wrong?