The Three Great Alabama Icons

[Syrinx]

This is a spoken-word tune by the Drive By Truckers. I like the lyrics!

I grew up in North Alabama, back in the 1970's, when dinosaurs still roamed the earth
Speaking of course of the Three Great Alabama Icons -- George Wallace, Bear Bryant and Ronnie Van Zant
Now Ronnie Van Zant wasn't from Alabama, he was from Florida
He was a huge Neil Young fan
But in the tradition of Merle Haggard writin' Okie from Muskogee to tell his dad's point of view about the hippies in Vietnam
Ronnie felt that the other side of the story should be told
And Neil Young always claimed that Sweet Home Alabama was one of his favorite songs.
And legend has it that he was an honorary pallbearer at Ronnie's funeral
such is the Duality of the Southern Thing
And Bear Bryant wore a cool lookin' red checkered hat and won football games
and there's few things more loved in Alabama than football and the men who know how to win at it
So when the Bear would come to town, there'd be a parade
And me, I was one a' them pussy boys cause I hated football, so I got a guitar
but a guitar was a poor substitute for a football with the girls in my high school
So my band hit the road and we didn't play no Skynyrd either'
I came of age rebellin' against the music in my high school parkin' lot'
It wasn't till years later after leavin' the South for a while that I came to appreciate and understand the whole Skynyrd thing and its misunderstood glory
I left the South and learned how different people's perceptions of the Southern Thing was from what I'd seen in my life'
Which leads us to George Wallace'
Now Wallace was for all practical purposes the Governor of Alabama from 1962 until 1986
Once, when a law prevented him from succeeding himself he ran his wife Lerline in his place and she won by a landslide'
He's most famous as the belligerent racist voice of the segregationist South' Standing in the doorways of schools
And waging a political war against a Federal Government that he decried as hypocritical
And Wallace had started out as a lawyer and a judge with a very progressive and humanitarian track record for a man of his time.
But he lost his first bid for governor in 1958 by hedging on the race issue, against a man who spoke out against integration'
Wallace ran again in '62 as a staunch segregationist and won big
And for the next decade spoke out loudly'
He accused Kennedy and King of being communists
He was constantly on national news, representing the 'good' people of Alabama'
And you know race was only an issue on TV in the house that I grew up in'
Wallace was viewed as a man from another time and place'
And when I first ventured out of the South, I was shocked at how strongly Wallace was associated with Alabama and its people'
Ya know racism is a worldwide problem and it's been since the beginning of recorded history'
and it ain't just white and black'
But thanks to George Wallace, it's always a little more convenient to play it with a Southern accent
And bands like Lynyrd Skynyrd attempted to show another side of the South'
One that certainly exists, but few saw beyond the rebel flag'
And this applies not only to their critics and detractors, but also from their fans and followers.
So for a while, when Neil Young would come to town, he'd get death-threats down in Alabama'
Ironically, in 1971, after a particularly racially charged campaign, Wallace began backpedaling
And he opened up Alabama politics to minorities at a rate faster than most Northern states or the Federal Government.
And Wallace spent the rest of his life trying to explain away his racist past
and in 1982 won his last term in office with over 90% of the black vote'
Such is the Duality of the Southern Thing'
And George Wallace died back in '98 and he's in Hell now, not because he's a racist'
His track record as a judge and his late-life quest for redemption make a good argument for his being, at worst, no worse than most white men of his generation, North or South'
But because of his blind ambition and his hunger for votes, he turned a blind eye to the suffering of Black America.
And he became a pawn in the fight against the Civil Rights cause'
Forctunately for him, the Devil is also a Southerner'

[mzteris]

1. Most people don't know

that George Wallace was the first white judge to condemn a white man to death for killing a black man........

[Syrinx]

2. he was, like the song says, very progressive early on

And late in life too.

It's so tragic that he sold himself (and his people) out. He could've been an extraordinary leader. But sadly he settled for demagogue.

EDIT: Not that I consider the death penalty to be a progressive value, but you know what I mean.

[mzteris]

3. yep. I understand what you mean. n/t

[Frances]

4. I grew up in Alabama in the 40s and 50s

so I guess I was there before the dinosuars.

I liked your post.

When I began teaching high school in 1963, my yearly salary was $3700, which was $700 more than I would have made in 1966. Wallace was credited with that raise. I taught for a year at a community college in the late 60s. Wallace was credited with opening community colleges all over the state, a very good thing in my opinion.

I have often wondered if Wallace really lost in 1958 solely because of segregation. The winner of the election was John Patterson, who was a hero to many people because we believed that his father had been killed trying to stop gambling and drinking and other sinful activities in Phenix City. But Wallace was a very successful politician so if he thought race was the deciding factor he may have been right.

By the way I went to a rally for Lurleen (that's the spelling I remember)when she was dying from cancer and running for governor simultaneously. Lurleen spoke a short time and then George took over and said he'd be her number 1 advisor.

A college classmate told me that her mother, an old-fashioned Southern lady, didn't believe women should have the right to vote, yet she voted for Lurleen. I did not.

Anyway, just some history.

[Syrinx]

5. yes, it was Lurleen of course

I don't know why the DBT didn't get it right. This song's lyrics aren't on the DBT website because they want you to "just listen." I guess I can't blame them for that. Great band.

I vaguely remember seeing that movie about Phoenix City on late-night tv. But not well enough to remember if I liked it.

I hope we've made a lot of progess. I hope Davis could be elected Senator or Governor. I hope that a lot!

I'm hoping to make Alabama blue!

(BTW, I wonder if you are a man or woman? You don't have to answer of course. But been wondering for a while.)

Good wishes to you Frances!

[Frances]

6. I'm a woman

I grew up about 30 miles from Monroeville, where Harper Lee (To Kill A Mockingbird) grew up. I identify with Harper Lee because I too adored my father, who was more fun loving that Scout's father, but who had the same integrity.

When I was about six years old, I asked my father what the Ku Klux Klan was. He told me that they were a bunch of men who sat around on a Saturday night bored and with nothing to do. Then they would start drinking and after they got drunk they would put on sheets and go out and scare people.

My father instinctively knew that if you gave those people something more fun to do most of them would go in a healthier direction. My father had loved going fishing and camping as a child in rural Alabama and he recreated those experiences for the young people in the 4-H clubs he supervised.

I hope that Alabama will become blue. It is certainly in their economic interest to do so.

[Syrinx]

7. KKK

I'm in Tuscaloosa. One of the branches used to be headquartered here. Thankfully it is long gone now. And Robert Shelton, who was the head of it, died several years ago.

I read a disturbing column or article in the paper recently about some history book that used to be used in the eighth grade here. "Know Alabama." According to the piece, it glorified the Klan, and ignored the Civil Rights Movement. Thankfully, that book is gone now too. I think it was the book I had in the eighth grade, but I don't remember the positive stuff about the Klan. Maybe because my teacher was black. ;)

We've come a long way. But many miles left to travel.

(BTW, Harper Lee was in town not long ago. I would've enjoyed catching a glimpse of the somewhat reclusive lady, but didn't know about her visit until it was over.)