I always like that song "The Ballad of Curtis Lowe" by Lynyrd Skynyrd.
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 on many of their compilation albums and before the Lynyrd Skynyrd plane crash, was performed once live. 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."
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]
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.
LYRICS :
well I used to wake the mornin
befor the rooster crowed
searchin for soda bottles to get my self some dough
brought em down to the corner
down to the country store
cash em in and give my money to a man named Curtis Lowe
old Curt was a black man with white curly hair
when he had a fifth of wine he didnot have a care
he used to own and old dobro used to play across his knee
I'd give old Curt my money he play all day for me
(chours)
play me a song Curtis Lowe Curtis Lowe
well I got your drinkin money tune up your dobro
people said he was useless them people all were fools
cuz Curtis Lowe was the finest picker to ever play the blues
he looked to be 60 maybe I was 10
momma used to whoop me
but I'd go see him again
I'd clap my hands, stomp my feet tryin to keep in time
well he'd play me a song or 2 then take another drink of wine
(chours)
on the day old Curtis died nobody came to pray
old preacher said some words
they chucked him in the clay
well he lived a lifetime playin the black mans blues
and on the day he lost his life thats all he had to lose
(chours)
Most of this was copied and pasted from wiki.
I'm surprised no one has done John Sinclair.[edit]