"That Smell" by Lynyrd Skynyrd

Beware 'That Smell,' Lynyrd Skynyrd's haunting 1977 warning against excess. This powerful Southern rock track, tinged with hard rock foreboding, became tragically prophetic. Featured on 'Street Survivors,' this Lynyrd Skynyrd song serves as a chilling reminder of the dangers that can accompany a rock and roll lifestyle.

Released on Lynyrd Skynyrd's fateful 1977 album 'Street Survivors,' 'That Smell' is a potent blend of Southern rock grit and hard rock intensity. Its dark, ominous guitar riffs and Ronnie Van Zant's direct lyrics create an atmosphere of impending doom. This Lynyrd Skynyrd track stands as a stark cautionary tale, defining their mature 1977 sound.

Lynyrd Skynyrd's 'That Smell' wasn't subtle; it was a direct plea from Ronnie Van Zant to bandmates about the dangers of drugs and alcohol, sparked by guitarist Gary Rossington's car crash. This 1977 Southern rock/hard rock anthem gained chilling significance after the band's plane crash just days after 'Street Survivors' release, cementing its somber legacy.

SONG MEANING: "That Smell" is Ronnie Van Zant's stark warning to his Lynyrd Skynyrd bandmates about their dangerous lifestyles fueled by drugs and alcohol. Inspired mainly by guitarist Gary Rossington's 1976 intoxicated car crash ("whiskey bottles... oak tree you're in my way"), the haunting "smell of death" lyric predicts fatal consequences. Tragically, this prophecy from the 1977 track became reality soon after its release with the band's plane crash.