The Beef: A Southern Man vs Sweet Home Alabama Moment

September 4 2025

Prompt by: Stories from the Jukebox:The Beef:#4 Lynyrd Skynyrd vs Neil Young

1500 words or less

Photo by: Getty Images (@gettyimages) | Unsplash Photo Community

Seventeen year old Sonny stared down his father with a look that was just short of contempt from across the table. He had just risen from his chair as the angry words spilled forth. 

“I will ask once again,” repeated his father. “Did you write this essay or not?” as he threw the duotang bound essay on the kitchen table.

Sonny picked it up and looked at it. “Where did you get this?” he inquired.

“I will answer you once you have answered my question.”

Sonny couldn’t believe this discussion. He mulled over the options and decided to play it honest. “Okay,” he said defiantly. “I wrote it. Every. Last Word.” He watched his father carefully. The tone and demanding voice had given him warning. Once Sonny recovered his balance he knew he had to be careful, for now.

His father, while red in the face and physically looking like he was out of control, stood there considering his next move. “Why?” was all he could ask. 

“What do you mean why? We were asked to write one thousand words on a topic we felt strongly about. Those are my words. Those are my thoughts. Where did you get this from?” Sonny asked again although he was sure he knew where.

“From the school,” was the reply.

“And? Who gave it to you?” Sonny inquired softly.

“Your English teacher.” There was a long pause. “He said it was the finest work he had read in a long time.” Sonny gasped. “He asked me if I had read it. Imagine my surprise when he said those words.”

“You read the whole thing?” Sonny was shocked. His father wasn't a reader by any stretch of the imagination. His father’s chosen words also provided insight.

His father continued, his anger rising again. “You have no right to write about our family issues.” he said as his voice increased in intensity. 

“I have every right to write about the truth with honesty. I have every right to try to understand what is happening in my world.”

“Your world? This,” his father started pointing to the essay, “is not about your world. It is about our world. Our lives. How could you write such filth?”

“This is about what I see everyday. It is about what anyone who stepped into my shoes would see. But it is also about what the bigger picture says. It is about society and the need to learn ways to cope with such realities.”

His father balked at this as he tried to maintain a calmer focus. The silence was deafening. Tension filled the room as the seconds turned into minutes.

Finally his father spoke. “This is one of those Neil Young - Lynyrd Skynyrd moments.” When Sonny looked slightly confused at this his father continued. “Neil wrote Southern Man because he saw an injustice. Lynyrd Skynyrd wrote Sweet Home Alabama as a response in disagreement.” Sonny nodded seeing the connection. “The thing about this is from each of their points of view they were correct.” Sonny gave a small nod wondering where this was going. “You can relax,” began his father softly. “I am not going to write a rebuttal.”

“You were mad but now you are not.”

Sonny’s father sat down on his chair. The family had specific spots to sit down for meals. He motioned for Sonny to sit. Warily Sonny did, but not at his usual spot.

“I think what this did was catch me off guard.” He paused in consideration as he gathered his emotions and sent them packing. “I was raised to honour my parents, work hard and trust that everything will work out because that is just what happens.” His father paused in his thoughts. “We live our lives trying to be the best we can but there are times like this… well when I read your paper I wondered if just doing my best was good enough. I wondered if what you wrote about had to be this way.” He shrugged his shoulders and sighed. “I never thought….” he left it hanging. It took Sonny a minute to respond.

“One of the things we learned about this year was that many people find ways to deaden the pain they feel in their lives. Some use alcohol. Some use drugs. Some just get lost in their minds retreating from things they don’t understand. Some don’t even know they are feeling this way.” His father looked startled. Sonny held up his hands. “I’m not making any judgments here. Just trying to explain. From what I can see the whole world is this way unless they make themselves aware. Not many do. They just go through their lives accepting what is instead of trying to find other ways to understand in a stronger way. They simply accept fate without looking past to become better, stronger, more involved. I wrote this essay trying to make sense of the world I live in,” he paused to capture his words, “I may have started it as a way to hurt you, but it turned into an indictment on society. I want better.”

“I think that is what frightens me.” replied his father. “You deserve better but that means moving past what I know, think and feel. The unknown frightens me. It is outside my comfort zone.”  

“We can move forward together,” Sonny replied with hope.

“I would like that.” The tension dissipated as they both sat there giving thought to what had just happened. 

“Lynyrd Skynyrd vs Neil Young?” Sonny started. “That is in itself an interesting observation. Of course Lynyrd Skynyrd was right. They had lived their lives without Neil’s influence until that song came around.” Sonny smiled without acknowledging his father’s earlier comments.

His father laughed. “Are you sure? Egg. Chicken.” Another less serious discussion consumed them for the next while.