FYI.

This story is over 5 years old.

Music

17 Airtight Arguments for Why Your Band Should Cover “Free Bird”

You won’t just be leaving here tomorrow, you’ll be leaving the audience’s jaws on the floor.

Everybody knows that there's nothing funnier than yelling "Free Bird" at a concert—except for maybe saying "my wife" in the Borat voice. But the "Free Bird" joke assumes one pretty big thing: that no band would ever be crazy enough to actually try to recreate the dazzling guitar pyrotechnics of the original song. That's a shame because, all jokes aside, "Free Bird" is an incredible piece of music. What other song so eloquently explores the unquenchable urge to travel on now, to see new places, to be free as a bird? It is poetry in motion.

Advertisement

Dig this: It would be incredibly sick if someone yelled "Free Bird" and then, instead of ignoring the request, a band did cover it.

If you are in a band, take note. Add a dope cover of "Free Bird" to your repertoire, then bust that puppy out the next time some wiseacre decides to yell out "Free Bird" at your show. You won't just be leaving here tomorrow, you'll be leaving the audience's jaws on the floor. Your band will immediately be a sensation. Still not convinced? Here are 17 reasons why your band should absolutely cover the hell out of "Free Bird":

1. It's awesome.

Photo by Jake Guild via Flickr

2. It frickin' rules.

Photo by Jay Roc via Flickr

3. Maaaaaan, it's just so sweet.

Photo by Lee Hoffman via Flickr

4. It totally rips your dang face off.

Photo by Jake Guild via Flickr

5. It's freaking heavy, dude.

Photo by Jay Roc via Flickr

6. GUITAR SOLO!

Photo by David Burke via Flickr

7. It's like so incredibly rad.

Photo by Tsuyoshi Kikuchi via Flickr

8. It's off the chain.

Photo by FromSandToGlass via Flickr

9. FREEBIRD!

Photo by EJ Hersom for DoD News via Flickr

10. It'll rock your flippin' socks off.

Photo by Lee Hoffman via Flickr

11. It's the hardest song in Guitar Hero.

Photo by Variable via Flickr

12. You can do devil horns.

U.S. Air National Guard photo by Tech. Sgt. Matt Hecht/Released

13. It's gnarly as all heck.

Photo by Alan Levine via Flickr

14. Absolute shredding.

Photo by Garry Knight via Flickr

15. Doo-wee-woo-wee-woo-wee-wee-woo-woo-woo-neener-nuh-nuh-nuh!

Photo by Harvey K via Flickr

16. It's on fire!

Photo by Yuri Samoilov via Flickr

17. Rock and roll will never die.

Photo by Eli Christman via Flickr

Kyle Kramer is free as a bird now. Follow him on Twitter.