"Sweet Home Alabama" was the lead track on the album Second Helping, and it became Skynyrd's first hit. The song was written during the sessions for the group's first album, Pronounced Leh-nerd Skin-nerd, but they decided to save it so they would have a big song to open Second Helping.

Ed King's guitar playing and songwriting skills were an essential element of Lynyrd Skynyrd's first three albums: (Pronounced 'Lĕh-'nérd 'Skin-'nérd), Second Helpingand Nuthin' Fancy. King co-wrote one of the band's most recognizable hits "Sweet Home Alabama", and his voice counted the "one, two, three", before he launched into his famous riff to start the song.

"Sweet Home Alabama" was written as an answer to two songs by Neil Young, "Southern Man" and "Alabama", which dealt with themes of racism and slavery in the American South. "We thought Neil was shooting all the ducks in order to kill one or two," said Ronnie Van Zant at the time. The following excerpt shows the Neil Young mention in the song.

Lyrics

Big wheels keep on turning

Carry me home to see my kin

Singing songs about the Southland

I miss Alabamy once again

And I think it's a sin, yes

Well I heard mister Young sing about her

Well, I heard ole Neil put her down

Well, I hope Neil Young will remember

A Southern man don't need him around anyhow

Sweet home Alabama

Where the skies are so blue

Sweet Home Alabama

Lord, I'm coming home to you

In Birmingham they love the governor (boo, boo, boo)

Now we all did what we could do

Now Watergate does not bother me

Does your conscience bother you?

Tell the truth

Sweet home Alabama

Where the skies are so blue

Sweet Home Alabama

Lord, I'm coming home to you

Here I come Alabama

Now Muscle Shoals has got the Swampers

And they've been known to pick a song or two

Lord they get me off so much

They pick me up when I'm feeling blue

Now how about you?

Sweet home Alabama

Where the skies are so blue

Sweet Home Alabama

Lord, I'm coming home to you

Sweet home Alabama

Oh sweet home baby

Where the skies are so blue

And the guv'nor's true

Sweet Home Alabama

Lordy

Lord, I'm coming home to you

Yea, yea Montgomery's got the answer