I’m of the opinion that there’s no such thing as too much Lynyrd Skynyrd.
But it sounds like Riley Green’s dad probably doesn’t quite agree with that sentiment…
In a 2019 interview with Billboard, Riley recalled a really funny memory from his younger years, during a time when he apparently had the classic song “Sweet Home Alabama” on repeat.
This was back in the days of cassette tapes (and if you’re younger than 25 and don’t know what that is, Google it), when Riley would ride around with his dad in the passenger seat of his truck, and have his favorite song on repeat.
And I think we’ve all been there before, when you hear a new song for the first time, or discover an old classic, that you just connect with on a soul level and listen to non-stop for way longer than any sane person should.
It’s just that usually, as an adult, you can listen to it freely in the safety of your own vehicle without judgement, but seeing as he was a kid when this story took place, the Alabama native didn’t have quite so much luck.
Riley says that he wore out an old Lynyrd Skynyrd cassette tape so bad that his dad finally had enough, and took matter into his own hands… by throwing it out the window:
“I can remember my dad throwing a Lynyrd Skynyrd cassette tape out the window of his truck rolling down the road one day, because I listened to ‘Sweet Home Alabama’ over and over and he was tired of hearing it.”
And I can only picture this whole scenario, because I think we’ve all had similar experiences as kids when our parents have had enough of something, even if it’s as innocent as wanting to listen to a song over and over again.
I don’t have my own kids yet, but I can also totally understand it from a parents perspective, when you eventually reach a breaking point and snap, and respond by doing something like throwing your kids favorite cassette tape out the window.
I think what we really need here is a ball park number for how many times Riley listened to (and forced everyone else to listen to) “Sweet Home Alabama” to really settle who was in the right here…
Of course, I don’t think it was ever any real issue in their relationship, and Riley and his dad are still close, with Riley sharing a sweet post wishing his dad a happy birthday earlier this year, and also thanking him for “showing me how to always to tote the heavy end”:
“Happy new year and happy birthday to my Pops. Appreciate you showing me how to always to tote the heavy end.”
Just precious… maybe Riley needs to serenade his dad with a little “Sweet Home Alabama” this year instead of the traditional “Happy Birthday” song:
