This is about as quintessential Southern Rock as it gets. In many ways, Lynyrd Skynyrd helped define and popularise the genre.
In the mid-1990s, there was this girl Diane who was living in the beautiful seaside town of Mornington on the south-east coast of Australia who put me onto this group. Diane was a real rocker, man, and she even made her own sambuca, which was my favourite liquor at the time – like liquid licorice, just heaven. Well, her concoction… not so much – but no one’s perfect.
She even bought her own tobacco and rolled her own cigarettes. She was a wild girl with a husky voice, a real riot, and had a good heart. She put me onto so much great music – Lynyrd Skynyrd, Eric Clapton, Live – and she loved her some Janis Joplin. Whenever I hear Tuesday’s Gone my mind drifts back to those zany times we had.
The song itself tells of a man leaving on a train, with his woman left behind. “She’s gone with the wind,” he says – but really, he’s the one leaving. He’s seeking distance and solitude, and the reasons sit just beneath the surface. It feels like he’s letting her go, maybe for her own good, or because the love is no longer there on her side. Yet he still sounds deeply attached. You get the sense this departure is final – not a trip, but a turning point. He’s moving on, even if he doesn’t quite know where he’s going next.
So it goes… There was a train track near the place where the band rehearsed. The sound of passing trains inspired vocalist Ronnie Van Zant to write the opening line: “Train roll on, on down the line.”
Musically, the song is an epic, running around 7 and a half minutes. It opens with one of the most unforgettable guitar intros, followed by strong, expressive solos, a gentle and slightly looping piano part in the middle, and subtle sweeping strings. It’s easy to get carried away by it – thoughts of open air, passing landscapes, and your own memories start to blend with the music. It’s a real musical achievement.
Wikipedia:
Tuesday’s Gone is the second track on Lynyrd Skynyrd’s debut album, (Pronounced ‘Lĕh-‘nérd ‘Skin-‘nérd). It was written by guitarist Allen Collins and vocalist Ronnie Van Zant. Producer Al Kooper (credited as “Roosevelt Gook”) played bass, sang backup vocals, and added orchestral strings with a Mellotron.
The record featured some other Southern Rock classics like Free Bird and Simple Man.
Won’t you please take me far away?
Now I feel the wind blow outside my door,
Means I’m leaving my woman behind.
Tuesday’s gone with the wind.
My woman’s gone with the wind.
And I don’t know where I’m going.
I just want to be left alone.
Well, when this train ends I’ll try again,
But I’m leaving my woman at home.
Tuesday’s gone with the wind.
Tuesday’s gone with the wind.
Tuesday’s gone with the wind.
My woman’s gone with the wind.
Train roll on many miles from my home,
See, I’m riding my blues away.
Tuesday, you see, she had to be free
But somehow I’ve got to carry on.
Tuesday’s gone with the wind.
Tuesday’s gone with the wind.
Tuesday’s gone with the wind.
My woman’s gone with the wind.
References:
1. Tuesday’s Gone – WIkipedia
2. Tuesday’s Gone – Song Meanings
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