Saturday Night Special (Lynyrd Skynyrd song)
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| "Saturday Night Special" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Lynyrd Skynyrd | ||||
| from the album Nuthin' Fancy | ||||
| B-side | "Made in the Shade" | |||
| Released | May 19, 1975 | |||
| Recorded | August 1974 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 5:09 | |||
| Label | MCA | |||
| Songwriters | Ed King, Ronnie Van Zant | |||
| Producer | Al Kooper | |||
| Lynyrd Skynyrd singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"Saturday Night Special" is a song by American rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd. It is the opening track on their album Nuthin' Fancy. The song addresses fatal tragedies involving guns.
Its lyrics refer to the cheap handguns popularly associated with the term Saturday night special, and associates them with impulsive violence. Each of the three verses presents a different example: a man shooting another man in bed with his cheating wife; a poker player killing his friend after accusing him of cheating; and accidentally shooting oneself while intoxicated. Notably, it argues that they "[a]in't good for nothin' / But put a man six feet in a hole."
Reception
Personnel
Personnel taken from Nuthin' Fancy liner notes.[4]
Lynyrd Skynyrd
- Ronnie Van Zant – lead vocals
- Ed King – guitars
- Allen Collins – guitars
- Gary Rossington – guitars
- Leon Wilkeson – bass guitar, backing vocals
- Billy Powell – keyboards
- Artimus Pyle – drums, percussion
Additional personnel
Chart performance
| Chart (1975) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canada RPM Top Singles | 63 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100[5] | 27 |