That Smell
Encyclopedia
"That Smell" is a song by the southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd
. Written by Ronnie Van Zant
and guitarist Allen Collins
, it was released in 1977 on the album Street Survivors
. At the time the song was written, the band had been drinking and doing many different drugs. Van Zant had said that he started drinking heavily to relieve the pressure of performing in front of large audiences.
The song's name comes from the fact that there is a saying among heroin users that the smell of cooking it brings you right back to shooting it.
Van Zant's inspiration for the song was the increasing reckless indulgences of the band members culminating in the evening when guitarist Gary Rossington
got drunk and high and survived the crash of his new car into an oak tree along Mandarin Road in Jacksonville, Florida
(where the band was founded). Van Zant was thus inspired to write the song as a warning about the consequences of careless overuse of drugs and alcohol. Van Zant said, "I had a creepy feeling things were going against us, so I thought I'd write a morbid song (as a warning)." The lyrics cautioned that "tomorrow might not be here for you", and that "the smell of death surrounds you". Three days after the album was released, the band was devastated by a plane crash killing several members including Van Zant.
The song is featured in the films Blow
(2001), Joe Dirt
(2001) and Wild Hogs
(2007), at the end of the fourth episode of the HBO television drama series True Blood
(2008) & the song also appeared in the first season of Entourage
.
Lynyrd Skynyrd
Lynyrd Skynyrd is an American rock band prominent in spreading Southern Rock during the 1970s.Originally formed as the "Noble Five" in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1964, the band rose to worldwide recognition on the basis of its driving live performances and signature tune, Freebird...
. Written by Ronnie Van Zant
Ronnie Van Zant
Ronald Wayne "Ronnie" Van Zant was an American lead vocalist, primary lyricist, and a founding member of the Southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd...
and guitarist Allen Collins
Allen Collins
Larkin Allen Collins Jr. was one of the founding members and guitarists of Southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd, and co-wrote many of the band's songs with late frontman Ronnie Van Zant...
, it was released in 1977 on the album Street Survivors
Street Survivors
Street Survivors is the fifth studio album by Southern rock band, Lynyrd Skynyrd, released on October 17, 1977. The LP is the last Skynyrd album ever recorded by original members Ronnie Van Zant and Allen Collins, and is the sole Skynyrd studio recording by guitarist Steve Gaines...
. At the time the song was written, the band had been drinking and doing many different drugs. Van Zant had said that he started drinking heavily to relieve the pressure of performing in front of large audiences.
The song's name comes from the fact that there is a saying among heroin users that the smell of cooking it brings you right back to shooting it.
Van Zant's inspiration for the song was the increasing reckless indulgences of the band members culminating in the evening when guitarist Gary Rossington
Gary Rossington
Gary Robert Rossington is a founding member of Southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd. He plays lead and rhythm guitar. He is also a founding member of The Rossington-Collins Band along with former Lynyrd Skynyrd bandmate, the late Allen Collins...
got drunk and high and survived the crash of his new car into an oak tree along Mandarin Road in Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...
(where the band was founded). Van Zant was thus inspired to write the song as a warning about the consequences of careless overuse of drugs and alcohol. Van Zant said, "I had a creepy feeling things were going against us, so I thought I'd write a morbid song (as a warning)." The lyrics cautioned that "tomorrow might not be here for you", and that "the smell of death surrounds you". Three days after the album was released, the band was devastated by a plane crash killing several members including Van Zant.
The song is featured in the films Blow
Blow (film)
Blow is a 2001 biopic about the American cocaine smuggler George Jung, directed by Ted Demme. David McKenna and Nick Cassavetes adapted Bruce Porter's 1993 book Blow: How a Small Town Boy Made $100 Million with the Medellín Cocaine Cartel and Lost It All for the screenplay. It is based on the real...
(2001), Joe Dirt
Joe Dirt
Joe Dirt is a 2001 American comedy film starring David Spade, Dennis Miller, Christopher Walken, Brian Thompson, Brittany Daniel, Jaime Pressly, Erik Per Sullivan, Adam Beach and Kid Rock. The film was written by Spade and Fred Wolf.-Plot:...
(2001) and Wild Hogs
Wild Hogs
Wild Hogs is a 2007 comedy film directed by Walt Becker and starring Tim Allen, John Travolta, Martin Lawrence, and William H. Macy. It was released nationwide in the United States and Canada on March 2, 2007, though preview film screenings were held in select areas on February 24, 2007.-Plot:Doug...
(2007), at the end of the fourth episode of the HBO television drama series True Blood
True Blood
True Blood is an American television series created and produced by Alan Ball. It is based on The Southern Vampire Mysteries series of novels by Charlaine Harris, detailing the co-existence of vampires and humans in Bon Temps, a fictional, small town in the state of Louisiana...
(2008) & the song also appeared in the first season of Entourage
Entourage (TV series)
Entourage is an American comedy-drama television series that premiered on HBO on July 18, 2004 and concluded on September 11, 2011, after eight seasons...
.