One of my all time favorites!

Released	August 13, 1973

Shortly after Ronnie Van Zant's grandmother died, they got together in Van Zant's apartment and shared stories about their mothers. Rossington came up with a chord progression, and Van Zant wrote the lyrics based on advice the women had given them over the years. They wrote it in approximately an hour. Even though the lyrics state, "Sit beside me, my only son," Ronnie was not the only son. He had two younger brothers along with one older sister and one younger sister. Actually the song says "when I was young" so therefore, his younger brothers may not have been born yet, making him the only son.