Lynyrd Skynyrd have shared their first new song in nearly eight years as the Southern rockers unveiled “Last of the Street Survivors,” a play on their classic 1977 LP Street Survivors. The track is available to stream and download for free for a week here.
In recent days, Lynyrd Skynyrd hinted that they were “cookin’ up” something for their social distancing fans. “As promised, here’s a little gift from our Skynyrd family to yours,” the band wrote Thursday. “We want to thank everyone for making this possible. Stay safe and God bless.”
“Last of the Street Survivors” — which shares its name with the band’s farewell tour — was penned by founding guitarist Gary Rossington alongside singer Johnny Van Zant, guitarist Ricky Medlocke and songwriter Tom Hambridge, and finds the Southern rockers reminiscing about their career and the band mates they lost.
“We played the Garden in New York City / We rocked the house down in New Orleans / We think about the ones we lost along the way,” Van Zant: “Out here on the 75 / Keeping the dream alive / Highway brothers and midnight riders / We’re the last of the street survivors.”
Lynyrd Skynyrd last released their 14th studio album Last of a Dyin’ Breed in 2012. However, in recent years, the band said they were working on new material for a 15th (and potentially final) album.
The band were midway through the spring leg of their ever-growing farewell tour when the coronavirus pandemic shut down the touring industry; the remaining date of that North American leg were postponed to September.