What does That Smell mean?

Lynyrd Skynyrd: That Smell Meaning

Album cover for That Smell album cover

That Smell Lyrics

Whiskey bottles, and brand new cars
Oak tree you're in my way
There's too much coke and too much smoke
Look what's going on inside you
Ooooh that smell
Can't you smell that smell
Ooooh that smell
The smell of death surrounds you
Angel of...

  1. anonymous
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    Jul 1st 2017 !⃝

    The smell of throw up, puke and uncleanliness.

  2. anonymous
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    Jun 1st 2017 !⃝

    I would imagine it had to do with me cocaine but who am I to say

  3. anonymous
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    Jan 1st 2017 !⃝

    Oxycontin is very close but not quite right on point, IMO. Ask any current or former heroin addict and 90% of them can confirm this. When a person is going through withdrawal off of heroin, especially from day 2-5, they start to smell a particular and peculiar smell on themselves. Most describe it as a bad smell, but it seems to be different for every addict that experiences it. It cannot be cured by a million showers, super weird stuff. Obviously some of the more literal lyrics are about Rossington's wreck.

  4. anonymous
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    Nov 7th 2015 !⃝

    I believe the That Smell is about heroin addicts purposely not bathing so when they shoot heroin it will intensify the effect.

  5. anonymous
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    Sep 3rd 2013 !⃝

    /physicaljerk is completely right

  6. anonymous
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    Oct 15th 2012 !⃝

    physicaljerk is correct, this song IS about Gary. You can still see the scars on the tree that Gary hit. Look up Gene Odom. HE was security for the band and survived the crash. He has some books and many web articles about his friends.

    'That Smell' refers to a saying people said of hard rocking, hard living bands at the time. Lynyrd Skynyrd toured so much and partied so hard people said you could smell death around them. Ronnie heard this and made it into a song.

  7. anonymous
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    Mar 26th 2012 !⃝

    Great song by lynyrd skynyrd the south gunna do it again ..... The south will rise again

  8. oxycontin
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    Jul 1st 2010 !⃝

    Hey, you're a fool you
    Stick them needles in your arm
    I know I been there before
    One little problem that confronts you
    Got a monkey on your back
    Just one more fix, Lord might do the trick
    One hell of a price for you to get your kicks
    Ooooh that smell
    Can't you smell that smell
    Ooooh that smell
    The smell of death surrounds you
    Ooooh that smell
    Can't you smell that smell
    Ooooh that smell
    The smell of death surrounds you


    This half of the song is about, the smell you get when your rush hits you off heroin or a legalized form oxycontin.

  9. Surfer_Coyote
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    Nov 19th 2008 !⃝

    I thought it was about a girl with a stanky crotch.

  10. anonymous
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    Mar 18th 2007 !⃝

    It's about drug use duh....

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