Very few Americans would have trouble recognizing the opening notes of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s iconic anthem, “Sweet Home Alabama.” And when they do recognize it, they typically “turn it up,” as the singer commands.

Recorded in 1974, the song has been featured in films, on television and at sporting events. We’re revisiting our list honoring one of the most popular Southern rock songs of all time: 15 things we have to explain about the song “Sweet Home Alabama.”

1. The band is not from Alabama.

Although the song mentions three cities in Alabama, the three members of Lynyrd Skynyrd who wrote the song are not from the state. Ronnie Van Zant and Gary Rossington were from Jacksonville, Fla., and Ed King was from Glendale, Calif.

2. Band members recorded in Alabama.

Members of the band were familiar with Alabama because, from 1970-’72, they recorded other songs at the famous Muscle Shoals Sound Studio in Sheffield. However, “Sweet Home Alabama” was actually recorded at Studio One in Doraville, Ga.

3. It’s ‘Swampers,’ not ‘swamplands.’

People have been known to incorrectly sing the line: “Now Muscle Shoals has got the swamplands.” Although the city does lie on the banks of the Tennessee River, it is not located in a swamp. The area is called “the shoals” because of the land’s sandy, silty makeup. So why mention “Swampers?” Read on ….

4. The Swampers were studio musicians.

“Swampers” was the nickname given to the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section, a group of studio musicians who initially played at FAME Studios before leaving in 1969 to form Muscle Shoals Sound Studio, according to Matt Wake on AL.com. They were the first rhythm section to own a studio and operate publishing and production companies. The musicians and their story are the subject of the documentary “Muscle Shoals.” The Sheffield studio at 3614 N Jackson Highway, has been restored and is used as a working studio and a museum. Famous musicians who have recorded there include Cher, the Rolling Stones, Paul Simon, Rod Stewart and Bob Segar.

MORE: The 20 best songs ever recorded in Muscle Shoals

5. The intro was a signature of one member.

The “1, 2, 3” count-in at the beginning of the song is done by guitarist Ed King, which was a signature of his, according to Rolling Stone Magazine.

6. Was there a feud with Neil Young?

Much has been written about members of Lynyrd Skynyrd and the “feud” with Neil Young. The song includes the lines: “Well, I hope Neil Young will remember, A Southern man don’t need him around anyhow.” While the lyrics of “Sweet Home Alabama” do take Young to task for bashing the entire South as racist in his songs “Southern Man” and “Alabama,” band members reportedly had a good-natured relationship with Young and were fans, according to an AL.com article by Matt Wake. Ronnie Van Zant is even wearing a Neil Young T-shirt on the cover of Street Survivors, the last Lynyrd Skynyrd album before his death in a 1977 plane crash.

7. Neil Young sang it at the tribute for Van Zant.

Neil Young performed “Sweet Home Alabama” at a memorial event for the three members of Lynyrd Skynyrd who died in a plane crash in 1977: singer Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist Steve Gaines and vocalist Cassie Gaines. You can hear him sing “Alabama” and “Sweet Home Alabama” at the tribute below.

8. The iconic ‘turn it up’ was not planned.

The now-famous moment at the beginning of the song when Ronnie Van Zant says, “Turn it up,” was not planned. He was telling an engineer to turn up the volume in his headset but it sounded great, so it was left in the final recording.

9. Who was singing background?

Immediately following the line, “Well, I heard Mr. Young sing about her,” a voice can be heard lightly singing in the background: “Southern Man.” Although some people think this was a recording of Neil Young, it is actually the voice of Lynyrd Skynyrd producer, Al Kooper, impersonating Young, according to an AL.com article.

10. Booing the governor.

When the song was released, the governor of Alabama was George Wallace, best known for his “stand in the schoolhouse door” to oppose integration. The line “In Birmingham they love the governor,” along with negative remarks about Neil Young, led many people to believe band members were racist. However, most people overlook the words that follow: “Boo! Boo! Boo!” and the line, “We all did what we could do,” according to NPR. Some people believe that is a reference to those who tried to vote Wallace out of office. Oddly enough, songfacts.com reports Wallace loved the song and made band members honorary lieutenant colonels in the state militia.

11. No judgment here.

The reference to Watergate in a song about the South mystifies some people: “Now Watergate does not bother me/Does your conscience bother you?” According to Wide Open Country, the lyric defends fellow progressive Southerners. “A Southern rock band that went on to back gun control (’Mr. Saturday Night Special’) and saving the environment (’All I Can Do Is Write About It’) took pause in its biggest song to point out that the South didn’t have the market cornered on rotten politicians.”

12. Who has the answer?

Near the end of the song, Ronnie Van Zant says, “Montgomery’s got the answer,” a reference to the Alabama’s capital city – although many citizens would disagree.

13. It was a message on car tags.

In 2009, when Bob Riley was governor, the state of Alabama began printing the words “Sweet Home Alabama” on its car license plates.

14. It has been featured in numerous movies.

You can hear it in “Forrest Gump,” 2003’s “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre,” “Crimson Tide,” “Con Air,” “Joe Dirt,” “Sweet Home Alabama” and “Despicable Me,” among others.

15. It is not Alabama’s state song.

Although people have pushed many times to have the song declared Alabama’s state anthem, it has not been seriously considered, likely because of the political and negative references. The Alabama state song is “Stars Fell on Alabama.”