This is a very commercial sounding rock song by Lynyrd Skynyrd. The record company picked this one as the lead off single from their album Second Helping. Personally I like this song but it was the second single they should have picked first…that one was Sweet Home Alabama which ended up being their biggest hit.
This song was a message to the people who wanted a piece of the band when they became famous. They were largely ignored for about 6 years while they were struggling, but when their first album was a hit in 1973, they faced huge demands on their time.
The album did well…it peaked at #9 in the Billboard Album Chart and #12 in Canada in 1974. Pete Townshend heard the band through Al Kooper a few months before this album was released and was impressed enough to have Lynyrd Skynyrd open up for them on their Quadrophenia tour.
The one thing the band was…was extremely tight. They were always well rehearsed and built a huge reputation as a live band.
From Songfacts
The world of agents, managers, and record companies was a strange one for Lynyrd Skynyrd. They were just working-class guys who liked making music.
Lead singer Ronnie Van Zant and guitarist Gary Rossington wrote this one day while they were fishing. Gary played his guitar while Ronnie came up with the lyrics about how they wanted to be left alone.
This was released as a single before the album came out. It didn’t chart, but their next one, “Sweet Home Alabama,” was a huge hit.
Don’t Ask Me No Questions
Well, every time that I come home
Nobody wants to let me be
It seems that all the friends I’ve got
Just got to come interrogate me
I appreciate your feelings
And I don’t want to pass you by
But I don’t ask you ’bout your business
Don’t ask me about mine
Well it’s true I love the money
And I love my brand new car
I like drinkin’ the best of whiskey
And playin’ in a honk-tonk bar
But when I come off the road
I just gotta have my time
‘Cause I got to find a break in this action
Or else I’m gonna lose my mind
So don’t ask me no questions
And I won’t tell you no lies
So don’t ask me ’bout my business
And I won’t tell you goodbye
Well, what’s your favorite color
And do you dig the brothers, is drivin’ me up a wall
And every time I think I can sleep
Some fool has got to call
Well, don’t you think that when I come home
I just want a little piece of mind?
If you want to talk about the business
Buddy you’re just wasting time
So don’t ask me no questions
And I won’t tell you no lies
So don’t ask me ’bout my business
And I won’t tell you goodbye
I said don’t ask no stupid questions
And I won’t send you away
If you want to talk fishin’
Well, I guess that’ll be OK
