The grand state of Alabama claims to be the Heart of Dixie, and Montgomery is the heart of Alabama. South of the historical city there was a road that continued to take you further south out of town. It was an idyllic drive past old wooden fences, farmsteads, and little country churches with their graveyards. With Montgomery falling away in your rear view mirror, the pavement changed to dirt, and the city ceded control to flowing streams and groves of trees draped in Spanish moss. The official name of this rural route is Woodley Road, but for over a hundred years locals have know it by another name taken from its defining landmarks - Seven Bridges Road.
"Seven Bridges Road" was penned by Steve Young in the 60's when he lived in Montgomery. The song is a retelling of his own first drive down the storied thoroughfare with friends. He was captivated, likening the drive to a "Disney fantasy". He continued to polish the song over several years, but wound up shelving it. Then in 1969, he was recording his first album, Rock Salt and Nails, when he ran out of songs with room still on the record. Young dusted off "Bridges", recorded it, and the rest is history.
The song has been covered by countless artists in both rock and country genres. But the most famous rendition was the 5-part harmony recorded by the Eagles on their 1980 album, Eagles Live. The Eagles would use this song as a warm up in the locker room before concerts and it became a great bonding moment. They eventually did this routine in front of stadium crowds, all voices blending into a single microphone, and according to Don Felder, "It blew the audience away." It still does.
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