Things Goin' On was written in 1973 by Ronnie Van Zant

Ronnie Van Zant

Ronald Wayne "Ronnie" Van Zant was an American lead vocalist, primary lyricist, and a founding member of the Southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd...

 and Gary Rossington

Gary Rossington

Gary Robert Rossington is a founding member of Southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd. He plays lead and rhythm guitar. He is also a founding member of The Rossington-Collins Band along with former Lynyrd Skynyrd bandmate, the late Allen Collins...

, the lead vocalist and guitarist from Lynyrd Skynyrd

Lynyrd Skynyrd

Lynyrd Skynyrd is an American rock band prominent in spreading Southern Rock during the 1970s.Originally formed as the "Noble Five" in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1964, the band rose to worldwide recognition on the basis of its driving live performances and signature tune, Freebird...

. It appeared on the band's first album  and expressed concerns about social and environmental issues, with especial criticism of politicians' role in such issues. The song was distinct from other contemporary protest-songs in that it utilized a Western-style Honky Tonk

Honky tonk

A honky-tonk is a type of bar that provides musical entertainment to its patrons...

 melody, though this was in keeping with Lynyrd Skynyrd's country-rock image.

Composition

The first verse, which expressed concern about life in the ghetto is repeated at the end of the song thereby placing emphasis on this particular issue. It also contains the line that gives the song its title:

Well, have you ever lived down in the ghetto

Have you ever felt that cold wind blow

Well, if you don't know what I mean

Won't you stand up and scream

Cause there's things goin' on that you don't know

The first line of the song is particularly pertinent in that it asks the listener whether he has ever lived down in the ghetto; support for segregation was still widespread in the southern United States

Southern United States

The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...

 at the time and Lynyrd Skynyrd risked alienating a large number of potential fans before the group became an established act.

The thinly-veiled criticism of politicians' responsibility mentioned earlier in the song becomes more evident towards the end of the final verse:

I don't think they really care

I think they just sit up there ...