Neil Young Top Ten: Ohio (#7)
By Four Walls
@FourWalls (86757)
United States
June 4, 2021 10:50am CST
Along with the pop legends Abba I’m counting down ten favorites by the great Neil Young. It balances things out. Not the first time I’ve mixed things up: remember when I counted down favorites by two Bobs — Seger and Wills? 
Anyway, with a wide career to choose from, today’s song comes from one of Young’s more famous eras, albeit a very short era.
#7: Ohio
Here’s a little tidbit from Picky Wedia: David Crosby (who is the one saying “Why?,” “Four!” and “How many more?” in the fadeout) was in tears when they finished recording this song.
Most of you know the backstory: a weekend of violent protests at Kent State brought the Ohio National Guard out to keep the peace. The next day, Monday, May 4, 1970, at a peaceful lunchtime protest, a guardsman fired a shot....then all hell broke loose.
It wasn’t the only shooting at a college campus that terrible year. But, thanks to this painful protest tune, it’s the one we’ll always remember.
And the one that’ll always make us ask “Why?”
Ohio
(With Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young)
Written by Neil Young
Released as a single, 1970
Tin soldiers and Nixon:
Anyway, with a wide career to choose from, today’s song comes from one of Young’s more famous eras, albeit a very short era.
#7: Ohio
Here’s a little tidbit from Picky Wedia: David Crosby (who is the one saying “Why?,” “Four!” and “How many more?” in the fadeout) was in tears when they finished recording this song.
Most of you know the backstory: a weekend of violent protests at Kent State brought the Ohio National Guard out to keep the peace. The next day, Monday, May 4, 1970, at a peaceful lunchtime protest, a guardsman fired a shot....then all hell broke loose.
It wasn’t the only shooting at a college campus that terrible year. But, thanks to this painful protest tune, it’s the one we’ll always remember.
And the one that’ll always make us ask “Why?”
Ohio
(With Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young)
Written by Neil Young
Released as a single, 1970
Tin soldiers and Nixon:
Provided to YouTube by Rhino AtlanticOhio · Crosby, Stills, Nash & YoungSo Far? 1974 Atlantic Recording CorporationUnknown, Producer: Bill HalversonBass Gui...
10 people like this
8 responses
@dgobucks226 (37621)
•
5 Jun 21
As an OSU grad I felt a kinship with those OU students. I wasn't yet in college but my brother was and he was tear gassed by the guard while walking to class at OSU. A complete overreaction by the Governor. A philosophy which would of been better served this summer against those looting and causing destruction. In this case it truly was a peaceful protest. Oh yes, great song with a powerful message!
1 person likes this
@FourWalls (86757)
• United States
5 Jun 21
It wasn’t so much an “overreaction by the governor” as the individual(s) who actually started shooting. I can understand being tense (the National Guard building at Kent State was burned on the Saturday before the shooting happened); however, that didn’t give anyone an excuse to start shooting on Monday. As we’ve learned in recent years with all these protests, it’s the bussed-in out-of-town protesters-for-hire who do the damage, not the local citizenry.
1 person likes this
@dgobucks226 (37621)
•
5 Jun 21
@FourWalls I see your point about the Governor and the need for the National Guard, however bringing them in escalated the situation more where maybe it would have eased without them. Definitely a tough call... I do think the summer riots were different with the Mayors patronizing the crowds, letting curfews come and go without arrests, and failing to call in the guard immediately when it was offered, was a huge mistake as evidenced by those burned out cities. And defunding the police does not seem to be the answer. One look at the rise in violent crime in Portland, Seattle and Los Angeles can attest to that.
1 person likes this
@FourWalls (86757)
• United States
4 Jun 21
Your .500 streak continues, because you won’t know the Abba song. 
1 person likes this
@RebeccasFarm (91297)
• United States
4 Jun 21
I certainly love this one..it is back in the days when I was me
1 person likes this
@RasmaSandra (98033)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
5 Jun 21
Nope a never heard this one before, Thanks for the link,
1 person likes this
@DocAndersen (54399)
• United States
7 Jun 21
One of his most played songs for certain. The words and music go together well. The topic always makes me sad.
1 person likes this
