"Ohio" is a protest song and counterculture anthem written and composed by Neil Young in reaction to the Kent State shootings of May 4, 1970, and performed by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. It was released as a single, backed with

Stephen Stills Stephen Arthur Stills (born January 3, 1945) is an American musician, singer and songwriter best known for his work with Buffalo Springfield and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. As both a solo act and member of two successful bands, Stills has com ...

's "Find the Cost of Freedom", peaking at number 14 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and number 16 in Canada. Although a live version of "Ohio" was included on the group's 1971

double album A double album (or double record) is an audio album that spans two units of the primary medium in which it is sold, typically either records or compact disc. A double album is usually, though not always, released as such because the recording i ...

4 Way Street ''4 Way Street'' is the third album by Crosby, Stills & Nash, their second as Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, and their first live album. It was originally released as Atlantic Records SD-2-902, shipping as a gold record and peaking at No. 1 on the ...

,'' the studio versions of both songs did not appear on an LP until the group's compilation ''

So Far So Far may refer to: Literature * ''So Far...'', a 1995 autobiography by Kelsey Grammer Film and video * '' Grateful Dead: So Far'', a 1987 music documentary about the Grateful Dead * ''So Far'', a 2005 music documentary about Section 25 Musi ...

'' was released in 1974. The song also appeared on the Neil Young compilation albums '' Decade,'' released in 1977, and '' Greatest Hits'', released in 2004. The song also appears on Neil Young's '' Live at Massey Hall'' album, which he recorded in 1971 but remained unreleased until 2007. A version also appears on Young's 1972 release "journey through the past" soundtrack.

Recording

Young wrote the lyrics to "Ohio" after seeing the photos of the incident in '' Life Magazine.'' On the evening that the group entered Record Plant Studios in Los Angeles, the song had already been rehearsed, and the quartet—with their new rhythm section of

Calvin Samuels Calvin may refer to: Names * Calvin (given name) ** Particularly Calvin Coolidge, 30th President of the United States * Calvin (surname) ** Particularly John Calvin, theologian Places In the United States * Calvin, Arkansas, a hamlet * Calvin ...

and Johnny Barbata—recorded it live in just a few takes. During the same session, they recorded the single's equally direct

b-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph records and cassettes; these terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or record compan ...

's ode to the war's dead, "Find the Cost of Freedom." The record was mastered with the participation of the four principals, rush-released by Atlantic and heard on the radio with only a few weeks' delay (even though the group's hit song " Teach Your Children" was already on the charts at the time). In his liner notes for the '' Decade'' retrospective, Young termed the Kent State incident as 'probably the biggest lesson ever learned at an American place of learning' and reported that " David Crosby cried when we finished this take."Neil Young. ''Decade.'' (Reprise Records, 1977). In the fade, Crosby's voice—with a tone evocative of keening—can be heard with the words "Four!", "Why?" and "How many more?". According to the liner notes in ''Greatest Hits'', the track was recorded by Bill Halverson on May 21, 1970, at

Record Plant The Record Plant is a recording studio established in New York City in 1968 and currently operating in Los Angeles, California. Known for innovations in the recording artists' workspace, it has produced highly influential albums, including Blon ...

Studio 3 in Hollywood.

Lyrics and reaction

An article in '' The Guardian'' in 2010 describes the song as the 'greatest protest record' and 'the pinnacle of a very 1960s genre,' while also saying 'The revolution never came.' President Richard Nixon, criticized in the song, won a landslide reelection in 1972, which included winning the

1972 United States presidential election in Ohio The 1972 United States presidential election in Ohio took place on November 7, 1972. All 50 states and the District of Columbia were part of the 1972 United States presidential election. State voters chose 25 electors to the Electoral College, ...

by a margin of over 21%. The lyrics help evoke the turbulent mood of horror, outrage, and shock in the wake of the shootings, especially the line "four dead in Ohio," repeated throughout the song. "Tin soldiers and Nixon coming" refers to the Kent State shootings, where

Ohio National Guard The Ohio National Guard comprises the Ohio Army National Guard and the Ohio Air National Guard. The commander-in-chief of the Ohio Army National Guard is the governor of the U.S. state of Ohio. If the Ohio Army National Guard is called to fede ...

officers shot and killed four students during a protest against the Vietnam War. Crosby once stated that Young keeping Nixon's name in the lyrics was "the bravest thing I ever heard." The American counterculture took the group as its own after this song, giving the four a status as leaders and spokesmen they would enjoy to a varying extent for the rest of the decade. After the single's release, it was banned from some AM radio stations including in the state of Ohio, because of the challenge to the Nixon Administration but received airplay on underground FM stations in larger cities and college towns. Today, the song receives regular airplay on classic rock stations. The song was selected as the 395th Greatest Song of All Time by '' Rolling Stone'' in 2010. In 2009, the song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.

Personnel

* David Crosby — vocals;

rhythm guitar In music performances, rhythm guitar is a technique and role that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with other instruments from the rhythm section (e.g., drum kit, bass guitar ...

on "Ohio" *

— vocals,

guitars The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected stri ...

* Graham Nash — vocals * Neil Young — vocals, guitars *

—

bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in the bass range: ** Bass (instrument), including: ** Acoustic bass gui ...

on "Ohio" * John Barbata —

drums A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other Percussion instrument, auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair o ...

on "Ohio"

Charts

Weekly charts

References

External links

Neil Young Ohio Lyric Analysis
Accessed on March 26, 2007. {{DEFAULTSORT:Ohio (Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young Song) 1970 songs 1970 singles Neil Young songs Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young songs Atlantic Records singles Kent State shootings Songs of the Vietnam War Anti-war songs Protest songs Songs written by Neil Young Songs inspired by deaths Songs based on actual events Songs about Ohio Music of Ohio Songs about Richard Nixon