As protest songs go, it would be difficult to make a more powerful statement than Neil Young's "Ohio'' -- written in the aftermath of the Kent State University shootings. The song captured the anger, sorrow and fear of an America that was torn by the Vietnam War. The first five words are as chilling today as they were back in 1970. David Crosby reportedly came out of the recording session sobbing. It would be five more years before American troops completely withdrew from the country and Saigon was overtaken by North Vietnamese troops.
Tin soldiers and Nixon coming
We're finally on our own
This summer I hear the drumming
Four dead in Ohio
Gotta get down to it
Soldiers are gunning us down
Should have been done long ago
What if you knew her
And found her dead on the ground
How can you run when you know?
Gotta get down to it
Soldiers are gunning us down
Should have been done long ago
What if you knew her
And found her dead on the ground
How can you run when you know?
Tin soldiers and Nixon coming
We're finally on our own
This summer I hear the drumming
Four dead in Ohio
-- "Ohio'' lyrics by Neil Young
-- Photo by John Filo
We're finally on our own
This summer I hear the drumming
Four dead in Ohio
Gotta get down to it
Soldiers are gunning us down
Should have been done long ago
What if you knew her
And found her dead on the ground
How can you run when you know?
Gotta get down to it
Soldiers are gunning us down
Should have been done long ago
What if you knew her
And found her dead on the ground
How can you run when you know?
Tin soldiers and Nixon coming
We're finally on our own
This summer I hear the drumming
Four dead in Ohio
-- "Ohio'' lyrics by Neil Young
-- Photo by John Filo
No comments:
Post a Comment