"I Sing This Song Because I Love The Man"

"One of these days, I'm going to sit down and write a long letter to all of the good friends I've known."

But -- like Neil -- I'm not even sure where to begin this letter.

The past few weeks have been unlike anything ever experienced before here at Thrasher's Wheat. Thrasher has been totally blown away by the entire fallout from the "Living With War" release and it's aftermath.

Many, many thanks to all of my good friends who have sent messages of support over the past few weeks which have gone unacknowledged. Your friendship has been so overwhelming and my family is most grateful for your love and caring. I'm OK and will be trying to respond in the coming weeks.

Now I know what it feels to be hit by a virtual tsunami.

Traffic volume to TW surged and doubled over the previous record spike during the Bob Dylan vs. Neil Young brouhaha. Comments on posts have been in excess of 200 entries. And the level of e-mail has far, far surpassed Thrasher's capacity to respond in anywhere near a timely fashion.

The most disturbing part of this whole surreal affair has been the amount of hate mail and comments. Unbelievable levels of hate and rage over freedom of expression.

At one point, TW was receiving close to 100 letters of hate a day. And that doesn't even include personal threats. Quite discouraging and frightening.

While we are quite familiar with the rage and hate of ignorance from our investigations into Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Sweet Home Alabama" legends and myths, we were unprepared for the fundamentalist attack machine putting Thrasher's Wheat into their cross-hairs. If anyone ever encounters the group behind the crusading propaganda machine Cold Bowl of Chili-ites, please let them know that hate is not a family value.

So how in did Thrasher's Wheat become the world's lightening rod for all those opposed to Neil's message on the "Living With War" album? Well, I might live a thousand years before I know what that means...

And the supreme irony?

Are we not "supposedly" fighting in Iraq so that Neil Young (a Canadian no less) can freely sing about whatever he wants to? So Cold Bowl of Chili and company, why do you hate freedom? Why do you not love democracy?

One of the things Thrasher is most proud of is the coverage the site has received that notes our non-partisan and apolitical stance, as Daily Kos notes:

"The definitive Neil Young site Thrasher's Wheat has done the hard work of assembling reaction from musical and political bloggers. Some of the reactions gathered on the normally apolitical Thrasher's Wheat show Bush's zombies in early meltdown."

Just moments ago I finished listening to "Living With War" for the first time. My initial impression was not unlike former president of Reprise Records Howie Klein's who blogged:

"First my biases: I'm prone to love everything Neil records. I feel he's one of the greatest songwriters and musicians of our time.

If I listen to a song of his and I don't get it, I have long learned that that is because I haven't spent enough time with it and that when I do, I will eventually see what he was trying to do and appreciate it. A second bias, just as strong-- and one regular Down With Tyranny readers are already very aware of and probably in sync with-- is my abiding mistrust for the Bush Regime and the alarm with which I view what they have done, and continue to do, to the country I love so much. The nexus of these two biases lead to an incredible hour of listening."

In the meantime, you know what needs to be done. Do something. Stand and be counted. Start a blog, start a revolution. Just don't sit there on the sidelines. We've got a job to do.

Lastly, thanks to Expecting to Fly, Mansion on the Hill, Haahnster, Bill L. and so many of my other virtual and true friends. But most of all, thanks to Thrashette for believing in me. As Sid & Susie would say, you are truly my Cinnamon Girl.

And I am very happy.

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"Tin Soldiers and Nixon Coming"

"Tin Soldiers" & President Nixon

Thirty six years ago, on May 4, 1970, an anti-war student demonstration at Kent State University, Ohio left four students dead, one paralyzed, and eight others wounded.

The demonstration ended when the National Guard fired into the crowd of students. The shootings ended the lives of four students Jeffrey Miller, Allison Krause, William Schroeder, and Sandra Scheuer.

Shortly thereafter, Neil Young wrote what would become an anthem of a generation -- the song "Ohio" in memory of the "Four dead in Ohio".

Over the years, Thrasher's Wheat has received more mail and comments on this song than almost any other Young song. Comments like this from Jodi:

"I just would like to say that I am a 23 old student and I am doing a speech on CSNY during the protest era, mainly the song 'Ohio'. I would have to say that this song has touched me and it has become one of my favorite songs. It is tragic what happened to the students, especially when I read two of those who died were just walking to their next class. This song puts me in a time I was never in and I apprecitate the music as well as the students."

The song "Ohio" was an anthem to a generation in the 1970's. Here's how Neil remembers the song from liner notes of the Decade album:

"It's still hard to believe I had to write this song. It's ironic that I capitalized on the death of these American students. Probably the most important lesson ever learned at an American place of learning. David Crosby cried after this take."

For more on the song, the historic aftermath of its impact, and photos of the day, see Lyrics Analysis of Neil Young's song "Ohio".

Open Comment Thread Below includes letters to the editor.

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Keep on Rockin' in the Free World

Happy May Day!

Commentary on Neil Young's new album Living With War on MSNBC.com's Countdown with Keith Olbermann (see "Video: Artists hot for protest rock" clip). David Was of band Was Not Was is interviewed.

Have a safe and peaceful May Day.

More rockin' in the free world, some kids who rock in the free world and kids who can not rock in a free world.


"You can make a difference if you really try." - Be The Rain

ps - To all of my friends, thanks for all of your messages of support over the past few weeks. It has been totally overwhelming and my family is most grateful for the love and caring. I'm OK and will be trying to respond in the coming weeks. In the meantime, you know what needs to be done.

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