"Ohio" Revisited: Is Song by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young An Anthem For Our Times?
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Earlier this year in January -- after the tragic events in Minneapolis, Minnesota, we ran a post titled "Ohio" Revisited: Is Song by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young An Anthem For Our Times? from Rock 'n' Roll with Me by Ellen from Endwell.
So is the song "Ohio" "an anthem for our times?". While the jury may still be out, our readers here were somewhat divided on the answer. Regardless, the CSN&Y song "Ohio" is a powerful song still resonating 56 years later.We can only continue to ask the pertinent question: "How many more?"
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Labels: #MayTheFOURBeWithYou, Crosby Stills Nash Young, csny, kent state, neil young, ohio
by thrasher@PermaLink: 5/04/2026 12:20:00 AM
18 comments
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18 Comments:
That very much depends on how one defines "our" and "times". The deadly incidents at Kent State may have been a shocking eye-opener to many middle class Americans back in those days. They never were this side of the Atlantic, not for those who did not believe in the US being a benevolent hegemon without reservation. And for those living on the other side of t railroad tracks or in reservations of North America the story did not hold anything particularly new either.
Unlike other peoples and nations Germans of my generation also have some reservations about "anthems". While most Americans might rise to their feet when the "Star Spangled Banner" is played (and likely other nations do the same), Germans not necessarily do that, keeping in mind how the text to the German anthem has been interpreted by the Nazi government and other nationalists between 1933 and 1945. "Don't want to be great again..." So what are anthems good for? Was Hendrix' deconstruction at Woodstock just a momentary comment, an irritation to the dwindling crowd at the end of "Three Days of Peace & Music"?
Given the recent developments in world politics "our times" has been narrowed down to "our American times", which in the past to some extent have been congruent to "our times elsewhere", and is rapidly becoming smaller and smaller. What an irony: a government elected for promising to MAGA will go down in history for achieving exactly the opposite. In the immortal words of Elliott Roberts: "The guy is a genius".
Thanks Dionys. We always appreciate our contributors from afar.
Interesting that 1st comment from abroad. No USA response as of yet.
Sadly May 4th fades into a distant memory.
As we've noted on past May 4 anniversaries, the Star Wars crowd has appropriated the date with their May The Force Be With You as a clever play on our May The 4 Be With You mantra.
Nice job guys.
Another teachable moment memory holed.
Those who fail to remember the past are doomed to repeat again. The loop of pain continues.
lastly, we do find it curious that Germans actually say "Don't want to be great again..." Is Germany really in a cultural death spiral?
well, not to be too glib on this tragic anniversary, but as Neil sings, "Already great"
"Don't want to be that kind of great again" is more an attitude, than a definitive political slogan. And no, while we have our own struggles to go through, Germany definitely is not in a downward spiral, that's a lot of sensationalist media crap. On the other hand Germans have a loathsome pessimistic tendency which currently dominates the political debate. The glass is always half empty...
All governments and also a majority of Germans since 1945 have been cautious not to re-create the kind of dominating country that brought so much pain to all of Europe and beyond. It's a ride on the razor blade. Sometimes Germans have been almost hiding behind the EU, even though most everybody else asked the Germans to take on a more leading role. Still the old saying is heeded: NATO was founded to keep Russia out, America in and Germany down. As long als everything went in the right direction economically Germans were content with that role. From the American perspective that sometimes looked as if the Germans were chickening out. But Germans always have to take into account their many European neighbors and their historical perspectives. Coming out as first maybe is a business strategy, but politically Germany fared better steering a moderate course.
Super Victim is threatening to reduce US soldiers by 5k. What will you ever do then
The general American idea that Europeans will have to increase their own efforts to protect their security interests with regards to Putin's aggression probably points in the right direction. 5000 American soldiers more or less in Germany is not a problem reallly. The real problems are that the current clown is making decisions based on narcisst whims, widening the gap between Europeans and Americans, and on the more practical level that another decision includes the withdrawal of US mid-range cruise missile units being part of the NATO core deterrence doctrine for Europe.
Once he's dead in the water politically it will take a lot of apologies and spin-doctoring to fix these damages done by the genius.
Sitting having a coffee in a cafe in Scotland and they just played Ohio. As always sounding very powerful and never fails to move me. Thanks for always remembering Thrasher.
I don't know about an anthem of our times, but it was very much a song of its time and still relevant.
Wonder what folks will be listening to 50+ years from now?
That's cool Ron.
Enjoy that cup of coffee b4 you hit the road.
BTW, Tedeschi Trucks band covered “Ohio” at the New Orleans Jazz Fest yesterday.
Looking for a decent video. If anyone catches drop the link & we'll post update.
Remember peace?
I dunno. Imo the ringing, Stinging impact of Ohio has Always been “How Many More”? As long as that question remains open ended & unanswered…
That being said. Musical tastes change. Time has a way of fading relevancy. When I was younger I used to frown upon the “sampling” of classic lines, melodies, hooks etc. That may be our only hope…(apologies for the other May the 4th reference tie in).
Second thoughts: When in 1989 my university was mired in major unrest because of academic constitutional changes, financial cuts and the general notion that being so many in my generation (the dirty end of the boomer generation) we we not dealt with fairly at school and on the job market we went on strike for more than a semestre. The anthem or signature song of this movement was "Talkin' 'bout a Revolution" by Tracy Chapman. She is a year older than I and back then voiced authentic concerns. That's as close to an anthem as I got.
When in the mid-eighties I listened to a black female street musician at Harvard Square in Boston singing her heart out I did not know that I would hear from her again and it took a while until I realized that that singer must have been Tracy Chapman.
That's as good an anthem as any. I've mentioned before, the only time I had the pleasure of seeing Chapman live was at a BSB show, somewhat hampered by the disrespectful behavior of some in the audience.
What do you think is a good German language rock anthem (in the political sense) is? My vote would go to the Ton Steine Scherben song "Der Traum ist Aus?", especially the live version performed by Rio Reiser in East Berlin in 1988. Sends chills up my spine even to this day. Pretty much the whole Keine Macht für Niemand LP is quitessential polit-rock.
The Scherben's "Keine Macht für niemand" (first release 1972, two years after their Fehrman concert when the stage went up in flames after the fifth song) definitely would be a candidate. Need to listen to it again, interview my wife, who somehow got hold of that coarse cardboard box in the early 80's. Back in the day being a southern German the language (accent, language melody and feel) was a tad too "Prussian" (northern German) to my ears. During the late 70's and early 80's Germany (and Austria and Switzerland) saw the emergence of many local and regional subcultures which were not necessarily interconnected. While in West-Berlin punk music tore through the city, we were re-enacting "Harvest Barn"-sound, dressed like Neil Young & Crazy Horse and felt very much above these ugly safety pin city slickers and their r'n' r swindle.
Sure, we were not "where it's at" then, but we didn't care. Later even Rio Reiser's band "Ton Steine Scherben" left Berlin (almost broke) and moved to the country side to avoid the pressure having to play for free at every demonstration and for every cause their left wing or anarchist following had on their mind in those days. Like today every Yes or No was taken as siding with or against the cause, whatever it was. Living in the Bavarian country side meant less polarization, other than in that city close to the Polish border one had to live and make do with all these shades of conservatives, square and rednecks.
A friend gifted me a 1972 copy of Keine Macht für Niemand with the original cardboard packaging. One of my favorites in my collection.
When the band founded "David Volksmund Produktion" in 1971 they were one of the first bands with their own label, way ahead of the "indie craze" much later. The packaging was a statement of course, made of corrugated cardboard, more like a pizza cardboard box or a grocery packaging, claiming that the contents was kind of a nutritious substance instead of being a popular art statement. It said loud and clear: No capitalist bullshit inside! Likely it also was a consequence of budget restrictions.
The great Hunter Thompson predicted a Trump, a mass of corruption and nastiness, with no regard for the well-being of citizens. He said this has to follow from Nixon, that the rats had gotten into the building and getting them out will be about as hard as-well- getting rid of rats. Can there be a protest song that covers this? The essence of "Ohio" was a focus on a singular event of violence that related to the festering Nixon rot. Consider, however, that there are so many events, a cultural disintegration, with this new regime. We cannot count on anyone in leadership and we cannot even count of a free press. We are quite naive to think that this regime will just go away and we can start fresh. The precedent of corruption in the justice department has now been set: it is ok to go after "political" opponents. Nixon and his braindead cohorts are laughing from the grave. The only "theme" song for this era will have to be all instrumental, a cascade of dreadful, frightening, noise. Remember, Link Wray's "Rumble"- all instrumental- was banned from the airwaves. Neil has the right idea, I think, with As Time Explodes, although there is not enough in the explosion.
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You all are making some good points & thanks for your discussion. He is the swamp, that is certain. (Edited)
Your Brother Alan in Seattle
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@ Thrasher : We appreciate you respecting this horrific anniversary & your thoughtful dedication to justice & freedom of speech & very good rock & roll!
Your Brother Alan in Seattle
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