Songs for Saturday: Ohio

[mdlbear]

"Ohio" as performed by the Kent State University Chorale - YouTube (Via Cat Faber on FB)

(Jul 29, 2020) In remembrance of the 50th anniversary of the events of May 4, 1970, and the release of the song, "Ohio:, the Kent State University Chorale performs a very special acapella version of "Ohio." this version was requested by, and approved by Neil Young.

Also, Ohio - Neil Young CSN&Y 2017 remix. Neil Young - Ohio (Official Live Video)

Kent State shootings -- 54 years ago today.

Tin soldiers and Nixon's comin' We're finally on our own This summer I hear the drummin' 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? Na-na-na-na, na-na-na-na Na-na-na-na, na-na-na Na-na-na-na, na-na-na-na Na-na-na-na, na-na-na Gotta get down to it Soldiers are cutting 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's comin' We're finally on our own This summer I hear the drummin' Four dead in Ohio Four dead in Ohio (four dead) Four dead in Ohio (four) Four dead in Ohio (how many?) Four dead in Ohio (how many more?) Four dead in Ohio (why?) Four dead in Ohio (oh) Four dead in Ohio (four) Four dead in Ohio (why?) Four dead in Ohio (why?) Four dead in Ohio Four dead in Ohio

Comments

[acelightning73]

As soon as I heard someone mention "there's the possibility of calling in the National Guard." - I was hearing the guitar notes, and Neil Young's voice, "Four dead in Ohio..." "How many more?"

New York City includes more Jews than in Tel Aviv(and more Irish people than in Dublin.) Most of the rest of America seems to think everybody in New York are Jewish - I once heard a comedian say that, "in New York, even the Puerto Ricans are Jewish!"

So that's why the Palestinian Americans are making so much noise in New York. And of course, college students everywhere are filled with revolutionary zeal.

I vividly remember that day.

[jesse_the_k]

I’d just started high school. I lived in a university town, so there were lots of opportunities to work on anti-war campaigns.

The skilled comics artist Derf Backderf, made a great graphic novel about the broader context, called Kent State: four dead in Ohio. It would make a great intro for someone born after the events.

[mama_kestrel]

Powerful. We lived in Youngstown, OH when that happened. I was in 7th grade, and my dad was a professor. He did not take me in to campus with him during that period.

[chanter1944]

Holy *crap!* Said more than once, out loud, as the chorale's rendition played in my headphones. That was an effortless, vibrato-less high A by at least one soprano, and the timing of multiple phrases near the end, from overlapping layers to silence like *that*, is just pinpoint perfect. The entire thing is shiver-worthy in the best, most poignant way. I say that as a lifelong choruster from early childhood, and as a history nerd with a bias toward peaceful protest.

And wow. Props to Neil Young for his lyrics, belatedly. I'm sure I'd never heard them so clearly before now. He nails a certain kind of college experience ' we're finally on our own, this summer I hear the drumming' exactly, and that's before the specific imagery lands like the anvil it's meant to be.

[mdlbear]

Beautiful and effective arrangement, but not nearly angry enough to my way of thinking.