This week Helen Espinosa of This Life one step at a time said:So, thanks to Kerry of herheadache, our theme for Song Lyric Sunday is to post a song that helped teach you something new (something you weren’t aware of before you heard it). I hope I captured what Kerry wanted with her suggestion, but I think it’s a good one and am forever grateful that I have followers willing to help me out.
I have picked Ohio by Crosby Stills and Nash. Now I was not sure what the song was about at first until I researched it, no quick google fix in those days. What I found out shocked me.
The Kent State Massacre 1970 please read here
After the Kent State massacre, Neil Young saw a photo of 14-year-old Mary Ann Vecchio kneeling over the dead body of college student Jeffrey Miller. He poured his rage and sorrow into the lyrics to “Ohio” and called his Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young bandmates into the studio the following day to record the new song. Even though “Teach Your Children” was all over the radio, the label rushed the finished product out, and it was playing over the air before week’s end. CSNY broke up just a few months later, making “Ohio” their furious final statement – at least until the many reunion tours.
Source Rolling Stone magazine.
LYRICS
Ohio”
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 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?
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 coming,
We’re finally on our own.
This summer I hear the drumming,
Four dead in Ohio.
willowdot21 
Nov 27, 2016 @ 23:44:31
I remember when that happened. It was insane. I’m worried we might be going back to those days.
Nov 28, 2016 @ 08:28:55
As I said to Kerry life is a circle let’s hope we have grown as a world to learn from our mistakes….. Fingers crossed but I fear we live in unsettled times . xx
Nov 28, 2016 @ 00:34:40
I have heard this song many many times, but never listened very closely to the lyrics. Thanks for bringing attention to this. I’m glad you chose this song and I hope my prompt idea wasn’t too vague. Learning something is possible from most lyrics I believe, but this is exactly the sort of thing I was getting at. I knew about some of this history, of this time in the US, but I hadn’t heard of this incident specifically. I love Chrissie Hyndes and didn’t know she was involved in any way to something like this. I do worry about these times being a repeat, in any way, of a time so tense in US history. Protests. Rallies. Riots. These things are all about anger and frustration with governments and yet I do believe it all stems from people loving their country. Certain groups just disagree on what that means or what it should look like. Anger and frustration are often justified, the authorities serving a useful purpose, until it all goes a step too far. I don’t want to continue to see that happening.
We need songs to remind us and I am glad you highlighted this one.
Nov 28, 2016 @ 08:25:50
Sadly life is a circle and what goes around comes around again. I think we are in for unsettled times . Even though the lessons and the evidence of the past are screaming at us for the most it falls upon deaf ears . I am glad I have bought this song to people’s attention on again . I hope things will pan out better and that the world can learn. Thank you for the prompt and thank you for reading. xx
Nov 28, 2016 @ 01:04:57
Like you, I first heard the song years ago but never really knew what it was referring to. Researching it later it’s definitely eye-opening.
Nov 28, 2016 @ 07:46:15
Very much so. I was stunned
Nov 28, 2016 @ 01:36:12
Always a haunting song and moment in American history. Good choice.
Nov 28, 2016 @ 07:45:36
Yes it was a seminal moment when I discovered the truth.
Nov 28, 2016 @ 03:20:44
Great song.
Nov 28, 2016 @ 07:44:21
Yes it was but from a bad time.
Nov 28, 2016 @ 07:19:46
This is a surprise.
CNS&Y were so part of growing up but the lyrics not well understood in context. xx
Nov 28, 2016 @ 07:43:20
Yes very true Jean and they did more than one protest song. ❤
Nov 28, 2016 @ 17:36:47
God, how awful, I had not heard of this before x
Nov 28, 2016 @ 19:08:28
It is an eye opener isn’t it!