On This Day in 1970, Neil Young & CSNY Recorded “Ohio” in Response to the Kent State Massacre

Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young were full of controversy and never shied away from it. Hence, when the Kent State Shootings transpired in May of 1970, Neil Young picked up his pen and paper and immediately began writing. This tragic incident led to the CSNY song, “Ohio,” which was recorded on this day, May 21, 1970.

Videos by American Songwriter

For those of you unfamiliar with the Kent State Shootings, here is a little briefing. On May 4, 1970, students of the University engaged in a mass protest after President Richard Nixon announced the invasion of Cambodia during the Vietnam War. Roughly 3,000 people attended the protest, and as it grew, the National Guard opened fire on the activists. Four students died and nine others suffered wounds. To this day, the Kent State Shooting remains a focal point in US history due to its relevance surrounding anti-war and student activism.

Given Neil Young’s consistent presence in politics and culture, it is no surprise that he decided to dissect this harrowing incident. Released in 1971, CSNY created one of the most prolific protest songs not only in the folk rock music genre, but in all of music.

Why Neil Young Was Reluctant to Release & Perform “Ohio”

Neil Young has always been an idealist. Some of the most notable artists typically are. That being so, when Neil Young and CSNY wrote and recorded “Ohio,” Young was reluctant to release and perform the song, as he felt he was capitalizing on the lives lost during the protest. Young attested to this notion in the 1998 novel Classic Rock Stories: The Stories Behind the Greatest Songs of All Time.

Young wrote in the book, “It’s still hard to believe I had to write this song. It’s ironic that I capitalised on the death of these American students. My best CSN&Y cut.” The irony is certainly there, as Neil Young’s song, in some sense, took part in the very system the Kent State protesters were denouncing. However, on the other hand, it was also subverting that very system.

Regardless, Young got over this moral conundrum and, since the release of the single “Ohio,” has become one of the more notable songs in Young and CSNY’s catalog. Following its release, “Ohio” peaked at No. 14 on the Billboard Hot 100. Though more importantly, the song commemorates the lives lost at the Kent State Shootings and sheds light on one of the most important moments of 20th-century US history.

Photo by Larry Hulst/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images