Neil Young's "Ohio."

On May 4, 1970 nineteen year old Allison Krause, nineteen year old William Schroeder, twenty year old Jeffery Miller, and twenty year old Sandra Schuer were shot dead by the National Guard during a student anti-war demonstration. This event later came to be known as the “Kent State Massacre.” In addition to those who were killed, one student was left paralyzed and eight others wounded. Musical artist and song writer Neil Young said that immediately after he saw the photos of the deceased students in Life Magazine he went to the studio to write and record the hit “Ohio” with his band Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young.

Similar to Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the U.S.A.”, Young’s “Ohio” is a criticism of both the government’s abroad and domestic policies. Young makes no attempt to hide his contempt with the Nixon administration’s stance on the Vietnam War and their handling of student protests. He writes:

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 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?

The tin soldiers are a clear reference to the National Guard members who opened fire on the protesting students. Young ultimately places the blame on President Nixon for causing the tensions that lead to the protests and then not managing the protests themselves in a more peaceful way.

The song quickly became a hit and a rallying cry for those opposed to the war, conflicted with social tensions at home, or frustrated with the government. “Ohio” influenced the public to such an extent that the government banned it from being broadcasted on certain AM radio stations.

Politically infused lyrics are not a phenomenon of the past. Today a number of musicians, be it the Dixie Chicks, Merle Haggard, P. Diddy, or Pink, are releasing songs encouraging everything from a revival of American patriotism to ending military efforts abroad.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnOoNM0U6oc