WOW! THIS WAS AN UNEXPECTED HEAVY HITTER! First Time Hearing CSNY - Ohio Reaction! 

Two of the students killed were not even part of the protest--they were just passing by on campus going to classes!

My kid is a junior at Kent State. The building where they have most of their classes, still has bullet holes from the May 4th shooting. Kent State has a wonderful museum that honors the dead and provides context to what happened. It is worth checking out if you find yourself in Kent, Ohio.

Young people...these were your parents/grandparents. Fight for ur rights. Stand for the things you know are right

Anyone of my age can tell you the story. Just say "Kent State". We all saw it happen live on TV.

David Crosby was in teh Byrds, Grahman Nash was in the Hollies, Steven Still and Neil young was in Buffalo Springfield

I lived not far from Kent State University. I had just got home from Vietnam when the protests where happening. I was emotionally conflicted about the students deaths. I was in choppers flying dust off for the Marines. I saw hundreds of severely wounded Marines .I'm 75 years old now and the entire war was a waste So many good young men taken so young

I will never forget the coverage of the Kent State protest. I was sixteen and it made a huge impact on me. I am 70 and this song and the pics brought tears to my eyes again.

Nixon hated hippies. Unarmed students marching for peace. Every few decades this country loses its mind. I am still a hippie at age 67 and will never stop marching for peace.

Before Kent St the protest against the war was just starting to come to a boil, after, it was a tsunami of protests everywhere. Nixon hated the hippies and then the protest movement, by the time he resigned, everyone hated him! Great Song, they have many, try Carry On for more CSNY greatness. Enjoy! 🎵🎸🎤🎸🎹🎶

David Crosby's cries of "How many more" and "Why" were not rehearsed, and by the end of the take, David was in tears.

Been listening to this song my whole life and it still gives me goosebumps

This was result of Nixon/Kissinger expanding US involvement in Vietnam into Cambodia. Frightening days.

As a 75 year old geezer ( drafted June of 69) I don’t think anyone from the national guard was prosecuted for this catastrophe, the officer that handed out the live ammunition, no the incompetent soldiers who fired the rounds…all should have gone to jail..

As a Brit, this song gives my goosebumps, I've actually seen the real time footage of the National Guard opening fire on the students' terrible scenes, RIP to the students❤

My pops passed away back in 2007 and my mom passed away in 2020. While cleaning out her house I found boxes of journals and diaries that I never knew my mom kept. There was so much I didn't know about them. I knew they were deep rooted in the counterculture but had no idea they were at Kent State that day. I'm in the process of trying to restore the journals. They weren't stored right and pages have stuck together and ink has bled through. My mom always said, "We were just kids who thought we could change the world with love"!

Neil Young is a national treasure here in Canada, he wrote the song in about fifteen minutes after seeing pictures of the Kent State massacre in Life magazine, it was later named as the greatest protest song ever in an era where everyone was writing them.

The song is not about 'hippies' but students protesting massive bombing in Cambodia. Kent State was not a hotbed of counterculture. The four martyrs for peace were Allison Krause, Jeffrey Glenn Miller, Sandra Lee Scheuer, and William Knox Schroeder.

I support Mark's project to turn you two into hippies. 💚 Next up: Eve of Destruction by Barry McGuire. A timely piece, I'm afraid.

Every song on the Deja Vu album are great songs. All worth a reaction.

CSNY...some of the best harmony vocals in the business.

The voices of a generation.These songs are long gone

Probably the best/most touching protest song ever, Neil wrote it in 15 minutes, when he heard the news, incredible.

Written by Canadian Neil Young. Neil was in and out of the group over the years. Graham Nash was from the British Group The Hollies. Young and Stills were from Buffalo Springfield and David Crosby was in the original Byrds. Springfield and the Byrds were very influential groups which spawned other groups. I consider both groups Super Groups for this reason.

A companion piece with “Ohio” is CSN doing “Find the Cost of Freedom”. Definitely worth a listen. Another great protest song is by Graham Nash and performed by CSN is “Chicago”. It is about the trial of the Chicago 7 coming after the riots at the Democrat Convention in Chicago in 1968. During the trial, defendants were gagged and tied to chairs to keep them from disrupting the trial. Not a pretty time.

This tragedy occurred at Kent State University in Kent, OH in May 1970. Charges were brought against several National Guard troops, but none were ever convicted. Eventually a financial settlement was reached with the families of those killed and wounded.

There had been some anti-war protest activity for a few days at Kent State before this incident. Some of it had spilled over into the small town of Kent, and there had been some vandalism and some confrontations with local police. Local and state officials, as well as university officials, were in a high state of nervous anxiety. Again, the day of the shooting, there had been some rock throwing at the National Guard. It was said that it was "standard procedure" for the Guard to carry "locked and loaded" weapons affixed with bayonets when being deployed in any kind of civil disturbance. There was never any order to fire, and in fact, soldiers had been instructed that if an order to fire were given, that first they were to shoot warning shots in the air and avoid hitting anybody. The actual shooting took place within 13 seconds. It appeared to have simply been the spontaneous decision of individual guardsmen. Some of those who fired later reported that they had been "in fear for their lives" and some claimed they thought they had heard gunfire directed at them. When many in the crowd responded with anger and outrage, some guardsmen warned them that if they did not disperse, they might be shot as well. Four people died on the scene; I believe two had been actively participating in the protests, though this does not mean they had ever become violent, and two had simply lingered to watch the protest while changing classes. Additionally, nine other people were wounded, one of whom suffered permanent paralysis. The incident sparked further national protests, and it was estimated that over four million college and high school students around the country participated. A protest in Washington, D.C. drew 100,000 people. Nixon established a President's Commission on Campus Unrest, whose final report concluded that the shootings were unjustified...In the broader context, the war was very unpopular, but I expect that was still something of a minority opinion at the time, and, as noted, Nixon won re-election in one of the biggest landslide victories in presidential history. It should also be said, though, that he had originally won election with some vague promise of a "secret plan" to end what was depicted as a "Democratic" war, and many people voted for him again thinking that "ending the war" was his agenda. Nixon never told the public that his "secret plan" was to actually widen the war, and pursue a more aggressive military strategy that would inevitably lead to a lot more casualties on both sides...It should also be noted, in comparing public perception of war today, and back then, that war conducted now by the Unites States uses a hired volunteer force of professional soldiers. The Vietnam War was fought largely by drafted enlistees. It's a lot easier to remain ambivalent about it if you're not getting letters in the mail telling you to show up for induction by a certain date or else go to prison...

There are more protest songs from this era that you might want to give a listen to: "War" by Edwin Starr and "For What It's Worth" by Buffalo Springfield, an earlier group which included Neil Young are just 2 off the top of my head. Thanks for your great reactions!!

Their album four way street is one of the best albums of all time, every song on it is great. The album dejavu is also great

CSN have a shit load of great great music. One of the top bands of the era without a doubt. They have the rare attribute of having voices that mesh perfectly and so their harmonies are unsurpassed. Steven Stills is a master guitarist. I would recommend Wooden Ships, but the entire Deja Vu album is incredible. Not a bad song on it and a few that are timeless classics.

The only time I saw my Mom cry over the news was when this happened. Love the song, blessed to have seen them live. CSN and sometimes Y. One of the first real supper groups. Enjoy

It was a scary time. I grew up 30 miles from Madison, WI and was a tween when police attacked protesters on the University of Wisconsin campus in 1967. Watching stuff like that on the local news really hit home. Our school cancelled a 1968 class trip to tour the State Capital building in Madison because it was determined to be unsafe. On the other side, in 1970 4 anti war activists blew up a building on campus, killing a professor. The violence wasn't one sided. Kent State was still the most disturbing of all.

There was a chart leading musical group called “The Association” (Along comes Mary, Cherish, Never my Love, Wendy) They had a little known harmony called, Requiem for the Masses. It was meant for the moms of the dead. Haunting!

To hear a great song by CSN, one of the first supergroups, listen to Suite Judy Blue Eyes. It truly is a musical suite, having multiple sections. Great reaction.

Another song that embodied these times was "What About Me" by Quicksiver Messenger Service. Thanks - Great reaction!

As powerful a protest song as this is, you might also want to look at 'Eve of Destruction' by Barry McGuire.

CSN has always been socially relevant in their songs. A defining group for the ages

Proud Buckeye here, Ohio proud thru and thru. Sad that this piece of iconic history happened here. I grew up about an hour from Kent State University where this tragedy took place. I was a few months shy of my 1st birthday when this happened. My dad was in Vietnam in the Mekong Delta when this took place.

Love your reactions! At 72 years of age and a widower, they bring back memories. Remember Kent State, I was in college. What times..

The protests were for peace, yes, but also against the draft that was sending young men to a war they didn’t agree with.

This song STILL hits hard: to this DAY! SO IMPACTFUL! CSNY: some of the best harmonies you'll find!! HUGS, YOU-GUYS!!

That takes me right back to college in the early 70's!! Excellent reaction❤ IMHO the best anti war song was War by Edwin Starr(1969)...SO much passion

Neil Young was also part of the band Buffalo Springfield before CSNY. They were very relevant in 60's counter culture music also.

I remember this all too well! I'm 72 and this was devastating! It could have been me but I was already in S.E. Asia serving in the war...!!!

The big issue as I saw it then was that multiple mistakes were made. Armed guardsmen were sent out to stop a protest that was possibly damaging government property and hostile students that were protesting against something (the war and the draft) that directly affected them. Everyone was college aged possibly even classmates and I feel that most of them were scared. The official story was that someone threw a rock or a brick which knocked down a guardsman and thinking they were under attack they opened fire on the crowd. The worst part for everyone was that the whole thing was live on TV because they were reporting on the protest. Just a total screwup that left four people dead and the nation wondering what the hell did we just see. Is the government shooting down citizens in the streets now? Why were armed troops being used against civilians and why on earth are people antagonizing armed troops? Just a bad deal all around.

I forgot how powerful this song was for its time ! It still has so much feeling in the tune

two of those killed weren't even part of the protest. they were just walking to class.

this song has so much meat and guts. brings me to tears every time i hear it.

Neil Young wrote the song almost immediately after the shootings, and the rest of the group got together quickly to record it.

I graduated from High School in the month of the Kent State Massacre, and I can tell you that it radicalized many of us, including my husband, who was already in college. We are both hippies and have been married 50 years this year.

Amazing yet horrifying song. Every time I hear this song that Life magazine cover with the screaming girl kneeling beside a dead student comes to mind. The horror on her face is seared into my memory.

The Kent State shootings were the culmination of a weekend of protest against the bombings taking place in Cambodia by US forces. We had agreed not to engage in any military actions outside of Viet Nam but had been doing this surreptitiously for quite a while before the news of it became public. The ROTC building on the Kent State campus had been set afire the day before this happened so tensions were about as high as they could get.To this day it isn't perfectly clear what actually started the shooting. Some say it was in response to a direct order to fire while others claim it began spontaneously when a random shot or two rang out and the rest of the National Guard unit, thinking an order had indeed been given to do so, opened fire. Two of the students who died were actively participating in the protest while the other two were actually just on their way to their next class (one was actually on his way to an ROTC class). There was also a second shooting a few days later that isn't nearly as acknowledged at Jackson State College in Mississippi. The intensity of these demonstrations seemed to die down after thee incidents

I was 20 yrs old when Kent State happened. This song still makes me cry. I lost my Dad in 1967. Within a year, i had lost 4 people that I knew in Viet Nam. I was 18.

Two students going between class, and two in a peaceful protest

Another perfect song for those turbulent times in America. It was tuff for those of us that grew up in that period of time. Civil rights, equal rights, assassinations, police brutality, prejudice, protests to stop the War in Vietnam etc.

Before this song, CSNY did Chicago about the 1968 Democratic Convention at which the city erupted in anti-Vietnam War riots. "We can change the world, rearrange the world. It's dying...to get better."

The divide between generations was very clear, when it came the war in Viet Nam. Our parents were the WWII generation and it was hard for them to understand their children’s vehement opposition to this war. Many, if not most parents felt(early in the war, anyway) that if the government said we needed to protect the South Vietnamese from communism then that’s what we needed to do. Most of America’s youth, who were being forced to fight, disagreed.

Check out "Barry McGuire - Eve of Destruction (1965). for an equally powerful tune. Oh, 'Atlantic Records?

Now is the time that protest songs are needed more than ever.

When this was recorded, Graham Nash and Neil Young were officially foreign nationals in the US on work permits - they could have been deported at the drop of a hat and calling out Nixon by name had never been done. This song torpedoed the chart success of Grahan Nash's 'Teach Your Children' which was in the top 5 at the time. Ohio knocked it back down the charts and probably cost him six figures in royalties. And he would do it again in a heartbeat.

4 of the top musicians of all time. Graham Nash, Steven Stills David Crosby and Neil Young = The Hollies, Buffalo Springfield, The Byrds and never forget Manassas.

Sad Sad days that I hope we never see again ......CSNY and many other bands of that era DID their part for social awareness..... Wish more of todays artists would put it on the line as they did.

The even sadder part is that the Ohio National Guard leadership and the state leaders defended this.

Anytime there was a good cause CSNY always headlined

All these years later..... and this song still makes me cry.

Joe Walsh of the Eagles was a student at Kent State at the time of this shooting. There was a huge rememberance celebration planned for the 50th anniversary, which COVID ruined. Jeff Miller's brother was to be the key note speaker, I believe. (Jeff is the one on the ground in the famous photo with the young girl - who was a runaway - crying over his body.)

My favorite Neil Young music was with his band "Crazy Horse" and their "Southern Man" song is CLASSIC!!!

Before my dad died, we were making a lot of trips to the VA hospital and every time, we'd see med students from Kent State... every time I saw that patch they wore, this song ran through my head for DAYS! Impactful song, horrific event... that happened five months before I was born... but still, it was talked about long enough for me to remember hearing about it when I was very young.

A song commemorating the May 4th, 1970 shooting on the Kent State University campus. National Guardsmen were called in to deal with a Viet Nam protest on campus. All unarmed protesters. At some point one of the Guardsmen got twitchy and fired. that started the mess. The NG was trying to disperse the protest ineffectively. Several of the protesters sang to them, flipped them off and started throwing rocks. Eventually some of the guards were give the order to fire over the heads of the protesters. Not all the Guardsmen got that message though, and some shot into the crowd. Shooting went on for 13 seconds. When it was all over, 4 students were dead. A dark day in our history. Great song to commemorate it.

Welcome to the opening of old wounds. I was knee deep in rice paddies, when this went down. While I understood the protest, it only caused more men to die. We could have won this “Police Action” in a matter of months, and without a draft, if allowed to do what we were trained and equipped for. Politically limited, we had to protect the South from the North. Instead of going in to Hanoi and ending this mess. Never enter a war without the resolve to win. Those who sell the parts to the war machine, want it to last for years. They had a lot to do with creating the unrest we witnessed. It’s all a scam, and we all get used. However, Congress and the MIE profit. Next example, Ukraine. I sense another draft, or WWIII.

I'm from Ohio and remember this well. In addition to the 4 students killed, there were 9 others wounded. Some merely going to classes and not involved in the protest. As far as the band members go, all 4 had been in well known bands previously. Stephen Stills and Neil Young were in Buffalo Springfield, David Crosby was in the Byrds and Graham Nash was in the Hollies.

Their " Judy Blue Eyes" from Woodstock is still a Big Favorite of Mine. This Band was Really good at that Concert and the Crowd Really Responded to them.

The song "Ohio" - was written - recorded - and played on the radio in 10 days.

CSNY+Tom Jones! Totally awesome performance.

From 1969 until 1974 the group recorded on Atllantic followed by Reprise and CBS for solo projects. Info from The Great Rock Discography book by Martin Strong..1998.

I was just graduating college at that time and this was a completely shocking incident. We were all stunned by the violence demonstrated by the authorities.

I was 12 when this happened. What a time in history to grow up in!

The protest this song was written about was the result of a Anti Vietnam war protest at Kent State Universities in Ohio and specifically the expansion of the war into Cambodia. There were violent riots across the US especially after the 1968 Tet Offensive until the end of the war in 72. These riots made 2020 look peaceful. In the case of the Kent State riots in Ohio it was the National Guard that went out of control firing live rounds at students. The Byrds, Buffalo Springfield and Hollis all have musical catalogs that are excellent. One of my all time favorites is Hollis "Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress" Also "He aint heavy, his my brother" is a great heartfelt song.

Powerful song! I grew up near Kent. So this is a rather well known event to those round here

This happened as I was getting ready to graduate high school. Our world changed that day. I ended up being drafted and served in Vietnam.

Spring 1970: I turned 18 (and registered for the draft) while waiting to graduate from High School. This all happened: Nixon invades Cambodia, Kent State shootings, Apollo 13, 1st Earth Day, Beatles break up, Weathermen Underground declares war on the government, Bobby Seale trial(Free Bobby!) and so much more. We truly needed Simon and Garfunkel's "Bridge Over Troubled Water"(released that Spring). Crazy times, and Oh My the music.

Neil wrote the words to this song,only days after the massacre at Kent.He was with CSNY for a while,but he was mostly comfortable being a solo artist. The National Guard that day was told to use live ammo in their weapons.They were clearly told to make a stand and show force. The shooting was just wild firing.People were killed who weren't even a part of the event,just walking to class,etc.

The artists of our day cared about more than multi million dollar concert returns.

This was a very sad day in America on May 4th 1970 at Kent State.

An older friend of mine that I worked with was there. She said that's where she got her military experience. Back then demonstrators were largely non-violent, not like now when they feel like they have to riot, burn, steal, and destroy everything in their path. There are still questions about what exactly happened, but regardless, it should never had happened.

Great song

Suggestions for CSN: "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes," "Wooden Ships." Suggestions for CSNY: "Woodstock," "Carry On," "Almost Cut My Hair."

I am born and raised in Ohio! But, I would have only been 2 years old by one month. Such a sad situation! CSNY a great song and an awesome group!❤❤🔥🔥 Love you two!!❤❤

My favorite of theirs thank you ❤❤❤

I am 78 so I lived less then 50 miles from Kent st and still do. I know the protesters weren't causing any trouble one of the guardsmen had said he shot by mistake and that caused others to fire, but I don't know if that's true I was in the Army in 64 to 67 and I never fired a weapon by mistake.💚

At least one student was just on his way to class.

Graham Nash was originally in "The Hollies".

I was in the Air Force when this happened. We active duty military was pissed that this happened and even more so afterwards when they did a hurry-up joke of an "investigation" and no one was punished, reprimanded, or held accountable. At the time, the ONLY people in the National Guard were sons of Politicians & the Rich and Famous people. It was their "Get out of Vietnam Free Card". As someone pointed out, Nixon hated the hippies which explains why they deployed the Nation Guard for a "Peaceful Protest". For some unknown reason an inexperienced trigger-happy BOZO fired a shot and then everyone started shooting. I always say that, "the ONLY action the National Guard saw was killing innocent unarmed students." I'm 73 and it still irks the hell out of me.

I'm 10 years old, eating Dinner in front of the TV with my parents. Daily body counts from Viet Nam. Student protests. Then the Kent State killings. I remember being confused. What does a parent tell a precocious child? 5 months later and my school, in Montreal, has armed troops guarding it during the October crisis: Kidnappings and murders. This was a crazy time to grow up. The catalyst for some of the greatest music ever? Extreme times bring out amazing artistry maybe.

So much uncertainty, fear, and a changing world in those days. I was a young teenager living a fairly sheltered life, far removed, or so I thought, from such things. Like many others, my classmates and I were not sure what to believe...but there was no denying that what we saw on the evening news was BAD, and would have repercussions far into the future. We still mourn for those lost. We all lost...

CSNY was one of the first "super" groups.All the band members were already successful on their own.

I was in college in Ohio when Kent State happened. There had been demonstrations on our campus too, but nothing violent. After the shootings, the schools were shut down for the summer, I thought the protests would resume in the fall when the students came back. But it was over.

I am constantly amazed at how little people actually know about the development and maintenance of power structures. Proof that having a technologically advanced culture will not guarantee a well-informed citizenry.

... Students in Ohio two hundred yards away Shot down by a nameless fire one early day in May Some people cried out angry "You should have shot more of them down!" But you can’t bury youth my friend... youth grows the whole world round It could have been me, but instead it was you So I’ll keep doing the work you were doing as if I were two I’ll be a student of life, a singer of songs A farmer of food and a righter of wrong It could have been me, but instead it was you And it may be me, dear sisters and brothers, before we are through But if you can die for freedom, freedom, freedom, freedom If you can die for freedom I can too... Holly Near, It Could Have Been Me

The land of the brave..............

Neil Young wrote this song and played lead guitar on it. He played it at many of his concerts after he left CSNY. Ohio is a protest song and there were many of these types of songs during the 1960's and 1970's. I was a college student at the time of this event, and I attended many anti war protests. If I remember correctly, one of the soldiers panicked and started firing. Several others followed, and the killing of these students was the result. Over time more and more people were against the Vietnam War, and public pressure caused politicians to end American involvement. Great reaction, and if your interested in songs where the lyrics make a statement there are a lot out there.