Ohio ( Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young song ) - wikipedia Ohio ( Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young song ) `` Ohio '' Single by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young from the album So Far B - side `` Find the Cost of Freedom '' Released June 1970 Format Single Recorded May 21, 1970 Genre Hard rock Length 2 : 58 Label Atlantic Songwriter ( s ) Neil Young Producer ( s ) Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young singles chronology `` Teach Your Children '' ( 1970 ) `` Ohio '' ( 1970 ) `` Our House '' ( 1970 ) `` Teach Your Children '' ( 1970 ) `` Ohio '' ' ( 1970 ) `` Our House '' ( 1970 ) Audio sample file help `` Ohio '' is a protest song and counterculture anthem written and composed by Neil Young in reaction to the Kent State shootings of May 4, 1970, and performed by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. It was released as a single, backed with Stephen Stills 's `` Find the Cost of Freedom '', peaking at number 14 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number 16 in Canada. Although a live version of `` Ohio '' was included on the group 's 1971 double album Four Way Street, the studio versions of both songs did not appear on an LP until the group 's compilation So Far was released in 1974. The song also appeared on the Neil Young compilation albums Decade, released in 1977, and Greatest Hits, released in 2004. The song also appears on Neil Young 's Live at Massey Hall album, which he recorded in 1971 but did not release until 2007. Contents 1 Recording 2 Lyrics and reaction 3 Covers 4 Personnel 4.1 Additional personnel 5 See also 6 References 7 External links Recording Young wrote the lyrics to `` Ohio '' after seeing the photos of the incident in Life Magazine. On the evening that CSN&Y entered Record Plant Studios in Los Angeles, the song had already been rehearsed, and the quartet -- with their new rhythm section of Calvin Samuels and Johnny Barbata -- recorded it live in just a few takes. During the same session they recorded the single 's equally direct B - side, Stephen Stills 's ode to the war 's dead, `` Find the Cost of Freedom ''. The record was mastered with the participation of the four principals, rush - released by Atlantic and heard on the radio with only a few weeks ' delay. ( This was despite the group already having their hit song `` Teach Your Children '' on the charts at the time. ) In his liner notes for the song on the Decade retrospective, Young termed the Kent State incident as ' probably the biggest lesson ever learned at an American place of learning ' and reported that `` David Crosby cried when we finished this take. '' Indeed, Crosby can be heard keening `` Four, why ? Why did they die ? '' and `` How many more ? '' in the fade. According to the notes to Greatest Hits, it was recorded by Bill Halverson on May 21, 1970, at Record Plant Studio 3 in Hollywood. Lyrics and reaction This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( March 2009 ) An article in the Guardian in 2010 describes the song as the ' greatest protest record ' and ' the pinnacle of a very 1960s genre. ' while also saying ' The revolution never came. ' The lyrics help evoke the turbulent mood of horror, outrage and shock in the wake of the shootings, especially the line `` four dead in Ohio, '' repeated throughout the song. `` Tin soldiers and Nixon coming '' refers to the Kent State shootings where Ohio National Guardsmen shot and killed four students and Young 's attribution of their deaths to the President of the United States, Richard Nixon, even though the National Guardsmen had not been federalized and were under orders from Ohio Governor Jim Rhodes. Crosby once stated that Young keeping Nixon 's name in the lyrics was `` the bravest thing I ever heard. '' The American counterculture took the group as its own after this song, giving the four a status as leaders and spokesmen they would enjoy to varying extent for the rest of the decade. After the double 's release, it was banned from some AM radio stations because of the challenge to the Nixon Administration in the lyrics, but received airplay on underground FM stations in larger cities and college towns. Today, the song receives regular airplay on classic rock stations. The song was selected as the 395th Greatest Song of All Time by Rolling Stone in December 2004. In 2009, the song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. Covers Notable covers of the song : 1971 -- The song was recorded by the Isley Brothers on their album Givin ' It Back. 1993 -- Paul Weller recorded a cover during the sessions for Wild Wood, and it was released as a B - side to his single `` The Weaver. '' 1998 -- The song was included as a hidden track on the album Thirty Days Out by the Montrose Avenue. 2001 -- Zegota, an American punk rock band, released a 9 - minute - long cover of the song. 2002 -- The song was covered by Devo on the album When Pigs Fly : Songs You Never Thought You 'd Hear. The song was of particular significance to this group. Two of its founding members, Jerry Casale and Mark Mothersbaugh, were students at Kent State during the killings, Casale having witnessed the shooting and known two of the victims. Casale was not impressed by it at the time, seeing it as an opportunist song by `` rich hippies... making money off of something horrible... that they did n't get. '' In the liner notes of Decade, Young reflected in 1976, `` It 's ironic that I capitalized on the death of those American students. '' 2003 -- Tori Amos used the song in a bridge with her song Pancake while in tour supporting her album Scarlet 's Walk in San Antonio, Texas 2003 -- A live version of the song was included as a bonus track on a re-release of Mott the Hoople 's self - titled first album. 2004 -- The Dandy Warhols placed a version of the song on the B - sides and covers album Come on Feel the Dandy Warhols, available only through the band 's website. 2007 -- The song was covered by Dala on the Canadian Borrowed Tunes II : A Tribute to Neil Young tribute album. Their recording later appeared on the 2008 tribute album Cinnamon Girl -- Women Artists Cover Neil Young. 2009 -- The song was covered by Chris and Rich Robinson of The Black Crowes in the documentary feature film The People Speak. 2014 -- The song was covered by French singer Nolwenn Leroy on her live album Ô Tour de L'Eau. 2017 -- The song was covered by Canadian band Whitehorse at Neil Young 's induction into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame. Personnel David Crosby -- vocals, rhythm guitar Stephen Stills -- vocals, guitars Graham Nash -- vocals, organ Neil Young -- vocals, guitars Additional personnel Calvin Samuels -- bass John Barbata -- drums See also List of anti-war songs References Jump up ^ Glenn Gamboa. `` Neil Young 's ' Ohio ' captures gravity of event - News ''. Ohio.com. Retrieved 2016 - 10 - 03. Jump up ^ RPM Weekly 100, August 22, 1970 Jump up ^ McDonough, Jimmy ( 2002 ). Shakey. New York : Anchor Books. p. 345. ISBN 0 - 679 - 75096 - 7. ^ Jump up to : Neil Young. Decade. ( Reprise Records, 1977 ). Jump up ^ `` Crosby, Stills & Nash ' Suite : Judy Blue Eyes ' Classic Tracks ``. www.soundonsound.com. Retrieved 2017 - 10 - 15. Jump up ^ Lynskey, Dorian ( 2010 - 05 - 06 ). `` Neil Young 's Ohio -- the greatest protest record ''. The Guardian. ISSN 0261 - 3077. Retrieved 2017 - 10 - 15. Jump up ^ `` The History of ' Ohio ' : Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young 's Raw Reminder of the Kent State Massacre ''. Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved 2017 - 10 - 15. Jump up ^ `` The RS 500 Greatest Songs of All Time ''. 2004 - 12 - 09. Archived from the original on 2008 - 06 - 22. Retrieved 2008 - 04 - 10. Jump up ^ `` GRAMMY Hall Of Fame ''. GRAMMY.org. Retrieved 2016 - 10 - 03. Jump up ^ McDonough, Jimmy ( 2002 ). Shakey. New York : Anchor Books. pp. 346 fn. ISBN 0 - 679 - 75096 - 7. External links Neil Young Ohio Lyric Analysis. Accessed on March 26, 2007. Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young David Crosby Stephen Stills Graham Nash Neil Young Studio albums Crosby, Stills & Nash Déjà Vu CSN Daylight Again American Dream Live It Up After the Storm Looking Forward Live albums 4 Way Street Allies Déjà Vu Live CSN 2012 CSNY 1974 Compilation albums So Far Replay CSN Carry On Greatest Hits Demos Songs `` Suite : Judy Blue Eyes '' `` Marrakesh Express '' `` Guinnevere '' `` Wooden Ships '' `` Lady of the Island '' `` Helplessly Hoping '' `` Woodstock '' `` Helpless '' `` Teach Your Children '' `` Almost Cut My Hair '' `` Our House '' `` Ohio '' `` Just a Song Before I Go '' `` Wasted on the Way '' `` Southern Cross '' Related bands The Byrds Buffalo Springfield The Hollies CPR Crosby & Nash The Stills - Young Band Manassas Crazy Horse Related people Joni Mitchell Judy Collins Chris Hillman Cass Elliot Timothy B. 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'' `` Old Man '' `` The Needle and the Damage Done '' `` Cortez the Killer '' `` Will to Love '' `` Like a Hurricane '' `` Love Is a Rose '' `` Lotta Love '' `` Hey Hey, My My ( Into the Black ) '' `` Pocahontas '' `` Powderfinger '' `` Sedan Delivery '' `` Rockin ' in the Free World '' `` No More '' `` Wrecking Ball '' `` Downtown '' `` Let 's Impeach the President '' `` Angry World '' `` A Rock Star Bucks a Coffee Shop '' Films and Videos Journey Through the Past Human Highway Neil Young in Berlin Solo Trans Year of the Horse Greendale Neil Young : Heart of Gold CSNY / Déjà Vu Neil Young Trunk Show Neil Young Journeys Books Waging Heavy Peace : A Hippie Dream Related Discography The Squires The Mynah Birds Buffalo Springfield Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young The Stills -- Young Band The Bridge : A Tribute to Neil Young Myrmekiaphila neilyoungi Pono Old Black Farm Aid Bridge School Benefit Pegi Young ( former wife ) Carrie Snodgress Portal Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ohio_(Crosby,_Stills,_Nash_%26_Young_song)&oldid=805380332 '' Categories : 1970 songs 1970 singles Neil Young songs Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young songs Atlantic Records singles Kent State shootings Anti-war songs Songs of the Vietnam War Songs written by Neil Young Songs inspired by deaths Songs based on actual events Music of Ohio Counterculture of the 1960s Hidden categories : Articles with hAudio microformats Articles needing additional references from March 2009 All articles needing additional references All accuracy disputes Articles with disputed statements from December 2016 Talk Contents About Wikipedia Čeština Español Français Italiano Nederlands 日本 語 Norsk Norsk nynorsk Edit links This page was last edited on 15 October 2017, at 00 : 23. 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Question: who wrote the song four dead in ohio
Answer: Neil Young