Ohio / Machine Gun

Annotation

A lengthy 8-minute social medley of two famous political / social songs of the 60s by two major rock artists - the Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young song Ohio and the Jimi Hendrix track Machine Gun. The Isley Brother called the track "Ohio - Machine Gun" (T-Neck Records # TNS 3008). This album of covers included tracks by several white song-writers, and is thus considered important in crossing over racial barriers, appealing to both their established black audience and new white audiences. The "Ohio" part of the song partly covered the lyrics written by Neil Young, the most famous song about the Kent State shootings: "tin soldier I hear them coming...four dead in Ohio". This may also have reminded the listener of the Jackson State killings in Mississippi on 15 May 1970, when the police shot dead two African-American students, but it is not mentioned in the lyrics. The Hendrix version of "Machine Gun", largely thought to be a protest against the Vietnam War, also provided a commentary on war in general, with the guitars mimicking the sounds of bullets, bombs and helicopters. In this version, the Isley Brothers also took an anti-war perspective, singing about people running from the war: "bullets flying, children run, mothers screaming...tell me why", followed by some religious content: "forgive them, they no not what they do".

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

Annotation — Soul, Gospel, & Funk Songs

A lengthy 8-minute social medley of two famous political / social songs of the 60s by two major rock artists - the Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young song Ohio, about the Kent State demonstrations / killings, and the Jimi Hendrix track Machine Gun. The Isley Brother called the track "Ohio - Machine Gun" (T-Neck Records # TNS 3008). This album of covers included tracks by several white song-writers, and is thus considered important in crossing over racial barriers, appealing to both their established black audience and new white audiences. The "Ohio" part of the song partly covered the lyrics written by Neil Young, the most famous song about the Kent State shootings: "tin soldier I hear them coming...four dead in Ohio". This may also have reminded the listener of the Jackson State killings in Mississippi on 15 May 1970, when the police shot dead two African-American students, but it is not mentioned in the lyrics. The Hendrix version of "Machine Gun", largely thought to be a protest against the Vietnam War, also provided a commentary on war in general, with the guitars mimicking the sounds of bullets, bombs and helicopters. In this version, the Isley Brothers also took an anti-war perspective, singing about people running from the war: "bullets flying, children run, mothers screaming...tell me why", followed by some religious content: "forgive them, they no not what they do".

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

Lyrics

English: Can't you see the soldier, I see them marching / A whole lot of soldiers, I see them marching / I see tin soldier I hear them coming / We're finally on our own / This summer I hear the drumming / Four dead in Ohio, four dead in Ohio, four dead in Ohio... / Machine gun, bullets flying, children run / Mothers screaming, machine guns, bullets flying / Children screaming, fellows screaming, mothers crying / Father forgive them, they shall inherit the earth / Forgive them, they no not what they do / Don't you shoot me, I've seen you, tell me why

About the artist

American vocal group formed 1954 in Cincinnati, Ohio ('I Turned You On'). [Source: Wikipedia]

Themes

Kent State · Anti-War · Nixon

In collections

Kent / Jackson State Songs · Peace, Protest, & Anti-War Songs [War Years] · Soul, Gospel, & Funk Songs