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…

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…

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

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 · Soul, Gospel, & Funk Songs