The political anthem Robert Plant couldn’t live without and will last “forever”
A political anthem, when written correctly, is more than a song. It bottles up a particular moment in time, capturing the feelings of rage, hope and everything in between. For Robert Plant, there’s one specific creation in this realm that matters more than most.
Similarly to books, political songs should have lessons imprinted in them that future generations can take on board and ensure are never repeated. The art of this craft isn’t about lecturing listeners on morality, but lies in powerful storytelling and placing trust in people to come to the desired conclusion.
While Plant himself isn’t a political songwriter, he does admire the likes of Bob Dylan, John Prine and Joni Mitchell, whose work veered into that territory, albeit more often than not subtly in regards to Prine and Mitchell.
Whenever Plant speaks about the music he loves, it’s a thoroughly captivating insight into the mind of a rock ‘n’ roll great. A prime example is his appearance on the BBC Radio 4 programme Desert Island Discs, which saw him name the eight tracks that he couldn’t live without.
One notable selection was ‘Ohio’ by Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young. The classic track is more than just a song; it’s a vital part of the counterculture moment and makes a salient statement about a crucial event in American history.
For context, on May 4th, 1970, a date that will be remembered in history for the wrong reasons, the National Guard opened fire on a group of unarmed protesters at Ohio’s Kent State University. Four people were killed that day, and a further nine were seriously injured. In total, 67 shots were fired at the anti-Vietnam War protesters. At the time, polling showed that the general public was on the side of the National Guard rather than the protesters. However, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young saw things differently.
It’s a song that proved they were on the right side of history, which was also an immense source of pride for the late David Crosby.”For me, ‘Ohio’ was a high point of the band, a major point of validity,” he once said of the track. “There we were, reacting to reality, dealing with it on the highest level we could – relevant, immediate. It named names and pointed the finger. It said ‘Nixon’. I was so moved that I completely lost it at the end of the song.”
Additionally, Crosby later told Neil Young’s biographer Jimmy McDonough in Shakey, “I remember getting nuts at the end of the song, I was so moved. I was freaked out because I felt it so strongly, screaming, ‘Why? Why?'”
For Plant, the track is a powerful reminder of the capabilities of music, which can be used as a pivotal mechanism to highlight political issues and bring about social change to ensure a brighter future.
After selecting the Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young song during his appearance on Desert Island Discs, the former Led Zeppelin frontman commented: “This is the song which was written which will remind us forever how it can go nastily, badly wrong.”
While many political songs are outdated by the time audiences finally hear them, it wasn’t the case with ‘Ohio’. Poignantly, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young struck while the iron was hot and recorded the track only three weeks after the atrocity, releasing it while the event was still in the news.
It remains the ultimate protest anthem, and the recording is filled with the incensed rage the band felt about the unjust deaths. While the tragedy that lit the fuse within Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young to write ‘Ohio’ is distant history, sadly, it does still feel relevant amid recent events in Minnesota.
