Woodstock, Group Think, and Neil Young
Within 48 hours, “Woodstock” (the original) came up twice in conversations with two colleagues and friends, one here in Doha and one in Santa Barbara. They both were at Woodstock. I was alive when it happened but too young to do anything about it, and “getting high” still meant to me something that kites and clouds do. I make no secret about it, the music of that era moves me. The lyrics were raw (sometimes raunchy) and honest. They were bold and resistant to group think.
Neil Young (of Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young) a couple of years ago was on the "Charlie Rose Show" and he mentioned his new found appreciation for religious experiences, including Islam's. I don’t remember his exact wording, but I remember feeling that he said it as a matter of fact and not as a self-conscious act of countering the expensive and persistent decolorizing of Islam by extremist right-wingers.
His song “Ohio” was in response to the Kent State disaster in May 1970, when the U.S. military opened fire on student protesters, killing four. Shortly thereafter, Neil wrote and sang this:
.........
Here's a link to "Woodstock Memories" of a good friend and former teacher.
Neil Young (of Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young) a couple of years ago was on the "Charlie Rose Show" and he mentioned his new found appreciation for religious experiences, including Islam's. I don’t remember his exact wording, but I remember feeling that he said it as a matter of fact and not as a self-conscious act of countering the expensive and persistent decolorizing of Islam by extremist right-wingers.
His song “Ohio” was in response to the Kent State disaster in May 1970, when the U.S. military opened fire on student protesters, killing four. Shortly thereafter, Neil wrote and sang this:
Tin soldiers and Nixon coming
We're finally on our own
This summer I hear the drumming
Four dead in Ohio
Gotta get down to it
Soldiers are gunning us down
Should have been done long ago.
What if you knew her
And found her dead on the ground
How can you run when you know?
Gotta get down to it
Soldiers are gunning us down
Should have been done long ago.
What if you knew her
And found her dead on the ground
How can you run when you know?
Tin soldiers and Nixon coming
We're finally on our own
This summer I hear the drumming,
Four dead in Ohio
.........
Here's a link to "Woodstock Memories" of a good friend and former teacher.
posted by fromclay at 10/21/2009 09:29:00 AM
4 Comments:
The music of that era moves me, too, even though it is more of my siblings' era than mine. CSN&Y's Deja Vu (although post-Woodstock) will always be a part of my teenage consciousness; I used to blast it, much to my neighbors' dismay, on my Dad's old Zenith stereo, and this was in 1987. I remember sitting at the pool blasting Cream's songs, too, and the adults would be looking at me crossly. It was clearly not MY music. But it was.
This past year a team (I was part of it) of educators here in Jordan sent a young Gazan teacher of history who works for UNRWA to Kent State to study for 6 months. Those old news images I've seen time and time again would not leave my head. He was none the wiser, though, and had a fabulous time. He has 1000 + pictures to prove it.
When writing the post I looked up photos of the Kent State "massacre," as it was called by the rads, and was reminded again about how "things" can change and turn rather strange. Thanks.
You can see a clip of the Neil Young comments to which I think you are referring here:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/charlie-rose/my-conversation-with-neil_b_113704.html
Yes, that's the clip, Abu Noor. Thanks.
Post a Comment
<< Home