The heyday of the singer-songwriter began in the 1970s. While many associate this era with the rise in popularity of hard rock bands like Led Zeppelin and Aerosmith, there were just as many musicians performing with nothing more than an acoustic guitar or piano and discussing the genuine issues facing the world outside of contemporary suburbia. Even though he founded the genre with Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young, Graham Nash wasn’t always in agreement with all of the band members, as evidenced by the song “Chicago (We Can Change the World).”
For discussing CSNY is synonymous with discussing a wide range of protest songs. When the supergroup first came together, the world was still coping with the effects of the Vietnam War. And they frequently discussed complex subjects in between their stunning harmonies.
Neil Young is not one to back down from a challenge, if you know what to believe. It doesn’t take him long to put thoughts into motion when he has something on his mind. Whether it’s singing about his harsh emotions on “Helpless” or demonstrating against the violence in America on “Ohio.”
Graham Nash wanted to record the charges made against the Chicago 7 shortly after the horrible massacre at Kent State. Following their 1968 boycott of the Democratic National Convention, demonstrators faced accusations that they planned to incite a riot.
Even though Young could have made a very insightful commentary on this subject, it’s intriguing that Nash wrote the song. This song adopts a more tactful approach, discussing the right for everyone to have their fair day in court. This was the man popular for the more amiable songs in their repertoire, such as “Teach Your Children” and “Our House.”
Upon receiving an invitation to perform at a Chicago 7 benefit concert, Nash experienced disappointment. He learned that Young and Stephen Stills had withdrawn from the supergroup. ‘Chicago’ wrote about the value of standing up for what’s right. Nash let him do the talking rather than start a debate.
“I wrote this song to Neil and Stephen and to everybody that I thought might want to hear about the fact that what was happening to the Chicago 7 wasn’t fair,” Nash said, not even trying to hide the fact that Young was the inspiration behind the song’s composition. However, you can’t be too shocked if you end up offending someone once you start talking politics.
Over the next few years, Young realized he could achieve global fame without his friends’ help. He embarked on a solo journey and produced some of the greatest folk music of the time. The tone that each of their songs used may have been the difference between them, even though Graham Nash would go on to release “Chicago” on his own album, Music for Beginners, and Young would keep becoming politically charged in his writing.
Despite their shared desire to bring about change, Nash always exhibited a gentler approach than Young. He believed that individuals should be reminded of their inherent nature when making significant decisions. Although Young does not hold back when speaking, perhaps he would have profited from, in the words of John Lennon, “using a bit of honey” when crafting his political material.
1 comment
Songs for beginners, not Music for beginners, good reporting from someone who has no idea of the impact these four legends made