On the evening that the group entered Record Plant Studios in Los Angeles, the song had already been rehearsed, and the quartet-with their new rhythm section of Calvin Samuels and Johnny Barbata-recorded it live in just a few takes. Young wrote the lyrics to 'Ohio' after seeing the photos of the incident in Life Magazine. The song also appears on Neil Young's Live at Massey Hall album, which he recorded in 1971 but remained unreleased until 2007. The song also appeared on the Neil Young compilation albums Decade, released in 1977, and Greatest Hits, released in 2004.

Although live versions of 'Ohio' and 'Find the Cost of Freedom' were included on the group's 1971 double album 4 Way Street, the studio versions of both songs did not appear on an LP until the group's compilation So Far was released in 1974. It was released as a single, backed with Stephen Stills's 'Find the Cost of Freedom', peaking at number 14 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number 16 in Canada. 'Ohio' is a protest song and counterculture anthem written and composed by Neil Young in reaction to the Kent State shootings of May 4, 1970, and performed by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young.

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