"
Chicago" is a song written by
Graham Nash for his solo debut
Songs for Beginners. As a single, it reached #35 on the U.S.
Billboard Hot 100 chart.
The song refers to both the riots at the
1968 Democratic National Convention in
Chicago, as well as the trial of the
Chicago Eight, where protesters at the convention were charged with intent to incite a riot. The first line of the song: "So your brother's bound and gagged, and they've chained him to a chair" refers to
Bobby Seale, the defendant who was gagged and bound to a chair in the courtroom following repeated outbursts. On
Four Way Street, Nash dedicates the song to "
Mayor Daley".
The line "Won't you please come to Chicago just to sing" refers to Nash pleading with band mates
Stephen Stills and
Neil Young to come to Chicago to protest the Chicago Eight trial.
CSN and CSNY still play the song live. There is a live version of "Chicago" (and "Love the One You're With") on the live
Four Way Street album.
In June, 2008, in Denver, Colorado, CSN played a slightly rewritten version of the song called "Denver", in anticipation of the
2008 Democratic National Convention.
Gary McKinnon
In August 2009,
Pink Floyd's
David Gilmour released an online version, titled
Chicago - Change the World, on which he sang and played guitar, bass and keyboards, to promote awareness of the plight of
Gary McKinnon. It featured
Chrissie Hynde and
Bob Geldof,...
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