A
topical song is a
song that comments on
political and/or
social events. These types of songs are usually written about current events, but some of these songs remain popular long after the events discussed in them have occurred. Typically, these songs offer a mix of
narrative and
commentary, although some (such as
Neil Young's song "
Ohio", reacting to the
Kent State shootings) assume that the events are so well known that only commentary is called for.