Like Being Nowhere at All

In 1973, John Denver sang a song about Toledo to an estimated 30 million viewers of the Johnny Carson show. It was not flattering.

🎶 "Saturday night in Toledo, Ohio, is like being nowhere at all ..."

What follows describes a place where there is nothing to do except “sit in the park and watch the grass die,” where the sidewalks are rolled in by 10p.m. and where “great entertainment” is watching “the buns rise” in the bakery.

At the time, John Denver’s song “Rocky Mountain High” occupied the number 3 spot on the pop charts, and news of his bruising new ballad made its way to Northwest Ohio, where some Toledoans were offended.

Toledo’s mayor told the press that the song was “offensive as hell.” Blade reporter Tony Gearhart called Denver “a no-account slanderer” and “a furrow-browed, demon-eyed, nothing-is-sacred pop singer.”

Welcome to episode two of Brain Drain, a Midstory podcast that explores the city of Toledo through the eyes of the people who’ve left it behind. In this episode, we explore Toledo’s efforts to create an exciting and social urban scene.

Visit www.midstory.org/braindrain/ to explore interactive data visuals and listen to bonus content.