If you’ve ever spent a summer in Ohio, you might be able to relate to a few of these lyrics…
“A Summer in Ohio” is a song from the musical "The Last Five Years." It’s written by Jason Robert Brown, and it brings a five-year relationship between characters Cathy and Jamie, to life. Performed beautifully by Anna Kendrick (Cathy) in the film version, the song is a letter for Jamie, who’s living in a different state.
It’s full of sarcastic jabs at the lovely state of Ohio and a voice longing to escape. Hearing it evokes a sense of familiarity for me; I swear some of those lyrics must have been ripped right out of my diary! If I’d heard this in middle school, it probably would’ve become my self-proclaimed theme song.
A few lines I’d like to highlight:
“I could shove an ice pick in my eye,
I could eat some fish from last July,
But it wouldn't be as awful
As a summer in Ohio.”
and
“I could chew on tin foil for a spell!
I could get a root canal in Hell,
But it wouldn't be as swell
As this summer is gonna be!”
and
“I can state in my next bio:
I'm never gonna go back to Ohio!”
Based on “The Definitive And Final Ranking Of All 50 States” by Thrillist, Ohio is number 48. In other words, they consider Ohio to be the third worst state in America.
So as a native born-and-raised Ohioan, I’d like to say that regardless of how it’s portrayed in this song, this list, and in the minds of many other Americans, honestly it is not that bad. I’ve lived in Michigan for almost two years now, and that very same list names it the #1 state in the country. Hmmm. Aside from the beautiful lakes, it doesn’t feel that different from my homeland.
I guess I have a strange relationship with Ohio. Growing up, I wanted so badly to get as far away as possible from that place. Anyone who has lived in Ohio knows that when someone yells “O-H,” you immediately respond with “I-O!” I used to instead mutter "O-NO!" under my breath, which I’m sure I thought was pretty clever.
When I moved out and headed off to college, I was surprised that I actually do miss Ohio. I often confuse my friends here because sometimes I make sarcastic comments like the ones in the song, and other times I get caught up in the Ohio State/Michigan sports rivalry, proudly smirking when the Buckeyes inevitably win. I’m also weirdly obsessed with telling everyone that people from Ohio have the purest accents (SO TRUE).
After a few times of listening to Anna Kendrick embody Cathy's character with a powerful performance of "A Summer in Ohio," I realized that I don’t think it’s about the place. Cathy could probably be in any state and feel the exact same way, because she hates being separated from her husband. She longs to escape her summer in Ohio, but is it really Ohio she's frustrated with?
Michigan and Ohio are 47 states apart on the above list, yet life doesn’t feel so different here compared to my 18 years in Ohio. Maybe I shouldn’t have blamed that place so much. Spending a summer in Ohio can be lovely or horrible or fine, and the same can be said for any other state depending on the circumstances. I’m not trying to say that location is irrelevant, because I think it can be crucial to a person’s well-being and development, but it’s certainly not everything.
So originally I thought the song was about a girl who hates the state of Ohio...
Now I think it might be about the complex variables of relationships, careers, and mostly distance that isn’t solely geographical.
Would I ever opt for another summer in Ohio?
No way! I’d rather “get a root canal in Hell.” But I’m beginning to understand that this answer has less to do with the actual state than I’d like to admit.
