45 years ago today, a certain musical festival began in upstate New York. I remember hearing about it on the radio at my summer job as a school janitor and wishing I were there.

The most famous music to originate at Woodstock was written by someone who wasn’t there. Here’s Joni Mitchell with “Woodstock.” It’s worth listening to with fresh ears.

Independent since 1969.

The Washington Monthly is nonprofit and reader-supported. Your tax-deductible gift pays for the reporting you just read.

Ed Kilgore, a contributing editor of the Washington Monthly, is a columnist for New York.