Covered countless times, its prevalent use in film, as well as common sampling and references in other media, has resulted in "For What It's Worth” transforming into an iconic Vietnam-era protest song. In March 1967, it took Buffalo Springfield to number seven in the US singles charts while more importantly inscribing the youth struggles from the decade for future listeners to interpret. (sing365. com) The title of the song, “For What It’s Worth,” appears nowhere in the song’s lyrics.
Instead, it serves to comment on the situation being addressed suggesting that the importance, or the worth, of the opinions being expressed can best be evaluated and interpreted by the listener. In August 1966, California had tried to clear the area around the Sunset Strip club Pandora’s Box, whose longhaired clientele deterred tourism,
...by having the police enforce a curfew. Protests followed which became violent when the police displayed their authority by means of nightsticks.
Witnessing this upon return from a trip to Nicaragua, stills, a Buffalo Springfield band member, was inspired by to write the song as he used the lyrics to tell the story. Displaying his initial curiosity and sense of confusion, the song begins with the lines, “There’s something happenin’ here, what it is ain’t exactly clear…”(Metrolyrics. com) which recreated many of these same feelings for listeners.
The ability to recreate a piece of history even to those who may not have known the true meaning of the song is amazing. For What It’s Worth” was not only relevant to the Sunset Riot but also to many of the youth struggles from decades. Wrote while the Counter Culture
and the Vietnam War was in full swing only expanded a relevance to the decade that enabled those to make their own interpretations. The repetitive nature of both the songs lyrics and beat were characteristics that mimicked the feelings of movement members whom were facing their own ongoing and seemingly repetitive challenges.
A thousand people in the street singing songs and carrying signs…”(Metrolyrics. com) was a line which showed the potential tie to challenges faced by the anti war movement. “For What It’s Worth” inscribed youth struggles from of the 1960s into the psyche of all listeners. Its wide range of relevance to the decade creates and enables many different interpretations, a resemblance to the 1960s all in its own.
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