For What It's Worth
Springfield Lyrics
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What it is ain't exactly clear
There's a man with a gun over there
Telling me I got to beware
I think it's time we stop, children, what's that sound
Everybody look what's going down
Nobody's right if everybody's wrong
Young people speaking their minds
Getting so much resistance from behind
It's time we stop, hey, what's that sound
Everybody look what's going down
What a field-day for the heat
A thousand people in the street
Singing songs and carrying signs
Mostly say, hooray for our side
It's s time we stop, hey, what's that sound
Everybody look what's going down
Paranoia strikes deep
Into your life it will creep
It starts when you're always afraid
You step out of line, the man come and take you away
We better stop, hey, what's that sound
Everybody look what's going down
Stop, hey, what's that sound
Everybody look what's going down
Stop, now, what's that sound
Everybody look what's going down
Stop, children, what's that sound
Everybody look what's going down
"For What It's Worth" by Buffalo Springfield is one of the most iconic protest songs of the 1960s. Written by the band's lead singer, Stephen Stills, it was released in 1967 amid the Vietnam War and civil rights movement. The song's opening lines, "There's something happening here / What it is ain't exactly clear," set the tone for the entire song. It's a call-to-action for people to pay attention to the changes happening around them and to take a stand against inequality and oppression.
The song's first verse is about a man with a gun warning people to beware. This can be interpreted as a reference to the police and the National Guard who were brought in to shut down protests and demonstrations. The second verse is about young people who are speaking up and getting resistance from those in power. The chorus is a declaration that it's time to pay attention and do something about what's going on, while the final verse speaks to the fear that people have of standing up to authority.
Overall, "For What It's Worth" is a powerful and evocative song that speaks to the struggles of its era while remaining relevant today. It's easy to understand why it has endured as an anthem for social justice movements and a symbol of the Vietnam War era.
Line by Line Meaning
There's something happening here
There's events happening that are unclear or not fully understood
What it is ain't exactly clear
The details of the situation are not completely known
There's a man with a gun over there
A person with a weapon is present in the vicinity
Telling me I got to beware
Warning that caution is necessary
I think it's time we stop, children, what's that sound
It's prudent for us to pause and listen attentively to the noise
Everybody look what's going down
We all need to pay attention to what's happening around us
There's battle lines being drawn
Two opposing groups are being formed
Nobody's right if everybody's wrong
No one is correct or just if they are all acting improperly
Young people speaking their minds
Adolescents are expressing their opinions
Getting so much resistance from behind
Experiencing significant opposition from others
It's time we stop, hey, what's that sound
It is advisible for us to cease all activity and pay attention to the noise
What a field-day for the heat
It's an ideal situation for authority figures to assert control
A thousand people in the street
Countless individuals are outside
Singing songs and carrying signs
Vocalizing their opinion and displaying images
Mostly say, hooray for our side
Cheering for their position and beliefs
Paranoia strikes deep
Fear takes hold at a profound level
Into your life it will creep
It will slowly and insidiously become a part of your life
It starts when you're always afraid
It begins when you're constantly fearful
You step out of line, the man come and take you away
If you do not behave appropriately, you'll face the consequences
We better stop, hey, what's that sound
We need to cease all action and pay attention to the noise
Stop, hey, what's that sound
Cease everything and pay attention to the noise
Stop, now, what's that sound
Stop immediately and listen closely to the noise
Everybody look what's going down
Every individual should observe what's happening
Stop, children, what's that sound
Adolescents, pause what you're doing and focus on the noise
Everybody look what's going down
Every individual must observe what is happening
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: STEPHEN STILLS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@tiffsaver
Many, many people believe that this song was written for the Vietnam War... but it wasn't. It was describing a street demonstration in Hollywood in 1966 when teenagers were protesting police brutality, cops throwing kids in jail just for being out after 10PM. How do I know that?? BECAUSE I WAS ONE OF THEM.
@antoniofongaro6833
Someone should write a song for what has just happened (DEATH OF FLOYD)
@1BoodaCat
all around Pandora's Box if I'm not mistaken?....
@tiffsaver
@@1BoodaCat
Hah! Yes. I was only 16 at the time, and in the Sixties they had a law that anyone under 18 could not be out after 10PM. Can you imagine?? The the sheriffs locked me up in jail like a common criminal as I was walking home. In the prison bus ride to the Hollywood Sheriff station, one of the cops hit the guy sitting next to me in the face, his saliva hitting me in the face, just for fun. It was only then that I realized what we were protesting.
@1BoodaCat
@@tiffsaver Yup...and as an under 18 year old myself I remember my girlfriend and I piling into my VW Bug to get out of there when it started getting crazy, and as we were driving down Holloway to get away from the strip we were stopped by a cop who decided to search my car...I asked him if he could legally do that...and he just looked at me, laughed and said; "girly we can do anything we damn well want to..."
I've never forgotten him or that comment...
@TillWeFindOurPlace
incredible to think about the real meaning of the song but how it fit the kate 60's and now 2020 so w... Goes to prove to songs
are just floating out in the ethers ad they get grabbed and turned into a song.
@kirstinalphabet796
It's 2023 and we need more radio play for music like this...reconnect humanity..
@Babatende
Even if it doesn't reconnect humanity...
@andymatthews7617
Humanity is diving down to hell.
@MultiCgp
Exactly