For What It's Worth

"For What It's Worth (Stop, Hey What's That Sound)" (often referred to as simply "For What It's Worth") is a song written by American musician Stephen Stills. It was performed by Buffalo Springfield, recorded on December 5, 1966, and released as a single on Atco Records on December 23, 1966. The single peaked at number seven on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. Subsequently, the song has been covered, sampled, and referenced in numerous musical performances. While the song has come to symbolize worldwide turbulence and confrontational feelings arising from events during the 1960s (particularly the Vietnam War), Stills reportedly wrote the song in reaction to escalating unrest between law enforcement and young club-goers related to the closing of Pandora's Box, a club on the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood, California. The song's title appears nowhere in its lyrics; it is more easily remembered by the first line of chorus: "Stop, children, what's that sound? Everybody look what's going down." In 2006, Stills was interviewed by Tom Kent on his radio show "Into the '70s" and pointed out that many people think "For What It's Worth" is about the Kent State Shootings, although it was actually recorded several years before that event.

Buffalo Springfield Lyrics "For What It's Worth" [Verse 1] There's something happening here But what it is ain't exactly clear There's a man with a gun over there A-telling me, I got to beware [Chorus] I think it's time we stop Children, what's that sound? Everybody look what's going down [Verse 2] There's battle lines being drawn And nobody's right if everybody's wrong Young people speaking their minds Are gettin’ so much resistance from behind [Chorus] It's time we stop Hey, what's that sound? Everybody look what's going down [Verse 3] What a field day for the heat (Ooo-ooo-ooo) A thousand people in the street (Ooo-ooo-ooo) Singing songs and a-carryin’ signs (Ooo-ooo-ooo) Mostly say, "Hooray for our side" (Ooo-ooo-ooo) [Chorus] It's time we stopped Hey, what's that sound? Everybody look what's going down [Verse 4] Paranoia strikes deep Into your life it will creep It starts when you're always afraid Step out of line, the man come and take you away [Chorus] We better stop Hey, what's that sound? Everybody look what's going We better stop Hey, what's that sound? Everybody look what's going We better stop Now, what's that sound? Everybody look what's going We better stop Children, what's that sound? Everybody look what's going down Writer(s): Stephen Stills