Music for Roctober - #30 - Buffalo Springfield
No, "For What It's Worth" is not about the Vietnam War nor is it about the Kent State riots. The Stephen Stills song is about the 1966 Sunset Strip riots in reaction to a 10:00 p.m. curfew.
Since we are clearing the record up, the phrase "for what it's worth" was communicated by Stills to a record company executive: "Here's a song for what it's worth"; that phrase never appears in the song lyrics.
Buffalo Springfield included Stephen Stills, Neil Young, Richie Furay, Jim Messina and drummer Bruce Palmer. The band only released three albums but they were gems. Of course, Stills and Young would move on to form Crosby, Stills & Nash while Richie Furay and Jim Messina created Poco. I think Palmer was deported to Canada.
"For What It's Worth" came to represent the '60s. It reached number seven on the Billboard charts and fits comfortably in to any list as one of the greatest rock songs ever:
Since we are clearing the record up, the phrase "for what it's worth" was communicated by Stills to a record company executive: "Here's a song for what it's worth"; that phrase never appears in the song lyrics.
Buffalo Springfield included Stephen Stills, Neil Young, Richie Furay, Jim Messina and drummer Bruce Palmer. The band only released three albums but they were gems. Of course, Stills and Young would move on to form Crosby, Stills & Nash while Richie Furay and Jim Messina created Poco. I think Palmer was deported to Canada.
"For What It's Worth" came to represent the '60s. It reached number seven on the Billboard charts and fits comfortably in to any list as one of the greatest rock songs ever:
Neil Young joined CSN after their first record together, very arguably their very best. I think so, but Neil is my favorite of the four. I say he is of the stature of Dylan. Wiki says NY was not even an instrumentalist on the record. Cass Elliot was on it, though! NY joined next, and it became C,S,N&Y.
Viet Nam warmed up later. The song was surely thematically applicable by 67-68 when I was a 10th grader and the song was hot. My bro was a Marine up to his waist in a rice paddy. The Kent State killings were May 4, 1970, and I was on my way to another public university in Ohio whose classes reopened upon my arrival. They just couldn't wait for me....
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Very good point, Geoff. Didn't know Mama Cass was on the record. Where'd Young go right after Buffalo Springfield? Wikipedia simply says he later joined CS&N. Hope Neil Young will remember (hint to upcoming song).
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I know what's coming. I also think(?) I can give you a possible NY musical retort to it. I'm so old...and misspent...that I lived some of this stuff. Tell you later.
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