For the record, I’m a late baby boomer kid, slip sliding my way towards my invitation for the great dirt surfing competition. Which means that I grew up in the tumultuous times of the late 60’s-70’s. Which means that Buffalo Springfield’s For What It’s Worth was the anti war youth’s national anthem.
Buffalo Springfield released that song in 1967. But 55 years later, former Fleetwood Mac lead singer Stevie Nicks took the thing in its original format and gave it new relevance in today’s world. And in doing so, Nicks confirmed the old adage that The more things change, the more they stay the same.
Nicks, currently on tour, looked at For What It’s Worth through the eyes of a woman, specifically a woman trying to use the song to parlay into the current political tumult regarding the SCOTUS ruling overturning Roe v Wade. And in listening to her rendition, and listening to the words, and putting them into a current context blew me away. I am going to provide each one of the verses, one at a time, followed by my perspective on them.
There’s something happening here. What it is ain’t exactly clear. There’s a man with a gun over there, telling me I got to take care.
In 1967, this was a clear reference to the domestic unrest over the Vietnam war, and the uncertainty over where the country was going. In 2022, it deals with the uncertainty the country felt, especially women, following the leak of the Alito ruling, but before the court made the ruling official. Protests sprang up nationwide against the potential ruling. The national GOP pushback leading up to the release of the ruling was strident, telling all women, but especially young women, who might most likely find themselves in need of abortion services, to Shut and go along.
What a field day for the heat. A thousand people in the street. Singing songs and a-carrying signs, mostly saying Hooray for our side.
A clear reminder of the post leak, pre ruling protests on both sides, pro abortion as well as anti abortion. And a phalanx of cops, more than ready to arrest peaceful protesters, mostly pro abortion for no greater crime than sitting in a space that the police decided they had no right to control.
Paranoia strikes deep. Into your life it will creep. It starts when you’re always afraid. Step out of line, the man will come and take you away.
By far the most chilling and pertinent verse for where we are living now. What is life in GOP controlled states like right now? You have women terrified to seek professional medical care for an abortion, for fear that they will face potential severe financial penalties, or even prison time for making their own decisions. And good faith physicians terrified to provide proper reproductive services to their patients, for fear of ending up in prison or even losing their license to practice.
I’m sorry, but that’s it. Stevie Nicks and Buffalo Springfield just encapsulated the crisis in a way far better than I ever could. 45 days to go. Vote your ass off. And get everybody you know to go to the polls to ensure that America doesn’t turn into a real life version of The Handmaidens Tale.
Further proof (as if any were needed after her righteous caution and calling the baddies out during the pandemic) that Stevie Nicks remains a queen.
Not pertinent to the subject matter but my favorite take on this song was the version done on the Muppets Show in the 80’s.
Pertinent to the subject matter-if young people, young women in particular, do not get off their asses and vote, they will be the ones dealing with america’s version of Atwood’s novel. Bodily autonomy is the most basic civil right there ever could be and without it you’re not human. Hope every young woman is thinking about this…and voting accordingly.
That is true, Spike, you are correct, and young women must pay attention and take action.
But, having worked for many years with young male Marines, I would like to iterate that it is equally important for men to pay attention and take action on this issue. They have a major “stake” in this as well. In fact, we would all be wise to pay attention and take action. Thanks for all you do.
As he’s said in numerous interviews, Stephen Stills did not write this song in protest of the Viet Nam war. It was about the Sunset Strip curfew riots in 1966 and then adopted by the anti-war movement.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but those curfews rose out of a desire to curtail gay people from getting the notion they too were entitled to have the right to get together, go to bars and restaurants that were welcoming to them and in general enjoy life. Having said that, I also don’t recall Buffalo Springfield objecting to the song being repurposed as a war protest anthem. They too, as well as Stills and Crosby once CSN was formed were against that war. And came out with another iconic song (Ohio) after the Kent state protesters were shot and some killed by National Guard troops.