LogFAQs > #953871771

This song was a bit harder to tackle, but inspiration suddenly struck.

237. Buffalo Springfield For What Its Worth (1966)
non-album single, featured on later pressings of Buffalo Springfield

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80_39eAx3z8

Key lyrics:
Paranoia strikes deep
Into your life, it will creep
It starts when youre always afraid
Step out of line, the man come and take you away

The late-60s was a time of protests and hippies, and few songs better represent Vietnam era angst like For What Its Worth. Alongside CCRs Fortunate Son, this is the go-to song for movies reflecting on that period, and for good reason. This is a song designed to be a crowd pleaser, with hand claps and harmonizing during the chorus to show that its okay to sing along. Stephen Stills lead vocals have a soothing quality; the song almost risks dullness until the other voices explode around him, turning this into a bona fide anthem.

Neil Youngs harmonic guitar notes define For What Its Worth, adding an introspective feel over the weary vocal style. That sense of introspection slowly fades, morphing into a sense of action; theres a subtle shift throughout the song with the harmonics fading during the choruses and the final verse, the backing vocals becoming a continuous presence. Neil Young goes wild during the finale, suggesting a grand solo that would define his own career before the song suddenly ends. A ton of ideas are packed into this brief song. Like Yesterday, this is a song that makes the complex look simple; its easy to focus on the vocals during the chorus and miss how that shift in guitar style redefines the mood.

---

My top 100 games (with write-ups): https://foolfantastic.com/top-100-video-games-project/