Although " For What It's Worth " is often considered an anti-war song, Stephen Stills was inspired to write the song after a curfew was imposed on the Sunset Strip in Los Angeles in November 1966. At the time, Buffalo Springfield were the house band at the Whiskey a Go Go on the Sunset Strip.
Residents and businesses had complained that the influx of young people going to clubs and music venues along the Strip had caused nightly traffic congestion. In response, they lobbied Los Angeles County to pass local ordinances to stop loitering and enforced a strict curfew on the Strip after 10 p.m.
Young music fans, on the other hand, felt that their civil rights were being violated by the new laws. Protests broke out. On Saturday, November 12, 1966, leaflets were distributed on the Sunset Strip urging people to join demonstrations later that day. Several of Los Angeles ' rock radio stations also announced a rally outside the Pandora's Box club on the corner of Sunset Boulevard and Crescent Heights. That evening, as many as 1,000 young demonstrators, including celebrities such as Jack Nicholson and Peter Fonda (who was led away by police in handcuffs), gathered to protest the enforcement of the curfew. Although the rallies began peacefully, riots eventually broke out. These riots continued the next night and periodically throughout the rest of November and December, forcing some clubs to close within weeks. Against the backdrop of this civil unrest, Stephen Stills recorded the song " For What It's Worth " with his then band, Buffalo Springfield, on December 5, 1966.
The version presented here is performed by the ensemble that brought the Simon and Garfunkel show to the stage. The artists are supported by guitarist Joshua Lee Turner (far right). Josh Turner, multi-instrumentalist, born in Indianapolis in 1992, is one of the greatest musical talents. If you want to see and hear more of Josh Turner and his guitar skills (recommended: « Sultans Of Swing » , 12 million views on YouTube), we recommend Josh's own channel on the same video platform!