Week 7

“For What It’s Worth” Buffalo Springfield

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 beware

There's battle lines being drawn
Nobody's right if everybody's wrong
Young people speaking their minds
Getting so much resistance from behind
I think it's time we stop, hey, what's that sound

A thousand people in the street
Singing songs and carrying signs
Mostly say, hooray for our side

Paranoia strikes deep
Into your life it will creep
It starts when you're always afraid
You step out of line, the man come and take you away

We better stop, hey, what's that sound
Everybody look what's going down
Stop, hey, what's that sound
Everybody look what's going down

This song is called “For What It’s Worth” by Buffalo Springfield. It was released in 1967 and is one of my favorite songs. The audience of this song is the youth of the late 1960’s and early 1970’s. The song symbolizes world turmoil and struggles. It especially refers to the Vietnam War, which was occurring at the time, and increasing conflict between law enforcement and unruly adolescents.

A tool that Buffalo Springfield included in the composition of this song is pathos. This song really appeals to your emotions. One way in which your emotions are engaged is through his word choice. Such phrases and lines as “battle field,” “a man with a gun,” and “a thousand people in the street” cause images of violence and dispute to appear in our heads. These images carry a variety of emotions with them— sadness, rage, hatred, and fear.

Buffalo Springfield also uses logos. The song contained some thought provoking lines which included logic. These line really get the listener thinking. One such line is, “Nobody’s right if everybody’s wrong.” Upon hearing this line, the audience will pause and think about what is being said and they will realize that they are contributing to the problem at hand. It helps one realize that the situation is at a stand-still and that each side must give and take. This song also uses ethos because it refers to historical events. This reference to historical events gives the song-writer credibility. After analyzing this song I feel like the song has more meaning to me.