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My Gen X Playlist: For What It’s Worth – Hootie and the Blowfish

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I subscribe to Rave and Roll’s blog. She posts the weekly playlist from David Marsden’s broadcast. I usually peruse the list to see what catches my eye. Buffalo Springfield’s For What It’s Worth recently made the cut.

This song was released in 1966, a little before my time. Yet over the years, I’d catch it randomly here and there. I always wondered, Who sings this song? Without knowing the artist, I couldn’t track down the CD. This went on for decades, random brushes with the melody.

In 1998, Public Enemy released He Got Game and once again that melody hit me. The big surprise was the infusion of rap. I’m not a Public Enemy fan, but will say this song is f-ing great. I like the two distinctly different genres coming together to create something totally different, yet warm and familiar at the same time. And how cool is it that Stephan Stills makes an appearance in the middle of the song. Every so often, I need to get my fix on either the original or the collaboration.

Hootie and the Blowfish recently released a cover of the song. Not bad. Although I’m a fan of Darius Rucker’s vocals, my preference still leans towards the original. Still, not a bad cover.

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For a complete playlist, please click here.

For the Spotify playlist, please click here.

There's something happening here
But what it is ain't exactly clear
There's a man with a gun over there
A-telling me I got to beware

I think it's time we stop
Children, what's that sound?
Everybody look what's going down

There's battle lines being drawn
And nobody's right if everybody's wrong
Young people speaking their minds
Are gettin' so much resistance from behind

It's time we stop
Hey, what's that sound?
Everybody look what's going down

What a field day for the heat (Ooh-ooh-ooh)
A thousand people in the street (Ooh-ooh-ooh)
Singing songs and a-carryin' signs (Ooh-ooh-ooh)
Mostly say, "Hooray for our side" (Ooh-ooh-ooh)

It's time we stopped
Hey, what's that sound?
Everybody look what's going down

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

We better stop
Hey, what's that sound?
Everybody look what's going
We better stop
Hey, what's that sound?
Everybody look what's going
We better stop
Now, what's that sound?
Everybody look what's going
We better stop
Children, what's that sound?
Everybody look what's going down

18 thoughts on “My Gen X Playlist: For What It’s Worth – Hootie and the Blowfish”

  2. Such a timeless song. It pertains to life just as much now as it did nearly 50 years ago during the Vietnam era. The battles are being fought on our own turf now, unfortunately.

    Thank you for the mention and pingback. I appreciate you!

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  3. Wow, this is a great rendition of the original song! To be honest, I like the rap version, even though I typically don’t listen to rap music —unless it’s playing in the background of a sports show.

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  4. Like you, I never knew the artist or title of this melody. Thanks for ending the mystery.

    I enjoy all three versions of the song, but I prefer the original, mostly because it’s nostalgic.

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  7. Great song for the playlist. That IS cool that Stephen Stills is in the Public Enemy video. I saw Spike Lee and Denzel Washington have another movie coming out…supposedly their last collab

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      1. Oh, wow. I’m honored! Spike Lee is a true Boston HATER (so I don’t like that), but I do appreciate his films, especially the Denzel ones.

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  9. This song is emotionally brilliant! I didn’t hear it as a kid, (I always thought I was born an era musically, too late), my son loved this song when he was as a teenager, I don’t know where he first heard it. Definitely a timeless song.
    I like all the versions, but of course the original is my favorite.

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