<P> "For What It's Worth (Stop, Hey What's That Sound)" (often referred to as simply "For What It's Worth") is a song written by Stephen Stills . It was performed by Buffalo Springfield, recorded on December 5, 1966, and released as a single on Atco Records in January 1967 . The single peaked at number seven on the Billboard Hot 100 chart . This song is currently ranked number 63 on Rolling Stone's list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time as well as the eighth best song of 1967 by Acclaimed Music . </P> <P> It was later added to the March 1967 second pressing of their first album, Buffalo Springfield . The title does not appear in the lyrics as it was added after the song was written . </P> <P> Although "For What It's Worth" is often used as an anti-war song, Stephen Stills was inspired to write the track because of the Sunset Strip curfew riots in November 1966, a series of early counterculture - era clashes that took place between police and young people on the Sunset Strip in Hollywood, California, beginning in mid-1966, the same year Buffalo Springfield had become the house band at the Whisky a Go Go on the Sunset Strip . It was within this period local residents and businesses had become annoyed by how crowds of young people going to clubs and music venues along the Strip caused late - night traffic congestion . In response, they lobbied the city to pass local ordinances stopping loitering and enforced a strict curfew on the Strip after 10pm . Young music fans, however, felt the new laws infringed their civil rights . </P> <P> On Saturday, November 12, 1966, fliers were distributed on Sunset Strip inviting 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 future celebrities like Jack Nicholson and Peter Fonda (who was handcuffed by police), gathered to protest against the enforcement of the curfew laws . Although the rallies began peacefully, trouble eventually broke out among the protesters and police . The unrest continued the next night and periodically throughout the rest of November and December, forcing some clubs to shut down within weeks . Against the background of these civil disturbances, Stills recorded the song on December 5, 1966 . </P>

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