For What Its Worth.

[Rex]

Heard this on the radio today and made me think about OWS. Even thought it is about Kent State, I think it is very relevant for the occupation and how the white shirts are handling protesters.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5M_Ttstbgs

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

I think it’s time we stop, children, what’s that sound
Everybody look what’s going down

There’s battle lines being drawn
Nobody’s right if everybody’s wrong
Young people speaking their minds
Getting so much resistance from behind

It’s time we stop, hey, what’s that sound
Everybody look what’s going down

-Buffalo Springfield, For What Its Worth

[yardwork]

1. Released in 1967, years before the Kent State massacre. Still a good song.

I'm kicking and recommending because it is a protest song. Just pointing out that it was not written in response to Kent State. "Four Dead in Ohio" by CSNY was written about Kent State.

[Rex]

3. Thanks, I thought it was about Kent State.

The words really seem profound to me.

[yardwork]

4. It's a great song. I remember it from before Kent State.

[polichick]

2. One of the best protest songs ever! k&r

[rugger1869]

5. This was Kent State's song....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qs6aaaJBAv0

Ten soldiers and Nixons comin', were finally all alone. This summer I hear the drummin, 4 dead in Ohio.

Gotta get down to it, Soldiers are cutting us down, should have been done long ago. What if you knew her and found her dead on the the ground, How can you run when you know.

Gotta get down to it, Soldiers are cutting us down, should have been done long ago. What if you knew her and found her dead on the the ground, How can you run when you know.

Ten soldiers and Nixons comin', were finally all alone. This summer I hear the drummin, 4 dead in Ohio.
4 dead in Ohio 4 dead in Ohio

[Rex]

6. Thank you!

Otherwise it would drive me crazy trying to think of the song I got it mixed up with. :yourock:

[malthaussen]

7. Yup, "Ohio" is the Kent State song

It's too bad Neil didn't work in an acknowledgement of the Jackson State murders as well, but the two atrocities happened so close together that Kent tends to step on Jackson's lead. (That's the charitable interpretation)

-- Mal

[malthaussen]

8. You do, however, omit an interesting verse:

"What a field day for the heat.
A thousand people in the street.
Singin' songs, and carrying signs.
Mostly say 'hooray for my side.'"

and of course

"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."

Kind of sad we got that 'way back in 1967 and managed to forget it.

-- Mal

[starroute]

9. You left out a verse that I've been thinking about a lot

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


The OWSers have good protections against some of the sources of radical paranoia. Being leaderless helps, and so does being resolutely non-violent. But the authorities are still going to do their best to make people afraid of stepping out of line -- and that is something we all need to be thinking about.

[Rex]

10. I just copied and pasted part of the song.

The youtube vid has the whole song. Yeah those lines made me thing a lot today about OWS and the white shirt cops.