A Thousand People In The Street: 'For What It's Worth' Captured Youth In Revolt
Though often associated with the Vietnam War, Buffalo Springfield's signature song was inspired by a confrontation back home, which erupted on a few famous blocks in Los Angeles.
This story is part of American Anthem, a yearlong series on songs that rouse, unite, celebrate and call to action. Find more at NPR.org/Anthem.
It was February 1967, and 18-year-old Marine private first class Bill Ehrhart was days away from leaving for Vietnam. He had just enjoyed his last weekend off-base, and his friends had offered to drive him back to Camp Pendleton, Calif., before sunrise.
"It was goodbye civilian world, next stop Vietnam," says Ehrhart, now a writer and poet.
During their nighttime drive down the California coast, his friends turned on the radio — and that's when Ehrhart first heard it:
The radio was playing "For What It's Worth" by Buffalo Springfield, the folk-rock group led and .
