Stasis Theory of "For What It's Worth"

Finding stasis theory in songs can be difficult as most songs are not written from a “problem, solution” viewpoint. It’s clear that the problem being addressed in “For What It’s Worth” is that of the war in Vietnam; or rather that there should be a lack of war in Vietnam.  The solution provided is more vague,  and generally open to interpretation. Clearly the war does exist, so it becomes more of a question of why it exists.  Buffalo Springfield doesn’t offer much on this subject in their song, however they do explain why the war is bad thing.  The line “Paranoia strikes deep/Into your life it will creep” tells the audience that the war will only dig into their lives and make them afraid. The solution offered to end the war is told through these lines, “It’s time we stop/…/Everybody look – what’s going down?”  Buffalo Springfield is telling people that they have to stop and look at what’s going on around them before doing more damage. Before anything can be fixed, people must recognize that what they’re doing is wrong. 

-Christina Atchison

Pathos of the Photograph of the Woolworth Sit-In

Regardless of the audience, this picture evoked many strong emotions. If the audience does not believe that black people deserve equal rights, they would feel angered at the actions of these men. They might also feel that the police should get involved to prevent similar protests. However, if the audience agrees that blacks should be equal, they would be proud of the four men refusing to follow the store’s regulations. They could also be incited to help out with the movement. The passive look on the faces of the men shows their quiet determination, and encourages the audience to protest nonviolently. The men at the counter were all freshmen in college, so the picture evoked feelings in the younger population. Evoking strong emotions in the audience, this photograph encouraged people to stand up for what they believe in.

-Andrew Fein

Arrangement of Woolworth Sit-in Photograph

Most photographs, at first glance, don’t appear to have much thought of arrangement put into them. This photo of the Woolworth Sit-in is no exception; and in all probability the photographer most likely didn’t think about arrangement at all while snapping the photo. Even though Jack Moebes, the photographer, had to quickly take this photo and be on his way, there are aspects of arrangement that definitely benefit this photo’s rhetoric. By capturing primarily the four men at the counter, a viewer is more likely to the specific issue at hand; rather than be distracted by other people. The lack of people also implies that the protest was not desirable thing to be around, so people stayed away as they didn’t agree. Moebes also captured the man behind the counter; the man who is dark skinned just like the protesters. If even he won’t serve the four men, Woolworth’s policies must be totally reasonable..right? With not much intention, Moebes said a lot with his arrangement of this photo.

-Christina Atchison

Style of “For What It’s Worth”

The music and word choice of the song “For What It’s Worth” lends even more importance to its meaning. The beginning of the song is very calm, and Steve Stills’ begins in a quiet and conversational tone. The first few lines, “There’s something happening here/ What it is ain’t exactly clear” catches the listener’s attention, and creates a feeling of suspense at the unknown threat. This first verse demonstrates the “central tension of the song: the contrast between the drama of the situation on one hand, and the emotional reserve of the singer and the music on the other” (ReasonToRock.com). The source of the controversy is ambiguous, which seems to indicate that the singer is focusing on the feelings evoked by it, and the increasing intensity. This would explain why the song is so quiet, as it is asking us to rationally approach the situation and “look what’s going down,” rather than give in to our emotions. In the final verse, the singer explicitly warns the listener of the troubles ahead. To punctuate this, another voice harmonizes in the background, and handclaps are added. After the lyrics end, the guitar continues almost aimlessly, leaving the listener with the unspoken threat of the potential chaos and destruction caused by their actions, or perhaps even more so by their inaction.

-Andrew Fein

Pathos of “For What It’s Worth”

There are many strong appeals to emotion throughout the song “For What It’s Worth.” From the first verse of the song, the audience is called to attention with the phrase “There’s a man with a gun over there.” This immediately strikes a sense of fear and danger. Then the chorus begins, telling the audience to “stop, children, what's that sound? / Everybody look what's going down.” The sense of danger accentuates the urgency of the situation. The fact that he uses “children” contrasts the man with the gun with the innocence of children. In the second verse, Buffalo Springfield speaks of the paranoia of getting in trouble for protesting, as seen in the line ” Step out of line, the man come and take you away.” Many of these lyrics incite the audience to speak their minds, and stand up for what they believe.

-Andrew Fein

Logos of "For What it's Worth

The arts are best known for appealing to pathos.  However, logos can be extremely effective in song lyrics.  In “For What it’s Worth,” Buffalo Springfield argues against the curfew set on the Sunset Strip.  The introduction of “paranoia” is the basis of his logical approach.  The pervading fear created by the increased presence of law enforcement (the “man with a gun over there”) creates a harmful sense of insecurity.  Springfield further emphasizes this point by the repetitive line, “what’s that sound? Everybody look-what’s going down?”  This musical phrase represents uncertainty and fear.  In the third verse, Springfield brings attention to the difficulty the young protesters were having gaining support “from behind.”  Just like the civil rights movement in the 1960s, when the young people of the Sunset Strip were denied their rights, they turned to protest.

Chris Rother

Ethos of "For What It's Worth"

“For What It’s Worth” by Buffalo Springfield was a song that heavily resonated with the hippies and war protesters of the 1960s.  Originally, the song was written in protest of curfews, but the interpretation quickly changed. Even though the song wasn’t composed to gear people against the war, it did exactly that. Music was a prime outlet of expression for people of this time period. Because of the expression through music, many bands of this era were a looked up to as a respectable source of information. Buffalo Springfield, in this song, simply wrote and sang what many people were already feeling at the time. This only worked to increase the band’s power of ethos over the public. The people’s passion for ending the war was mirrored in this song that went on to become a sort of “political anthem” for the US. 

-Christina Atchison

Ethos of the Greensboro Sit-in Photo

At first glance, this picture of the Greensboro sit-in wouldn’t seem like a huge deal. To southerners of the 1960s, however, this meant change was upon them. Most people of the time knew that blacks could not be served at the Woolworth Co. counter seats; so when they saw a photo of four black men siting at the counter they would immediately know something was off. When looking for ethos in a photograph, the main source is the photographer. Jack Moebes, a white southerner, captured the only picture of the first day of the sit-in. Quite obviously, white people during this time were thought of as knowledgeable. Smarts aside, a white man of the 60s would most likely be seen as a trustworthy individual. In contrast, black people of the south were not respected in the 60s. So when the public saw this photo, rather than seeing the sit-in as a good protest, they would see it through the  “southern, white man’s eyes” as that was who took the photo. This picture would be viewed as a wrongful, unjust protest.

-Christina Atchison

Logos of Photograph

               Still images typically do not use logos as a primary means of rhetoric, as a photograph does not usually contain enough information to establish a logical argument.  However, with some knowledge of the rhetorical situation, certain aspects of the photograph can give insight into the nature of the protest.  For example, all four men wear bored, but determined expressions.  The audience can therefore deduce that the movement is nonviolent.  Furthermore, the protesters appear to be prepared to devote an immense amount of time in order to achieve their goals.  Another interesting point is the lunch counter employee is also black.  Thus, the protest is not directed towards the employees, most of whom probably sympathize with the men.  Rather, the disagreement is between the store management/policy and the citizens it discriminates against.

Chris Rother

Audience

               Understanding the audience a piece of rhetoric is directed towards is essential.  The purpose and methods used will be drastically different based on the audience’s preconceptions of the subject.  In example one, the photographs audience was the Greensboro Record’s subscribers.  This audience was most likely diverse in background and opinion, as it is unlikely a town such as Greensboro would release multiple papers for different political affiliations.  As a result, the photograph, and the accompanying article, was taken to avoid disagreement that would harm the business.  The audience in the second example can be split into different categories.  The first is the Sunset Strip protesters the song is written for.  These people will have a stronger emotional connection with the song than those aware of, but not directly influenced by the curfew.  The final audience came about unintentionally.  Many people interpreted the song’s message differently, relating the message to the anti-Vietnam War movement instead of the originally intended protest.

Chris Rother

Rhetorical Situation of Photograph

               This photograph, taken in February, 1960 by Jack Moebes, shows four young men participating in the Greensboro Sit-Ins.  In accordance with common practices of the time, most businesses were segregated, either having a separate area for black customers, or refusing to serve them outright.  In protest, when the Woolworth department store refused to serve these students, they refused to leave.  In the following days, more and more people joined in protest, spreading to other segregated establishments in Greensboro and across the south.  For the most part, these protests remained peaceful, in accordance with the more popular approach to the racial equality movement.  The sit-in movement in many ways achieved success.  Apart from the desegregation of many businesses and other public facilities, the movement swept through the media, improving the awareness of the issue.  This particular image was taken on the second day of the protest, February, 2, for the Greensboro Record.  The article accompanying the photograph seems to approach the event without bias, neither supporting, nor attacking the group. 

Chris Rother

Rhetorical Situation of “For What it’s Worth”

Buffalo Springfield recorded the song “For What It’s Worth” on December 5, 1966. In November of the same year, a strict 10 p.m. curfew and several laws dealing with loitering were passed due to disgruntled residents of the area. Theses laws attempted to diminish the amount of traffic due to young people going to clubs. Outraged at this apparent infringement on their rights, the young club patrons demonstrated along the Sunset Strip in Los Angeles on November 12, 1966. Buffalo Springfield played as the band of the Whisky a Go Go, a club along the Sunset Strip. The first of the “Sunset Strip riots” inspired Buffalo Springfield to write “For What It’s Worth.” Since the song generically mentions the protest, it is often misunderstood as an anti-war song. Due to its simplicity, “For What it’s Worth” was incorporated as an anthem for larger social and political protests. Were it not for the strong political turbulence of the time, the song might have gone unnoticed. Because many believed this song evoked feelings of protest against war, and it was subsequently used in several films involving war, including the Vietnam scenes in “Forrest Gump.”

-Andrew Fein