Listen to Billy Porter's Timely Remake of “For What It's Worth”

Porter was born two years after the original version of “For What It’s Worth” was released, but he says he was already familiar with it when his manager suggested he cut his own version. “That song is ubiquitous,” Porter says. “It’s in every [Vietnam] war movie ever made. It’sWhen Porter read over the lyrics, they struck him as attuned to the times in ways he hadn’t expected. “I looked at the lyrics and they reminded me very much of our news cycle,” he says.

Working with producer Zack Arnett last September, Porter adhered to some parts of the original — the stark drum beat and a recreation of Neil Young’s spooky guitar notes — but also gave it an R&B and hip-hop feel. “I wanted it to be like Aretha Franklin’s version of ‘Eleanor Rigby,’” he says. “I wanted to honor the original intention while holding on to who I am and where I come from.”

Porter improvised a new ending, where he riffs and improvs on the word “change.” “It all came out organically,” he says. “I knew I wanted to say something and it needed to be positive and hopeful, and I was just singing over the end. In the news cycle, I find there’s a lot of complaining and a lot of statements and observations, but not a lot of focus on how we change or address things. So I wanted to offer some hope.

For his part, Stills says he is “both proud and delighted” that Porter revived the song. “For many years no one tried to ‘make it theirs’ as covers are supposed to do,” he says. “That an artist of Billy’s caliber has chosen to add his flourish to my song from so many years ago is totally in keeping with what I intended.

Although the “everybody look what’s goin’ down” hook has also taken on a new context in light of the coronavirus, Porter also feels theadheres to its original goal of encouraging people to vote this November.

That’s not happening.

Sweet! Has reminded me to listen to BobSeger’s cover of Love The One You’re With again.

Truly a song for times of unrest and struggle with distant rumblings of revolution drawing nearer which, of course, are all times. 🎶

Great version of a song we need to hear now and always — the fight is tougher from our isolation pods, but the word must be spread. Thanks to Mr Porter and Mr Stills.

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Hear A New Song From Billy Porter, Plus His Quarantine RecommendationsFor the first time, the pandemic is letting Billy Porter focus on writing, which he's doing for five hours every morning. One finished product: His new song, 'For What It's Worth.' Listen to it here. We care, exactly, why? Millions of Amerikans are suffering financially and emotionally as a result of our lack of leadership, and we need to be plagued with this garbage. Time to block . Love him No mention of this in this article, but I feel it's important, as the article reads like this is a revolutionary brand new song... This song is a cover of For What it's Worth by Buffalo Springfield. He did a great job with it, but it's worth pointing out, it's a cover.
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