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Young’s guitar at the end of the chorus is again restrained, but with the stretched notes intensifying, suggesting a sort of distortion or transformation taking place. The music continues to intensify in this verse, with ominously descending background vocals behind Stills’ voice. At the same time, he is again pointing out the divisiveness of the conflict. Fourth, it is a slang term for the police, finally giving some identity to the “man with the gun.” All these meanings resonate with the listener, given the context of the song.Īgain, the singer intentionally affirms the irrelevance of the issues being discussed, by referring to songs and signs “mostly saying hooray for our side,” without any further identification of what the sides represent. Third, it is a slang term for a pistol, and thus serves as a reminder of the gun mentioned in the first verse. Second, it could refer to an intensity of emotion, or to pressure and stress. First, it could refer to the actual temperature on the streets in L.A. It is interesting to see all the meanings of the word “heat” that are invoked in the first line. The next verse provides even more context, giving our first details of a specific event since the mention of the man with a gun in the first verse. While the pace is still sedate and the volume low, the addition of the electric guitar part does indicate that something is indeed happening, and the tremolo and bent notes give some premonition of what is to come. Neil Young plays an electric guitar break between the end of this chorus and the beginning of the next verse. The musical accompaniment suggests movement and increasing intensity. The emotional reserve of the singer now begins to make more sense, since the singer is suggesting that cooler heads prevail, that people stop and look at what they are creating. What is important is the increasing polarization and intensity of the situation, the fear and anger being generated. Seemingly, they are not of importance to the singer. Notice that the issues generating the controversy are not identified. It’s time we stop, hey, what’s that sound?
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The second verse gives some context to the dramatic confrontation presented in the first verse. Overall, the first verse presents 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. The term “children” is interesting, since it suggests youth and innocence, and reinforces the notion of a group needing protection. The chorus then summarizes what we know so far and issues a request for attention to some force that is threatening the singer’s community. The next two lines up the ante - saying that there is a “man with a gun” involved - but maintain the suspense, since we don’t know who the man is, why he has a gun, or what he intends to do with it. The singer says that “something is happening,” but we don’t yet have any idea what it is. Notice how the first two lines draw the listener in and create suspense. I think it’s time we stop, children, what’s that sound? ( Audio clip – 80K.) Finally Steve Stills’ voice enters, in a quiet, conversational tone. An acoustic guitar enters, strumming two chords, then beginning a quiet riff that is a definition of laid-back L.A. The drums set up a quiet pulse-like beat. An electric guitar plays two notes, slowly repeated, with tremolo. The beginning of the song is a study in understatement. For What It's Worth Recorded by Buffalo Springfield Written by Stephen Stills Produced by Charles Greene and Brian Stone