For What It's Worth

Prompt #50 by Buffalo Springfield

I am truly thankful for everyone who participated in last week’s prompt, True, by Spandau Ballet. We are approaching the one year anniversary for the Jukebox, and you all, this community of Readers, Writers, and Musicians, are what it’s all about. Thank you for your support. 🙏

I've decided to publish a Stories from the Jukebox Feature Winner Anthology! There are just two prompts left until the Jukebox celebrates its one year anniversary.

Want to see your name in print this Fall? Subscribe and submit to a SFTJ prompt before August 10th! All subscriber submissions are eligible. *See submission rules below.

Week #49 Feature🏆

This week’s feature goes to Good Boy Records for his memoir submission, Only You Will Appreciate This… Colin is a masterful storyteller, and this second-hand tale is a great example. Follow his mate Robert, as he chases down Spandau Ballet’s Tony Hadley across London.

I grew up on classic rock, and all that New Romantic business of frilly shirts, eyeliner and dressing like Lord Byron had wandered into a fancy-dress shop just wasn’t for me. Still, whenever True comes on, I usually reach for the off switch. Except this time, because the song prompt reminded me of my old mate Robert.

Only You Will Appreciate This...

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Here’s this week’s prompt, For What It’s Worth, by Buffalo Springfield!

"For What It's Worth (Stop, Hey What's That Sound)", is a song written by Stephen Stills, first recorded by Buffalo Springfield on December 5, 1966. (Via Wikipedia)

“For What It’s Worth” was released as a single on Atco Records in December 1966; it peaked at no. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the spring of 1967. The song is often associated with the Vietnam War because students, "flower children" and other young people often clashed with police at anti-war protests and other demonstrations during the counterculture era.

Although “For What It’s Worth” is often considered an anti-war song, Stephen Stills was inspired to write the song because of the Sunset Strip curfew riots in Los Angeles in November 1966, a series of early counterculture-era clashes that took place between police and young people on the Sunset Strip in Hollywood, California, the same year Buffalo Springfield had become the house band at the Whisky a Go Go.

On Saturday, November 12, 1966, fliers were distributed on the Sunset Strip inviting people to join demonstrations later that day. Several of Los Angeles's rock radio stations also announced a rally outside the Pandora's Box club on the corner of Sunset Boulevard and Crescent Heights. That evening, as many as 1,000 young demonstrators, including future celebrities such as Jack Nicholson and Peter Fonda (who was handcuffed by police) gathered to protest against the curfew's enforcement. Although the rallies began peacefully, trouble eventually broke out. The unrest continued the next night, and periodically throughout the rest of November and December, forcing some clubs to shut down for weeks. It was against the background of these civil disturbances that Stills recorded "For What It's Worth" on December 5, 1966.

Calling all Poets, Fiction, & Non-Fiction writers that love music — Share your prose of 1500 words or less, using the prompt, For What It’s Worth.

Remember:

• Each Tuesday I’ll publish a newsletter with that week’s song prompt — along with a featured writer’s submission from the previous week.

• Anyone is then free to run with it! Just add the link to your story or prose in the comments of this newsletter.

• Subscribers to Stories from the Jukebox, also have a chance to be featured in the following week’s newsletter and yearly Anthology. And I’ll do my best to give feedback and restack each submission.

There’s always rules:

1. All forms of prose are welcome, just keep it under 1500 words.

2. Submissions must be published by midnight on Monday, August 10th, 2026. (this newsletter is sent to subscribers at midnight)

3. Submissions must include a tag/link to this week’s Song Prompt Newsletter embedded within the post.

While anyone is welcome to add their post in the comments at any time — all rules must be followed for a post to be eligible to be featured or shared.

How would you like to pick our prompt? Find out how to join our revolving list of Headliners here.

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This week’s prompt, For What It’s Worth, was chosen by soon to be novelist Phillip Slater. As a Founding Member of Stories from the Jukebox, Phillip is no stranger to picking our prompts. And yet each time, he steps up with an awesome prompt and contribution.

But before we get to his Headliner Submission, I want to let you in on a little secret. Phillip is going to release his first novel, The World According to Arthur, this Fall! And leading up to its release, he is publishing little vignettes by Arthur. Here’s his latest story, Mental Health.

Here’s our Headliner, For What It’s Worth, by Phillip Slater!

For What It’s Worth…

In October 2017, after many years of dancing in the dark, I was diagnosed with anxiety and depression.

A formal acknowledgement of what I’d known for a long time: I suffer from depression. The Big D and me, rocking along, singing our miserable song.

Do you see what I did there?

For What It’s Worth…

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Do you know a reader or writer that’d be perfect for this prompt? Share it with them!

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