Billy Porter closed out night one of the Democratic National Convention Monday with a performance of his take on Buffalo Springfield’s “For What It’s Worth” — accompanied by original songwriter Stephen Stills
was virtual this year in light of the pandemic, the performance took the form of a trippy music video in which Porter sang in front of the flag and images of recent police brutality protests — with Stills dropping in with his guitar.
Porter dropped his remake of the 1966 protest classic in April 2020 — notably before the protests sparked by the police killing of George Floyd. “I looked at the lyrics and they reminded me very much of our news cycle,”. “In the sense that it puts what’s happening right out in front.” Little did he know that the song would become ever more relevant as the election drew nearer.
Working with producer Zack Arnett last September, Porter preserved much of the original song, injecting a bit of R&B and hip-hop. “I wanted to honor the original intention while holding on to who I am and where I come from,” he said. At the end of the track, he also added a riff on the word “change,” a fitting statement for the DNC. “I knew I wanted to say something and it needed to be positive and hopeful, and I was just singing over the end,” he said.
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