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For What It's Worth Lyrics
I got to sing, I got to dance
I got to be a part of a great romance
Still forbidden, still outrageous
Only a few around us knew
But no one said a word, it was contagious
Looked out the window and watched the cars fly by
I look at you and I start to cry
What you did was: you saved my life
I won't forget it
You said, even if I left my girlfriend
Packed up my stuff and loaded up my car
Drove down to your house with good intentions
Came through your door
For what it's worth
I got to love, I rode the rails
You came with me because you cared
I was broke and I was scared
You held my hand, took away my fears
We knew we couldn't last and that was hard
We looked out the windows, we watched the cars fly by
I look at you and I start to cry
What you did was: you saved my life
I won't forget it
You said, even if I left my girlfriend
Packed up my stuff and loaded up my car
Drove down to your house with good intentions
Came through your door
For what it's worth
I got to sing, I got to dance
I got to be a part of a great romance
Still forbidden, still outrageous
Only a few around us knew
But no one said a word, it was contagious
We looked out the windows, we watched the cars fly by
I look at you and I start to cry
What you did was: well, you saved my life
I won't forget it
You said, even if I left my girlfriend
Packed up my stuff and loaded up my car
Drove down to your house with good intentions
Came through your door
Oh, you said, even if I left my girlfriend
Packed up my stuff and loaded up my car
Drove down to your house with good intentions
And came through your door
For what it's worth
For what it's worth
For what it's worth
I got to be a part of a great romance
Still forbidden, still outrageous
Only a few around us knew
But no one said a word, it was contagious
I look at you and I start to cry
What you did was: you saved my life
I won't forget it
Packed up my stuff and loaded up my car
Drove down to your house with good intentions
Came through your door
For what it's worth
You came with me because you cared
I was broke and I was scared
You held my hand, took away my fears
We knew we couldn't last and that was hard
I look at you and I start to cry
What you did was: you saved my life
I won't forget it
Packed up my stuff and loaded up my car
Drove down to your house with good intentions
Came through your door
For what it's worth
I got to be a part of a great romance
Still forbidden, still outrageous
Only a few around us knew
But no one said a word, it was contagious
I look at you and I start to cry
What you did was: well, you saved my life
I won't forget it
Packed up my stuff and loaded up my car
Drove down to your house with good intentions
Came through your door
Packed up my stuff and loaded up my car
Drove down to your house with good intentions
And came through your door
For what it's worth
For what it's worth
For what it's worth
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I believe this song is sung from the point of view of a girl who was in a bad place in life, but a man came along and helped her get to a better place.
He was already in a relationship, but in the process of helping this girl, they became intimate. They both knew all along, however, the intimacy was not meant to last.
This song seems to take place at the moment he is telling her they can't continue to see each other as lovers. I envision them parked in a car "looking out the windows" and "watching the cars drive by" as they accept the fact they can no longer be intimate. She expresses her sincere appreciation for all he's done while at the same time lamenting that he cannot be hers.
To me she is singing to the one person who had courage enough to say "stop doing cocaine!" sort of like she's saying she had a good time but no one wanted to say enough is enough. "I got to sing I got to dance. I got to be the the part of a great romance" Still forbidden ( It was fun but forbidden now because as then and now) "Still outrageous" "Only a few around us knew but no one said a word it was contageous" (meaning no one said anything because they were all addicted too and didn't want to stop)"I rode the "rails"" (another coke reference) " you came with me because you cared. i was broken i was scared. you held my hand and took away my fear. we knew we couldn't last" "packed up my stuff come down to your house" (all sounds like 2 people on their way to rehab because they couldn't keep doing dope still) "that was hard" (to stop) (now years clean riding in a car again but not to rehab strikes the memories of that drive long ago with that same person) "look out the window and watch the cars fly by. i look at you and start to cry. What you did was save my life. i wont forget it." (speaks for itself right?)
Actually this particular song is about Dallas Taylor, the drummer from Crosby, Stills and Nash. He later became an interventionist and was working at the hospital where Stevie detoxed from Klonopin in 1994. He then formed a bond with Stevie, went with her on the Street Angel tour, and they had a little fling. And that's who she wrote this about, according to her. :) *Also, For What It's Worth as a title is a reference to the song by Buffalo Springfield.
@kaydelongp WTF? Are you kidding or what? She wrote it about Tom Petty and the time she toured with him and The Heartbreakers. She said it in an interview: https://ultimateclassicrock.com/stevie-nicks-new-single-for-what-its-worth-inspired-by-tour-with-tom-petty/. So it's better not to be ignorant and seek in the Internet for real information instead of writing nonsense things.
@kaydelongp WTF? Are you kidding or what? She wrote it about Tom Petty and the time she toured with him and The Heartbreakers. She said it in an interview: https://ultimateclassicrock.com/stevie-nicks-new-single-for-what-its-worth-inspired-by-tour-with-tom-petty/. So it's better not to be ignorant and seek in the Internet for real information instead of writing nonsense things.
@kaydelongp Allright sorry for being the bitchy, actually we both have the right - I have just learned that Stevie said that this song is both about Tom and that Dallas and she wrote this lyrics as a big "thank you" to them because those two supported her the most during her rehab time and helped her to cope with her life again as well.
@kaydelongp Allright sorry for being the bitchy, actually we both have the right - I have just learned that Stevie said that this song is both about Tom and that Dallas and she wrote this lyrics as a big "thank you" to them because those two supported her the most during her rehab time and helped her to cope with her life again as well.
The Ultimate Classic Rock article is actually incorrect. The only Petty connection is Mike Campbell, who wrote the musical track for "For What It's Worth." Stevie describes the entire story (rehab, traveling on a bus for the Street Angel Tour, writing the song in Maui in May 2010) in the 2013 In Your Dreams documentary. Stevie had "a great romance" with Dallas Taylor, who "rode the rails" with her on the Street Angel Tour. He saved her life on this tour, not the Petty one.
The Ultimate Classic Rock article is actually incorrect. The only Petty connection is Mike Campbell, who wrote the musical track for "For What It's Worth." Stevie describes the entire story (rehab, traveling on a bus for the Street Angel Tour, writing the song in Maui in May 2010) in the 2013 In Your Dreams documentary. Stevie had "a great romance" with Dallas Taylor, who "rode the rails" with her on the Street Angel Tour. He saved her life on this tour, not the Petty one.
I always thought it was about a lesbian relationship she might have had, relative to the line about leaving her girlfriend - it being a type of relationship that's "still forbidden, and few around us knew". It also sounds like she had a heterosexual relationship before knowing truly that she was more inclined to be with a woman. It's funny how everyone has their own interpretation of the same song - such is life.