Songfacts®:

• Written by Chicago trombone player James Pankow and keyboard player Robert Lamm, this song is about the 1968 Democratic National Convention in the group's hometown of Chicago, where police beat antiwar demonstrators outside the venue in what was later deemed a "police riot." The violence at the convention was big news, energizing the protest movement. CBS reporter Mike Wallace was famously caught in the fray, getting punched in the face inside the convention hall.
• The song starts with a 57-section called "Prologue, August 29, 1968," which is audio of the crowd at the convention chanting, "The whole world is watching." This chant returns in the middle of the song.
• Robert Lamm and Peter Cetera shared lead vocals on this track.
• August 29, 1968 was the last night of the Democratic National Convention and saw Hubert Humphrey secure the nomination. The famous chant took place a day earlier.
• This is a track from the first Chicago album, which is titled after the name they were using at the time, Chicago Transit Authority. The group was much more politically inclined at this time, as were many musical acts.