Last Train to Clarksville
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| “Last Train to Clarksville” | |||||
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| Single by The Monkees | |||||
| B-side | "Take a Giant Step" | ||||
| Released | August 16 1966 | ||||
| Label | Colgems 66-1001 | ||||
| Writer(s) | Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart | ||||
| The Monkees singles chronology | |||||
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"Last Train to Clarksville" is the debut and number-one single by The Monkees, included on the group's 1966 self-titled album, that was released two months later.
Recorded at RCA Records Studio A, Hollywood, on 25 July 1966, "Last Train to Clarksville" peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States.
[edit] Song
According to the song's authors, Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart, the song is their protest of the Vietnam War and tells the story of a young man who has been drafted. He is waiting for the train that will take him to an army base, and he knows he may die in Vietnam. At the end of the song he states, "I don't know if I'm ever coming home."[1] Like many hit Monkees songs of the era ("Cuddly Toy", "Pleasant Valley Sunday"), the song pairs a fast, chipper melody with darker lyrics. Micky Dolenz performs the lead vocals, with Boyce playing acoustic guitar.
The song has been compared to The Beatles' "Paperback Writer", both in the style of "jangly" guitar and the chord structure. It also resembles the guitar riff in "Blue's Theme", by Davie Allan and the Arrows, from the Peter Fonda biker movie The Wild Angels.
Though the Clarksville in the song's title appears to refer to the city of Clarksville, Tennessee, and by implication to nearby Fort Campbell, Kentucky, Hart claims that this is a coincidence and that the choice of the name "Clarksville" was settled on after other names like Clarksdale had been rejected. There are a few other "Clarksvilles" in the U.S., near military training centers, where the song could be set, which helped to make the song a favorite for many people during the Vietnam War.
[edit] Covers
The Plastics covered this song (in their electropop style) on their debut album Welcome Plastics.
Cassandra Wilson recorded a jazz cover of the song on her 1995 album New Moon Daughter.
On January 15, 2008, a cover of the song was made available as downloadable content for the music video game Rock Band.[2]
The Standells did a cover version in 1966 on their album The Hot Ones.
George Benson has done an instrumental version in his jazzy style.
It was also covered by the Four Tops on their album Reach Out.
Riblja Čorba released a Serbian language cover titled "Zadnji voz za Čačak" (trans. "Last Train to Čačak") on their 1987 album Ujed za dušu.
| Preceded by "96 Tears" by Question Mark & the Mysterians |
Billboard Hot 100 number one single November 5, 1966 (one week) |
Succeeded by "Poor Side of Town" by Johnny Rivers |
[edit] References
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