A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs Episode 144: “Last Train to Clarksville” by the Monkees
Feb 15, 2022
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Sadler's Strange Story
- Barry Sadler, a Vietnam medic, wrote the 1966 hit "Ballad of the Green Berets".
- Later, he killed a songwriter and was shot himself.
Vietnam War Background
- The Vietnam War, rooted in European colonialism and Cold War tensions, became a proxy war between the US and USSR.
- The war's impact on young Americans spurred anti-war sentiment reflected in popular music.
Protest Songs Emerge
- Anti-war sentiment entered pop music with songs like Buffy Sainte-Marie's "Universal Soldier".
- Ironically, pro-war answer songs also emerged, demonstrating pop culture's financial, not ideological, motives.