Last Train to Clarksville
Encyclopedia
"Last Train to Clarksville" was the debut single by The Monkees
, released August 16, 1966, and later included on the group's 1966 self-titled album
, that was released on October 10, 1966. The song was recorded at RCA Victor
Studio B in Hollywood, on July 25, 1966. The song topped the Billboard Hot 100
on November 5, 1966.
' "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
. The opening/recurring guitar riff on the song "Find Your Way Back", written by Craig Chaquico
and performed by Jefferson Starship
on their 1980 album Modern Times
, is almost identical to the one on "Last Train" in note structure, but very dissimilar in tempo and meter.
The plot comprises a phone call from a military person to his wife / girlfriend, requesting that she 'get the last train to Clarksville' in order to have one last night together before he has to leave on his morning train. He doesn't know when he will return, so this may be a long or dangerous assignment.
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
, which is home to the 101st Airborne Division
— co-writer Bobby Hart states that this is a coincidence. "There's a little town in northern Arizona I used to go through in the summers on the way to Oak Creek Canyon called Clarkdale
," said Hart. "We were throwing out some names and then when we got to Clarkdale we stopped for a minute and thought that sounded pretty good. We thought maybe Clarksville would even be a little better. We didn't know at that time that there is an Army base near the town of Clarksville, Tennessee, which would have fit the bill fine."
The song was used in an Army produced film shown to new inductees, as early as November, 1967, and at least in the big induction center at Ft. Jackson, South Carolina. It played as the film showed new recruits getting off the train at Ft. Jackson, and would get a big laugh from the men watching the film.
, in 1968 on their album From Hank, Bruce, Brian & John (instrumental version).
Riblja Corba
, a 1980s Serbian rock band did a cover "Zadnji voz za Cacak".
On January 15, 2008, a cover of the song was made available as downloadable content for the music video game
series Rock Band. The January 2009 issue of PlayStation: The Official Magazine lists The Monkees' "Last Train to Clarksville" as fourth on its list of Rock Band’s "Five Most Unexpectedly Rockin' Downloadable Songs."
Martika
as 'Gloria' on Kids Incorporated
covered the song in the 1985 episode "The Abominable Show-Man".
The Grascals
recorded a bluegrass rendition of the song on their album The Famous Lefty Flynn's.
George Benson
, in 1968 on his album Shape of Things to Come (instrumental).
Cassandra Wilson
recorded a slow and sad version on her 1995 album New Moon Daughter
.
Michael Jackson
, recorded a more up tempo version of the song in the summer of 2000.
The Four Tops
covered the song on their 1967 album Reach Out along with I'm a Believer
.
A sitar
-driven instrumental version of the song was used as incidental music in an episode of the television sitcom Outsourced
.
The Monkees
The Monkees are an American pop rock group. Assembled in Los Angeles in 1966 by Robert "Bob" Rafelson and Bert Schneider for the American television series The Monkees, which aired from 1966 to 1968, the musical acting quartet was composed of Americans Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith and Peter Tork,...
, released August 16, 1966, and later included on the group's 1966 self-titled album
The Monkees (album)
The Monkees is the first album by the band The Monkees. It was released in October 1966 by Colgems Records in the United States and RCA Records in the rest of the world. It was the first of four consecutive U.S. number one albums for the group, taking the top spot on the Billboard 200 for 13 weeks....
, that was released on October 10, 1966. The song was recorded at RCA Victor
RCA Records
RCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1985 and a partner from 1985 to 1986.RCA's Canadian unit is Sony's oldest label...
Studio B in Hollywood, on July 25, 1966. The song topped the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
on November 5, 1966.
Song
The song has been compared to The BeatlesThe Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
' "Paperback Writer
Paperback Writer
"Paperback Writer" is a 1966 song recorded and released by The Beatles. Written by Paul McCartney and credited to Lennon–McCartney, the song was released as the A-side of their eleventh single...
", both in the style of "jangly" guitar and the chord structure. It also resembles the guitar riff in "Blue's Theme", by Davie Allan
Davie Allan
Davie Allan is a guitarist best known for his work on soundtracks to various teen and biker movies in the 1960s. Allan's backing band is almost always the Arrows , although the Arrows have never been a stable lineup....
and the Arrows, from the Peter Fonda
Peter Fonda
Peter Henry Fonda is an American actor. He is the son of Henry Fonda, brother of Jane Fonda, and father of Bridget and Justin Fonda...
biker movie The Wild Angels
The Wild Angels
The Wild Angels is a 1966 Roger Corman film, made on location in Southern California. The Wild Angels was made three years before Easy Rider and was the first film to associate actor Peter Fonda with Harley-Davidson motorcycles and 1960s counterculture...
. The opening/recurring guitar riff on the song "Find Your Way Back", written by Craig Chaquico
Craig Chaquico
Craig Chaquico is an American guitarist of Portuguese and Native American descent. He has had over thirty years of success in a variety of genres: in the 1970s with the post-Summer of Love Jefferson Starship, in that band's 1980s incarnation, Starship, and in the 1990s and 2000s as a...
and performed by Jefferson Starship
Jefferson Starship
Jefferson Starship is an American rock band formed in the early 1970s. The group is a spin-off from the iconic 1960s psychedelic/folk group Jefferson Airplane. The band has undergone several major changes in personnel and genres through the years while retaining the same Jefferson Starship name...
on their 1980 album Modern Times
Modern Times (Jefferson Starship album)
- Personnel :* Craig Chaquico – lead guitar, rhythm guitar, synthesizer on "Find Your Way Back", "Mary", and "Free", steel drums on "Mary"* Aynsley Dunbar – drums, percussion, marimba on "Mary", synthesizer on "Free"...
, is almost identical to the one on "Last Train" in note structure, but very dissimilar in tempo and meter.
The plot comprises a phone call from a military person to his wife / girlfriend, requesting that she 'get the last train to Clarksville' in order to have one last night together before he has to leave on his morning train. He doesn't know when he will return, so this may be a long or dangerous assignment.
Though the Clarksville in the song's title appears to refer to the city of Clarksville, Tennessee
Clarksville, Tennessee
Clarksville is a city in and the county seat of Montgomery County, Tennessee, United States, and the fifth largest city in the state. The population was 132,929 in 2010 United States Census...
— and by implication to nearby Fort Campbell, Kentucky
Fort Campbell
Fort Campbell is a United States Army installation located astraddle the Kentucky-Tennessee border between Hopkinsville, Kentucky, and Clarksville, Tennessee...
, which is home to the 101st Airborne Division
101st Airborne Division
The 101st Airborne Division—the "Screaming Eagles"—is a U.S. Army modular light infantry division trained for air assault operations. During World War II, it was renowned for its role in Operation Overlord, the D-Day landings on 6 June 1944, in Normandy, France, Operation Market Garden, the...
— co-writer Bobby Hart states that this is a coincidence. "There's a little town in northern Arizona I used to go through in the summers on the way to Oak Creek Canyon called Clarkdale
Clarkdale, Arizona
Clarkdale is a town in Yavapai County, Arizona, United States. According to 2006 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the town is 3,836.Clarkdale, formerly a mining town, is now largely a retirement community with an eye for the arts.-History:...
," said Hart. "We were throwing out some names and then when we got to Clarkdale we stopped for a minute and thought that sounded pretty good. We thought maybe Clarksville would even be a little better. We didn't know at that time that there is an Army base near the town of Clarksville, Tennessee, which would have fit the bill fine."
The song was used in an Army produced film shown to new inductees, as early as November, 1967, and at least in the big induction center at Ft. Jackson, South Carolina. It played as the film showed new recruits getting off the train at Ft. Jackson, and would get a big laugh from the men watching the film.
Chart positions
| Chart (1966) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 1 |
| Chart (1967) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles Chart | 23 |
Covers
The ShadowsThe Shadows
The Shadows are a British pop group with a total of 69 UK hit-charted singles: 35 as 'The Shadows' and 34 as 'Cliff Richard and the Shadows', from the 1950s to the 2000s. Cliff Richard in casual conversation with the British rock press frequently refers to the Shadows by their nickname: 'The Shads'...
, in 1968 on their album From Hank, Bruce, Brian & John (instrumental version).
Riblja Corba
Riblja Corba
Riblja Čorba is a Serbian and former Yugoslav rock band. Their presence on the scene has lasted from 1978 to today. They reached their peak of popularity in the 1980s, but it has declined in the 1990s, partly due to controversial political attitudes of the band's leader Bora Đorđević...
, a 1980s Serbian rock band did a cover "Zadnji voz za Cacak".
On January 15, 2008, a cover of the song was made available as downloadable content for the music video game
Music video game
A music video game, also commonly known as a music game, is a video game where the gameplay is meaningfully and often almost entirely oriented around the player's interactions with a musical score or individual songs...
series Rock Band. The January 2009 issue of PlayStation: The Official Magazine lists The Monkees' "Last Train to Clarksville" as fourth on its list of Rock Band’s "Five Most Unexpectedly Rockin' Downloadable Songs."
Martika
Martika
Martika is an American pop singer-songwriter and actress. As a singer she released two internationally successful albums in the late 1980s and early 1990s, selling over four million copies worldwide.-Early life and career:Martika entered mainstream show business in an uncredited role as one of the...
as 'Gloria' on Kids Incorporated
Kids Incorporated
Kids Incorporated, is an American children's television program that was produced from 1984 to 1993. It was largely a youth-oriented program with musical performances as an integral part of each and every storyline....
covered the song in the 1985 episode "The Abominable Show-Man".
The Grascals
The Grascals
The Grascals is a six-piece bluegrass band hailing from Nashville, Tennessee. Founded in 2004, the band has since gained a level of notability by playing on the Grand Ole Opry and in bluegrass festivals around the country....
recorded a bluegrass rendition of the song on their album The Famous Lefty Flynn's.
George Benson
George Benson
George Benson is a ten Grammy Award winning American musician, whose production career began at the age of twenty-one as a jazz guitarist....
, in 1968 on his album Shape of Things to Come (instrumental).
Cassandra Wilson
Cassandra Wilson
Cassandra Wilson is an American jazz musician, vocalist, songwriter, and producer from Jackson, Mississippi. Described by critic Gary Giddins as "a singer blessed with an unmistakable timbre and attack [who has] expanded the playing field" by incorporating country, blues and folk music into her...
recorded a slow and sad version on her 1995 album New Moon Daughter
New Moon Daughter
New Moon Daughter is a studio album by American jazz singer Cassandra Wilson, released in 1995 on Blue Note. It reached No. 1 on the Billboard Top Jazz Albums chart in 1996.-Reception:...
.
Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
, recorded a more up tempo version of the song in the summer of 2000.
The Four Tops
Four Tops
The Four Tops are an American vocal quartet, whose repertoire has included doo-wop, jazz, soul music, R&B, disco, adult contemporary, hard rock, and showtunes...
covered the song on their 1967 album Reach Out along with I'm a Believer
I'm a Believer
"I'm a Believer" is a song composed by Neil Diamond and recorded by The Monkees in 1966 with the lead vocals by Micky Dolenz. The single, produced by Jeff Barry, hit the number one spot on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart for the week ending December 31, 1966 and remained there for seven weeks,...
.
A sitar
Sitar
The 'Tablaman' is a plucked stringed instrument predominantly used in Hindustani classical music, where it has been ubiquitous since the Middle Ages...
-driven instrumental version of the song was used as incidental music in an episode of the television sitcom Outsourced
Outsourced (TV series)
Outsourced is an American television sitcom set in an Indian workplace. It was based on the John Jeffcoat film of the same name and adapted by Ken Kwapis and Universal Media Studios for NBC. The series originally ran from September 23, 2010 to May 12, 2011...
.