Last Train to Clarksville

"Last Train To Clarksville"
Single by The Monkees
from the album The Monkees
B-side	"Take a Giant Step"
Released	August 16, 1966
Format	7" 45rpm
Recorded	July 25, 1966 at RCA Victor Studio B, Hollywood, California
Genre	Pop rock
Length	2:46
Label	Colgems single #1001
Writer(s)	Tommy Boyce, Bobby Hart
Producer	Tommy Boyce, Bobby Hart
The Monkees singles chronology
"Last Train to Clarksville" (1966) "I'm a Believer" (1966)

"Last Train to Clarksville" is the debut single by The Monkees, released August 16, 1966, and later included on the group's 1966 self-titled album, which was released on October 10, 1966. The song was recorded at RCA Victor Studio B in Hollywood, on July 25, 1966. and was already on the Boss Hit Bounds on 17 August 1966. The song topped the Billboard Hot 100 on November 5, 1966.

Song

The song has been compared to The Beatles' "Paperback Writer", in the style of "jangly" guitar, the chord structure and the vocal harmonies. The Beatles song had been number one in the US charts three months earlier. 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 plot comprises a phone call from a young man who has been drafted 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 and he doesn't know if he will be coming back as he may be killed.

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.^{[citation needed]}

Chart positions

Chart (1966)	Peak position
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	1

Chart (1967)	Peak position
UK Singles Chart	23

Covers

Ed Bruce, in a March 1967 single on RCA.

Los Larks, in 1967 on their album Sound Go-Go.

The Argentinean singer Jhonny Tedesco and Los Supersonicos in 1967 on an album titled Jhonny Tedesco con los Supersonicos

The Shadows, 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.

Plastics released a cover of the song on a 7" flexi disc included with their first album "Welcome Plastics".

The Crawdaddies in 2001 recorded a Cajun Rock version of the song for their album "Spice it Up"

External links

• Full lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics

Preceded by "96 Tears" by ? & the Mysterians

Billboard Hot 100 number one single November 5, 1966 (one week)

Succeeded by "Poor Side of Town" by Johnny Rivers