Exclusive Interview: How The Monkees’ 'Last Train to Clarksville' Hid a Protest Message and Hit #1
Last Train to Clarksville by The Monkees is a song with a secret message. One that never would have gotten airplay if the music industry knew what this squeaky clean band was putting out. And though it seems pretty obvious in hindsight, not everyone got what Last Train was really about. The song’s controversial message was camouflaged by a jangly, upbeat sound and performed by a band that had been manufactured in a lab. The Monkees didn’t write any of their own music, at least not at first. Later though they would fight the power for a chance to write and record their own music. Today, we’re…
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