"Ballad of the Green Berets" is a patriotic song in the ballad style about the
Green BeretsThe United States Army Special Forces, also known as Green Berets, is a Special Operations Force of the United States Army tasked with five primary missions: unconventional warfare, foreign internal defense, special reconnaissance, direct action, and counter-terrorism. The first two emphasize...
, an elite special force in the
U.S. ArmyThe United States Army is the branch of the United States Military responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military and is one of seven uniformed services...
. It is one of the very few songs of the 1960s to cast the military in a positive light and yet it became a major hit, reaching number one on the Billboard Charts for five weeks in 1966. It was also a multi-market smash, reaching #1 on Billboard's Easy Listening chart, and #2 on Billboard's Country survey.
The song was written by
Robin MooreRobert Lowell "Robin" Moore, Jr. was an American writer who is most known for his books The Green Berets, The French Connection: A True Account of Cops, Narcotics, and International Conspiracy and, with Xaviera Hollander and Yvonne Dunleavy, The Happy Hooker: My Own Story.Moore also co-authored...
and
Staff Sgt.Staff Sergeant is a rank of non-commissioned officer used in several countries.The origin of the name is that they were part of the staff of a British army regiment and paid at that level rather than as a member of a battalion or company.-Australia:...
Barry SadlerBarry Sadler was an American author and musician. Sadler served as a Green Beret medic and Staff Sergeant in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War...
, while the latter was recuperating from a leg wound suffered as a medic in the
Vietnam WarThe Vietnam War or the Second Indochina War was a Cold War military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1959 to 30 April 1975...
.
"Ballad of the Green Berets" is a patriotic song in the ballad style about the
Green BeretsThe United States Army Special Forces, also known as Green Berets, is a Special Operations Force of the United States Army tasked with five primary missions: unconventional warfare, foreign internal defense, special reconnaissance, direct action, and counter-terrorism. The first two emphasize...
, an elite special force in the
U.S. ArmyThe United States Army is the branch of the United States Military responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military and is one of seven uniformed services...
. It is one of the very few songs of the 1960s to cast the military in a positive light and yet it became a major hit, reaching number one on the Billboard Charts for five weeks in 1966. It was also a multi-market smash, reaching #1 on Billboard's Easy Listening chart, and #2 on Billboard's Country survey.
The song was written by
Robin MooreRobert Lowell "Robin" Moore, Jr. was an American writer who is most known for his books The Green Berets, The French Connection: A True Account of Cops, Narcotics, and International Conspiracy and, with Xaviera Hollander and Yvonne Dunleavy, The Happy Hooker: My Own Story.Moore also co-authored...
and
Staff Sgt.Staff Sergeant is a rank of non-commissioned officer used in several countries.The origin of the name is that they were part of the staff of a British army regiment and paid at that level rather than as a member of a battalion or company.-Australia:...
Barry SadlerBarry Sadler was an American author and musician. Sadler served as a Green Beret medic and Staff Sergeant in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War...
, while the latter was recuperating from a leg wound suffered as a medic in the
Vietnam WarThe Vietnam War or the Second Indochina War was a Cold War military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1959 to 30 April 1975...
. Moore also wrote a
non-fictionNonfiction is an account or representation of a subject which is presented as fact. This presentation may be accurate or not; that is, it can give either a true or a false account of the subject in question. However, it is generally assumed that the authors of such accounts believe them to be...
book,
The Green BeretsThe Green Berets is a book written by Robin Moore about the Green Berets during the Vietnam War. First published in 1965, it became a best-selling paperback in 1966. The latest edition was published in 2007.-Background:...
, about the force.
Popularity
The recording of the song was the number one hit in the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
for five weeks in 1966 and was the number twenty-one song of 1960s, despite the later unpopularity of the Vietnam War. Refer to
United States Army Special Forces in popular cultureMembers of the U.S. Army Special Forces will emphatically assert that the "Green Beret" is a hat and not the man who wears it. Nevertheless, for a time in the 1960s the Green Berets and the men who wore them became a national fad emerging in a wide variety of popular culture referents...
It has sold over nine million singles and albums. It was the top single of a year in which the
British InvasionThe British Invasion is used to describe rock and roll, beat and pop performers from the United Kingdom who became popular in the United States from 1964 to 1966. The Second British Invasion refers to MTV and New Wave acts of the 1980s...
, led by
the BeatlesThe Beatles were an English rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960 who became one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed bands in the history of popular music...
and
the Rolling StonesThe Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in 1962 in London when multi-instrumentalist Brian Jones and pianist Ian Stewart were joined by vocalist Mick Jagger and guitarist Keith Richards. Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early lineup...
, dominated the U.S. charts.
It is currently used as one of the four primary
marching tunesA marching band is, in the broadest terms, a group of performers that consist of instrumental musicians and sometimes dance teams / color guard who generally perform outdoors and incorporate some type of marching with their musical performance. Instrumentation typically includes brass, woodwinds,...
of the
Fightin' Texas Aggie BandThe Fightin' Texas Aggie Band is the official marching band of Texas A&M University. Composed of over 400 men and women from the school's Corps of Cadets, it is the largest military marching band in the world...
.
In film
The song is heard in a choral rendition by
Ken DarbyKen Darby was an American composer, vocal arranger, and conductor. He has shared in winning an Oscar three times and was nominated for three others:...
in the 1968
John WayneMarion Mitchell Morrison , born Marion Robert Morrison, better known by his stage name John Wayne, was an American film actor, director and producer. He epitomized rugged masculinity and has become an enduring American icon. He is famous for his distinctive voice, walk and height...
film
The Green BeretsThe Green Berets is a 1968 film featuring John Wayne, George Takei, David Janssen, Jim Hutton, and Aldo Ray, nominally based on the eponymous 1965 book by Robin Moore, though the screenplay has little relation to the book....
, which was based on Moore's book. The score of the movie was never released as an album until
Film Score MonthlyFilm Score Monthly is an online magazine founded by editor-in-chief and executive producer Lukas Kendall in June 1990 as The Soundtrack Correspondence List...
released it in 2005. A film
tie-inA tie-in is an authorized product based on a media property a company is releasing, such as a movie or video/DVD, computer game, video game, television program/television series, board game, web site, role-playing game or literary property...
featuring artwork from the film and a
cover versionIn popular music, a cover version, or simply cover, is a new rendition of a previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
by
Ennio MorriconeEnnio Morricone, OMRI , is an Italian composer and conductor. He has composed and arranged scores for more than 500 film and television productions. Morricone is considered as one of the most influential film composers since the late 1950s...
was released in Europe, though the other tracks on the album were soundtracks from
A Fistful of DollarsA Fistful of Dollars is a 1964 western film directed by Sergio Leone and starring Clint Eastwood alongside Gian Maria Volontè, Marianne Koch, Wolfgang Lukschy, José Calvo and Joseph Egger. Released in Italy in 1964 then in the United States in 1967, it initiated the popularity of the Spaghetti...
and
For a Few Dollars MoreFor a Few Dollars More is a 1965 spaghetti western film directed by Sergio Leone and starring Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef and Gian Maria Volontè. German actor Klaus Kinski also plays a supporting role as a secondary villain...
.
The song appears in the films
More American GraffitiMore American Graffiti is the 1979 sequel film to George Lucas's hit film American Graffiti. Whereas the first film followed a group of friends during the summer evening before they set off for college, this film shows us where the characters from the first film end up a few years later.Most cast...
and
Canadian Bacon. It can be heard in the gun show scene from the 2002 film
ShowtimeShowtime is a 2002 comedy/action film starring Eddie Murphy and Robert De Niro and directed by Tom Dey.-Synopsis:Its plot centers around two cops Mitch Preston , and Trey Sellars at odds who are paired together for a reality police show and run into real trouble with a crime lord...
, and in the film
Jesus' SonJesus' Son is a 1999 film adapted from a collection of short stories of the same name by Denis Johnson. It starred Billy Crudup, Samantha Morton, Holly Hunter, Dennis Hopper, Denis Leary, Will Patton, John Ventimiglia, Michael Shannon and Jack Black...
, in a scene that features a hitch-hiking
Jack BlackJack Black , is an American actor and musician, notably of Tenacious D.Jack Black may also refer to:* Jack Black , late 19th - early 20th Century author and hobo* Jack Black , drummer for 70s UK punk band The Boys...
.
Covers and derivatives
There are many
cover versionIn popular music, a cover version, or simply cover, is a new rendition of a previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
s of the song including in different languages rewritten to reference local units, these include
- The Royal Netherlands Army's Korps Commandotroepen
The Korps Commandotroepen are the elite special forces of the Royal Netherlands Army. It is one of the two principal units tasked with special operations in the Netherlands , and it is deployable anywhere in the world under any circumstance, conducting all conceivable missions from...
(KCT) use the original lyrics. The only difference is that in the chorus, instead of singing "These are men, America's best", they sing "These are men, The Netherlands' best". Also in the final chorus, referring to the son of a deceased Green Beret, they sing "Make him one of The Netherlands' best". This version of the original ballad is sung to recruits who have successfully completed the harsh Basic Commando Training (ECO), and who receive their Green Beret.
- Rhodesian singer-songwriter John Edmond
John Edmond is a Rhodesian folk singer who became popular in the 1970s for his Rhodesian patriotic songs. He reached the height of his fame during the Rhodesian Bush War. He was sometimes called the "Bush Cat". During his childhood, he and his parents moved between Scotland and Central Africa...
recorded the "Ballad of the Green Berets" with reference to the soldiers of the Rhodesian Light InfantryThe 1st Battalion, The Rhodesian Light Infantry was a regular airborne commando regiment in the Rhodesian army. The RLI was originally formed as a light infantry regiment in 1961, reformed as a commando Battalion in 1965, became a parachute Battalion in 1977 and was disbanded at the end of the...
(RLI), commando-style fireforce units of Rhodesian Security Forces who wore berets of greenGreen is a color, the perception of which is evoked by light having a spectrum dominated by energy with a wavelength of roughly 520–570 nanometres. In the subtractive color system, it is not a primary color, but is created out of a mixture of yellow and blue, or yellow and cyan; it is considered...
colorColor or colour is the visual perceptual property corresponding in humans to the categories called red, yellow, blue and others. Color derives from the spectrum of light interacting in the eye with the spectral sensitivities of the light receptors...
. Also, in South AfricaThe Republic of South Africa is a country located at the southern tip of Africa, with a coastline on the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. To the north lie Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe, to the east are Mozambique and Swaziland, while Lesotho is an independent country surrounded by South Africa.Modern...
, the "Ballad of the Green Berets" was recorded as the "Ballad of the Maroon Berets". The Maroon beretThe maroon beret is a military beret and has been an international symbol of elite airborne forces since it was chosen for British airborne forces in World War II. This distinctive head dress was officially introduced in 1942, at the direction of General Frederick Browning, commander of the British...
is a symbol of the South African Special Forces BrigadeThe South African Special Forces Brigade is the main Special Forces unit of the South African National Defence Force ....
and the South African 44 Parachute Regiment44 Parachute Regiment is the South African Army's chief airborne infantry unit. It was created in 2000 by redesignating 44 Parachute Brigade, and is based at the Tempe military base near Bloemfontein.- History :...
.
- The Swedish version "Balladen om den blå baskern" is a salute to the Swedish soldiers serving in the United Nations' peace-keeping forces (the Blue Berets).
- The Croatian Bojna za specijalna djelovanja
The Special Operations Battalion , or popularly BSD was founded on 8 September, 2000 with merging of the Special Combat Skills Center from Šepurine and personnel from the 1st Croatian Guard Corps...
(BSD) use the lyrics, but instead of "These are men, America's best" they sing "These are men, Croatia's best" and in the final chorus, referring to the son of a killed Green Beret, they also sing "Make him one of Croatia's best". It is unclear when exactly is the song first sung by new recruits, but it is assumed to be sometime after completing training.
- A German version (Hundert Mann und ein Befehl), sung by Freddy Quinn
Freddy Quinn is an Austrian singer and actor whose popularity within the German-speaking world soared in the late 1950s and 1960s. Similar to Hans Albers two generations before him, Quinn adopted the persona of the rootless wanderer who goes to sea but longs for a home, family and friends...
and later again by Heidi BrühlHeidi Brühl was a German singer and actress who came to prominence as a young teenager and had a prolific career in film and television...
had considerable success in GermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium,...
. The German version is a song against the war. It rejects any sacrifice, not only for the son, but not even for the father. Freddy QuinnFreddy Quinn is an Austrian singer and actor whose popularity within the German-speaking world soared in the late 1950s and 1960s. Similar to Hans Albers two generations before him, Quinn adopted the persona of the rootless wanderer who goes to sea but longs for a home, family and friends...
sings the song from the point of view of the reluctant but forced soldier, Heidi Bruhl from the point of view of the crying girlfriend of the soldier.
- The Italian version is called La Ballata del Soldato, sang by Quartetto Cetra
Quartetto Cetra, or simply I Cetra, was an Italian vocal quartet established during 1940s.The group originated from the previous Quartetto Ritmo following the replacement of one singer. Felice Chiusano filled the vacancy left by Enrico Gentile and joined Tata Giacobetti, Virgilio Savona and Enrico...
.
Parodies
- In 1966, The Beach Bums, an ad hoc group featuring a young Bob Seger
Robert Clark "Bob" Seger is an American rock musician and singer-songwriter.As a locally successful Detroit-area artist, he performed and recorded as The Bob Seger System throughout the 1960s. By the early 1970s, he had dropped the "System" from his recordings, and continued to strive for...
, recorded "The Ballad of the Yellow Beret". The song was a clear send-up of "The Ballad of the Green Berets", chronicling the adventures of a draft dodgerA draft dodger is a term, usually pejorative, that refers to a person who avoids the conscription policies of the nation in which he or she is a citizen or resident by leaving the country, going into hiding, or other attempts at fraudulent means...
. The record was withdrawn after a cease and desistA cease and desist is an order or request to halt an activity, or else face legal action. The recipient of the cease-and-desist may be an individual or an organization....
letter from Sadler.
- The Residents
The Residents is an American avant-garde music and visual arts group who have been active since 1969. Their first official release under the name of The Residents was in 1972, and since then the band have gone on to release over sixty albums, numerous music videos and short films, three CD-ROM...
parodied the song on their Third Reich & RollThe Third Reich 'n Roll is a 1976 album by the U.S. avant-garde rock group The Residents. Their second released album, it is a parody and satire of pop music and commercials from the 1960s. The work consists of two side-long pastiches of various songs from the period. The liner notes state that...
album.
- Another parody was used on Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a weekly late-night sketch comedy and variety show filmed in New York City. It made its debut on October 11, 1975, under a slightly different title. The show features a regular cast of comedy actors, joined by a guest host and musical act...
in 1986, "Ollie North, The Mute Marine" as a satire of Oliver NorthOliver Laurence North is a retired United States Marine Corps officer best known for his role in the Iran-Contra scandal. Currently, he is a political commentator, host of War Stories with Oliver North on Fox News Channel, and a New York Times best-selling author...
and his refusal at that point to speak up about his participation in the Iran-Contra AffairThe Iran–Contra affair was a political scandal in the United States which came to light in November 1986, during the Reagan administration, in which senior US figures agreed to facilitate the sale of arms to Iran, the subject of an arms embargo, to secure the release of hostages and to fund...
. The parody may seem odd to contemporary viewers, since North's outspoken defense of the operation in 1987 is now far better remembered.
- The song is used to humorous effect in Michael Moore
Michael Francis Moore is an American filmmaker, author and liberal political commentator. He is the director and producer of Bowling for Columbine, Fahrenheit 9/11, Sicko, and Capitalism: A Love Story four of the top six highest-grossing documentaries of all time...
's film Canadian BaconCanadian Bacon is a 1995 comedy film written, directed and produced by Michael Moore. It was the last film released to star John Candy, although it was filmed before Wagons East! It was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 1995 Cannes Film Festival.-Synopsis:A former employee of R. J....
as ill-informed Americans prepare for an invasion by CanadaCanada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
- In the movie Wag the Dog
Wag the Dog is a 1997 film starring Robert De Niro and Dustin Hoffman about a Washington spin doctor who, mere days before a presidential election, distracts the electorate from a sex scandal by hiring a Hollywood film producer to construct a fake war with Albania...
, the fictitious unit 303 Special Forces has a song created titled 'The Men of the 303' that is played to the same tune.
- In the film Caddyshack
Caddyshack is a 1980 American comedy film directed by Harold Ramis and written by Brian Doyle-Murray, Ramis and Douglas Kenney. It stars Chevy Chase, Rodney Dangerfield, Ted Knight, Michael O'Keefe and Bill Murray...
, Carl Spackler, played by Bill MurrayWilliam James "Bill" Murray is an American actor and comedian. He first gained national exposure on Saturday Night Live, and went on to star in films including Caddyshack, Ghostbusters, Groundhog Day, Lost in Translation and The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou.-Early years:Murray, the fifth...
, mumbles the song under his breath while he is connecting the wires to the plunger as he prepares for his final battle with his gopherGopher may refer to:* Gopher , including:** True gopher, i.e. pocket gopher or member of Geomyidae, native to North America** Richardson's Ground Squirrel, a species of Spermophilus...
nemesis.
- "New Super Yellow Hydraulic Banana Teeny Bopper Blue" by Jamie Brockett
A New England-based folk singer, Jaime Brockett enjoyed cult status in the 1969-early 1970s era with his debut album, Remember the Wind and the Rain, with his idiosyncratic talking blues numbers...
parodies both the song and the social acceptance of it at the time.
- Not a parody, but in an episode of Cheers
Cheers is an American situation comedy television series that ran for eleven seasons from 1982 to 1993. It was produced by Charles/Burrows/Charles Productions in association with Paramount Television for NBC, having been created by the team of James Burrows, Glen Charles, and Les Charles...
, Cliff aborts his plans to emigrate to Canada with his love interest when Sam, Woody, and Frasier appeal to his patriotic side by singing this song.
External links