A Ballad from the Sixties
June 9, 2015
SVEN writes from Alaska:
Music from the ′60s is often remembered as the anti-music of rock and roll as made by the Rolling Stones, Beatles, etc., but there is this song (albeit a little kitschy) that was a huge hit across the boards in ’66, staying at the number one spot for five weeks, even though they never play it on the radio anymore.
It celebrates the manly virtues of honor, courage, perseverance, and loyalty. Those aren’t themes found in music since then, except occasionally in country songs. I think people are still receptive to the good and beautiful, but there has been a concerted effort to starve people of it. When the cultural ship is righted, I think we will find that the hunger for true art is unabated.
— Comments —
Jeanette V. writes:
My husband was a Green Beret and apparently they all hated that song and Barry Sadler as well. Mr Sadler died young after a rather colorful and violent life.
I can’t remember the official Specials Forces anthem that was used before the Ballad of the Green Beret.
WF writes:
The song is still played frequently on Sirius Radio channel 6.
Mark Jaws writes:
I was just a run-of-the-mill paratrooper at Fort Bragg for several years back in the 1980s assigned to the 525 Military Intelligence Brigade, although half of my neighbors at Fort Bragg company officer housing were Special Forces. One of them was a world class sniper, but a very, very odd duck. Even though our society in general no longer holds these manly virtues in high esteem, in the ever shrinking world of the U.S. Army the Green Berets are still Number One, occupying the top notch of the totem pole, even higher than Airborne Ranger units. These guys are smart and well educated warriors.
As this forum’s resident Russophile, I could not resist sharing this recent song dedicated to Russian Special Forces, or “Spetznaz”. The lyrics deal with defending Russia and warning that who ever enters Russia with a sword, shall die by the sword. It is of poor production quality, but it is very patriotic. I eat this stuff up.
Sven writes:
Jeanette, I do understand that a lot of Special Forces men mocked the Ballad of the Green Berets. I’m more interested in the public’s receptiveness to the themes of the song. As to the character of Mr. Sadler, military men often do live violent and colorful lives, which may be what attracts them to the service in the first place. He did win several impressive decorations for his service though.
