Ballad of the Yellow Beret

Annotation

The Beach Bums, a garage rock band, from Detroit, Michigan - actually a collaboration between Bob Seger and Doug Brown & the Omens - released this novelty single based on Barry Sadler's The Ballad of the Green Berets (see the military section). The song "The Ballad of the Yellow Beret" mainly addressed draft dodgers. In fact, the writing credit on the record goes to a "D. Dodger", while the record label was mockingly called Are You Kidding Me? Records (H-1010). So, was this a hawkish take on the war, genuinely criticising draft dodgers and protesters, or was this a parody of the "Ballad of the Green Berets"? Perhaps both; it certainly was tongue-in-cheek. Instead of being drafted to war, a man was "drafted for marching in a protest". At the end of the song, the narrator listed ways to get out of the draft (similar to the song "Draft Dodger Rag" by Phil Ochs), such as bad health, being in college, starting a family, and being a homosexual. Note that later, in 1968, Seger, born in Detroit, Michigan (6 May 1945), released the anti-war song "2 + 2 = ?" (Capitol Records # 2143), featured on the album Ramblin' Gamblin' Man (Capitol # ST-172).

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

Annotation — Draft Songs

The Beach Bums, a garage rock band, from Detroit, Michigan - actually a collaboration between Bob Seger and Doug Brown & the Omens - released this novelty single based on Barry Sadler's The Ballad of the Green Berets (see the military section). The song "The Ballad of the Yellow Beret" mainly addressed draft dodgers. In fact, the writing credit on the record goes to a "D. Dodger", while the record label was mockingly called Are You Kidding Me? Records (H-1010). So, was this a hawkish take on the war, genuinely criticising draft dodgers and protesters, or was this a parody of the "Ballad of the Green Berets"? Perhaps both; it certainly was tongue-in-cheek. Instead of being drafted to war, a man was "drafted for marching in a protest". At the end of the song, the narrator listed ways to get out of the draft (similar to the song "Draft Dodger Rag" by Phil Ochs), such as bad health, being in college, starting a family, and being a homosexual. Note that later, in 1968, Seger, born in Detroit, Michigan (6 May 1945), released the anti-war song "2 + 2 = ?" (Capitol Records # 2143), featured on the album Ramblin' Gamblin' Man (Capitol # ST-172).Ballad of the Green Berets answer records…

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

About the artist

Bob Seger - born 6 May 1945, Detroit, Michigan, USA. Doug Brown - Born 1942, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.

Themes

Draft Dodger · Demonstration · Anti-Protest · Patriotic · Green Beret · Draft · Answer to Green Beret

In collections

Draft Songs · Garage Rock Songs