Memorial Day originated after the Civil War, and commemorates soldiers fallen in battle. Record Bin Roulette salutes with song and video.
One of the best-known songs that honor our soldiers comes from an actual soldier, Ssgt. Barry Sadler, who served in the Vietnam War. “Ballad of the Green Beret” was #1 on the Billboard charts for 5 weeks during the War in 1966. This is possibly the most boring music video ever made:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34CXcgJURbg
An iconic song from the WWII era is “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy”, performed by The Andrews Sisters. It appeared in the 1941 Abbott & Costello film Buck Private:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTrx8jgpvBk
This 1966 bubblegum hit set during WWI may send you diving for the nearest foxhole. It’s The Royal Guardsmen and “Snoopy vs. The Red Baron”:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oxzg_iM-T4E
An important song for Memorial Day is “The Battle Hymn of the Republic”, written by social activist Julia Ward Howe in 1861, following a visit with President Lincoln. Here’s Orson Welles with a dramatic tribute to Ms. Howe and her composition:
