Sunday, May 1, 2011

Last Train to Clarksville - Nouse Joensuussa junaan

We are still staying in Tennessee... The Saari brothers Jouko, Kosti and Paavo recorded "Nouse Joensuussa junaan" (Board the train in Joensuu) in 1977 for their album "Jouko, Kosti ja Paavo". The Finnish lyrics were provided by Pertsa Reponen. The song was not released as a single. Maybe becouse it was released some 10 years after the original hit tune. "Last Train to Clarksville" was the debut single by The Monkees, released in August 1966.The song topped the Billboard Hot 100 on November 1966. Though the Clarksville in the song's title appears to refer to the city of Clarksville, Tennessee, co-writer Bobby Hart states that this is just a coincidence. The plot comprises a phone call from a military person to his wife / girlfriend, requesting that she 'get the last train to Clarksville' in order to have one last night together before he has to leave on his morning train. He doesn't know when he will return, so this may be a long or dangerous assignment. This day's bonus is later (1989) Finnish version by Clifers, called "Go Go Kake".
Updated on 23.10.2011: Added the first Finnish version (1967)  "Lähde pois" (Go away) by Harri Haka.
Here's the bunch:

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