The Battle Rap of the Republic

"A few months later, Johnny Sea hit No. 35 (and supposedly sold 250,000 copies in two weeks) with 'Day for Decision,' a florid rant on the subject of young people who scorn old-fashioned patriotism and happily knuckle under to Viet Cong Commies. Its title was patterned after Barry McGuire's 'Eve of Destruction,' but 'Decision' isn't an answer to McGuire's song; it's a dramatic rereading of a speech by newscaster Allen Peltier. It ends with a stirring chorus of 'America the Beautiful,' over which Sea notes that 'if you feel a little pride welling up inside of you—if you feel a little mist in your eye—then thank God for you, Mister: You're still an American.'"

Douglas Wolk in Slate explores the history of the spoken-word chart hit.