"Universal Soldier" was not an immediate popular hit at the time of its release, but it did garner attention within the contemporary folk music community.
Sainte-Marie said of the song: "I wrote 'Universal Soldier' in the basement of The Purple Onion coffee house in Toronto in the early sixties.
[citation needed] Donovan's recording was released on an EP titled The Universal Soldier in the United Kingdom (August 15, 1965).
The lack of interest in the EP format within the United States led Hickory Records to release the song as a single in September 1965.
Donovan's US release of "Universal Soldier" also became a hit, charting higher than his previous single "Colours" and ultimately reaching No.
[7] This success led Hickory Records to include the song on the United States release of Donovan's second album, Fairytale, replacing a cover of Bert Jansch's "Oh Deed I Do".