THE RUSSIAN FRONT

Inspired by GlavKom Scott Palmer’s list of Ten Songs about Airplanes , I have decided to catch up and overtake him with Eleven Songs [Loosely] about Russian History. Limiting myself to English language and rock / pop, I apologize in advance if the link seems somewhat tangential. Not too much to work with.

11. Scorpions, “Winds of Change”

and 10. Jesus Jones, “Right Here, Right Now”

These two place relatively low because this is a history blog and these songs are more presentist, covering the fall of Communism in a relatively contemporary sense. The Scorpions also lose points because I think “Winds of Change” is a terrible song, its mention of Moskva, Gorky Park, and the balalaika notwithstanding.
As for Jesus Jones, I’ve always liked the image about “watching the world wake up from history.” Jesus Jones, meet Francis Fukuyama. Of course, as a good historian, I hold you can never get away from history. As William Faulkner says “The past is never dead. It’s not even past.” Jesus Jones should stick to music and leave history to the professionals.9. Doctor Clayton “‘41 Blues.” Probably the most obscure song on the list, this song places low because like our previous two entries it is a contemporary commentary. What strikes me is how, before Pearl Harbor, Clayton puts Stalin on par with Hitler and Mussolini:
“Ain’t gonna be no peace in Europe ’til we cut off Hitler’s head; Mussolini have heart failure when he hear Stalin’s dead. I hope Hitler catch consumption–I mean the galloping kind . . . Stalin catch leprosy, Mussolini lose his mind.” Doctor Clayton concludes with a plan to end the war–he’ll sneak in Hitler’s bedroom with his razor.8.  London, “Russian Winter (language NSFW).” Also obscure, this particularly representative example of bombastic hair metal comes from the film “The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years.” I have a soft spot for good hair metal; this isn’t good hair metal. Not too much history, but the flag burning scene is priceless.
7. Frankie Goes to Hollywood, “Two Tribes”
and 6. Sting, “Russians”

Both are very much period pieces in their critique of the Cold War. Sting wins on two grounds. First, it’s embarrassing enough to have Frankie Goes to Hollywood anywhere on the list, and I’d avoid it except for Konstantin Chernenko’s brief foray into professional wrestling. Second, Sting scores with what always gets undergrads extra points on exams: specifics. He gives shout-outs to Oppenheimer and, even better, Khrushchev’s “we will bury you.”5. The Beatles’ “Back in the USSR.” Not especially historical, I grant, but it does get credit for mentions of Ukraine, Georgia, and balalaikas.
4. Tim Cavanagh’s “The ABCs of Dead Russian Leaders.” Unjustly obscure–so obscure there’s not even a youtube version. This goes back to the days of Andropov, Brezhnev, and Chernenko dropping in quick succession. Yes, I know–not in ABC order, and it makes less sense in Russian, but work with me here. Lyrics available here3. “Der Kommissar,” available in both the original German version by Falco (of “Rock Me Amadeus” fame) and an English cover by ATF

Though as far as I can tell it’s devoid of actual Soviet content, it’s got a nice police state vibe to it.2. Rolling Stones, “Sympathy for the Devil”
Though this song covers a lot of non-Russian ground, it gets bonus points for two distinct Russia-related historical references.  First, the Russian Revolution: “Stuck around St. Petersburg / When I saw it was the time for a change / Killed the tsar and his ministers / Anastasia screamed in vain.” I take points away from this tune for guaranteeing that the name Anastasia will never been properly pronounced in the West. Once Mick says “AnaSTAYzha,” no one will ever say AnastaSIa. The other historical moment, of course, is World War II: “Rode a tank / held a general’s rank / when the blitzkrieg raged / and the fighting stank.”1. Boney M, “Rasputin.”
Admit it–it started running through your head as soon as I mentioned the song.
A student alerted me to a cover by the Finnish viking metal band Turisas that is certainly worth your time.

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