Back in the USSR
From Free net encyclopedia
| "Back in the USSR" | ||
|---|---|---|
| Image:Whitealbum.jpg | ||
| Song by The Beatles | ||
| From the album The Beatles | ||
| Album released | 22 November, 1968 | |
| Recorded | 28 August, 1968 | |
| Genre | Rock | |
| Song Length | 2:43 | |
| Record label | Apple Records | |
| Producer | George Martin | |
| The Beatles Album Listing | ||
| Back in the U.S.S.R (Track 1 of Disc 1) | Dear Prudence (Track 2 of Disc 1) | |
"Back in the USSR" is a song by The Beatles, written by Paul McCartney (John Lennon shares songwriting credits), and which opens the double-disc album The Beatles (also known as The White Album).
The song describes, in parody, a bad flight from the United States to the Soviet Union on board a British BOAC airplane; the superior beauty of Soviet women over those of the Western world; the sound of balalaikas ringing; and the incredible fortune of returning to a communist state.
The song is a parody of Chuck Berry's "Back in the U.S.A." and the Beach Boys' "California Girls", and also contains a pun on Ray Charles' "Georgia on My Mind" (The Beatles are singing about the Soviet Republic of Georgia, whereas 'Georgia on My Mind' refers to the US State). The title was inspired in part by British Prime Minister Harold Wilson's "I'm Backing Britain" campaign.
A conservative American backlash against the song rapidly ensued, citing the song as evidence of left-wing Beatle propaganda. McCartney's recent confession of having used LSD (combined with Lennon's assertion that The Beatles were "bigger than Jesus") made The Beatles the target of a new anti-rock campaign. A flustered McCartney responded: "'Back In The U.S.S.R' is a hands-across-the-water-song...They like us out there. Even though the bosses in the Kremlin may not, the kids do."
At the time the song was recorded, there was a major political campaign in England in which the British conservatives had a widespread "retake-the-government" campaign with the slogan "I'm Backing the UK". It can be interpreted that McCartney twisted that into "Im Back In (backin') the USSR." Instead of sounding like the conservative capitalists, he is mischieviously taunting the poltical right-wing by praising the beauty of the eastern empire and its women.
"Back in the USSR" was released by Parlophone as a single in the UK in 1976. It featured the song "Twist and Shout" on Side B.
The well-known punk group Dead Kennedys covered the song on their live album, Live at the Deaf Club. Billy Joel also covered the song on his live-in-Russia album КОНЦЕРТ which was released by Sony Music Entertainment in 1987. Finally, the Leningrad Cowboys covered it on their debut album "We Cum From Brooklin."
Ringo walks
The "White Album" sessions allowed the four members to work on separate projects at the same time and, as a result, keep tensions to a minimum. However, during the recording session on 22 August, 1968, tempers flared, and Ringo Starr walked out and announced that he had quit.
"Back in the USSR" and "Dear Prudence", the first two tracks of the album, were then recorded without Ringo, with Paul playing the drums instead. (John also played six-string bass guitar; a Fender VI.) Ringo would later return to the group. The next session he played may have been on September 8, 1968, for "Helter Skelter." The stereo mix of that song includes what is sometimes thought to be Ringo shouting "I've got blisters on my fingers!" which might be taken from the 22 August session for "Back in the USSR."
External links
| The Beatles |
|---|
| John Lennon | Paul McCartney | George Harrison | Ringo Starr Pete Best | Stuart Sutcliffe |
| Management |
| Brian Epstein | Allen Klein | Apple Records |
| Production |
| George Martin | Geoff Emerick | Norman Smith | Abbey Road Studios |
| Official Studio Albums |
| Please Please Me (1963) | With the Beatles (1963) | A Hard Day's Night (1964) | Beatles for Sale (1964) | Help! (1965) | Rubber Soul (1965) Revolver (1966) | Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967) | Magical Mystery Tour (1967) | The Beatles (1968) | Yellow Submarine (1969) | Abbey Road (1969) | Let It Be (1970) |
| Films |
| A Hard Day's Night (1964) | Help! (1965) | Magical Mystery Tour (1967) | Yellow Submarine (1968) | Let it Be (1970) |
| Related Articles |
| History | Discography | Bootlegs | Long-term influence | Beatlemania | Beatlesque | Fifth Beatle | Paul Is Dead | British Invasion | Yoko Ono | 1960s | Apple Corps |