Back in the U.S.S.R.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| “Back in the U.S.S.R.” | ||
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| Song by The Beatles | ||
| Album | The Beatles | |
| Released | 22 November 1968 | |
| Recorded | 22, 23 August 1968 | |
| Genre | Rock | |
| Length | 2:43 | |
| Label | Apple Records | |
| Writer | Lennon/McCartney | |
| Producer | George Martin | |
| The Beatles track listing | ||
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Side one
Side two
Side three
Side four
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"Back in the U.S.S.R." is a 1968 song by The Beatles (credited to the song writing partnership Lennon/McCartney but mainly written by Paul McCartney[1]) which opens the double-disc album The Beatles, commonly referred to as The White Album. It segues into the next song on the album, "Dear Prudence".
Contents |
[edit] Overview
The song, which opens and closes with the sounds of a jet aircraft landing, refers to a "dreadful" flight back to the U.S.S.R. from Miami Beach in the United States, on board a British B.O.A.C. aeroplane. Propelled throughout by McCartney's uptempo piano playing and lead guitar riffs, the lyrics tell of the singer's great happiness on returning home, where "the Ukraine girls really knock me out" and the "Moscow girls make me sing and shout" (and are invited to "Come and keep [their] comrade warm"). He also looks forward to hearing the sound of "balalaikas ringing out".[1][2]
The song is a tribute to Chuck Berry's "Back in the U.S.A." and the Beach Boys' "California Girls", and also contains a pun on Hoagy Carmichael's "Georgia on My Mind." McCartney is singing about the Soviet Republic of Georgia, whereas 'Georgia on My Mind' has been described as being about either or both of the state of Georgia in the U.S. or a woman named Georgia. McCartney thought that when he listened to the Beach Boys, it sounded like California, so he decided to write a song that "sounded" like the U.S.S.R.. The title was inspired in part by the "I'm Backing Britain" campaign which had been endorsed by British Prime Minister Harold Wilson. It has been suggested that McCartney twisted that into "I'm Back In (backin') the U.S.S.R."[3]
A conservative American backlash against the song rapidly ensued, citing the song as evidence of left-wing Beatle propaganda.[citation needed] 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.
In his 1984 interview with Playboy, McCartney said:
| “ | I wrote that as a kind of Beach Boys parody. And 'Back in the USA' was a Chuck Berry song, so it kinda took off from there. I just liked the idea of Georgia girls and talking about places like the Ukraine as if they were California, you know? It was also hands across the water, which I'm still conscious of. 'Cuz they like us out there, even though the bosses in the Kremlin may not. The kids do. And that to me is very important for the future of the race.[4] | ” |
"Back in the U.S.S.R." was released by Parlophone as a single in the UK in 1976. It featured the song "Twist and Shout" on Side B.
[edit] Problems in the band
The "White Album" sessions allowed the four members to work on separate projects at the same time and, as a result, kept tensions to a minimum. However, tempers flared during the recording session on 22 August 1968, and Ringo Starr walked out and announced that he had quit.[5]
"Back in the U.S.S.R." and "Dear Prudence", the first two tracks of the album, were recorded without Starr, with McCartney primarily responsible for the drum parts. McCartney's drums are most prominent in the mix, but both John Lennon and George Harrison recorded drum tracks for the song; these are audible in the left channel of the stereo mix. (Years earlier, Lennon had been asked in an interview, "Do you think Ringo is the best rock drummer in the world?" — to which he jokingly replied, "He's not even the best drummer in the Beatles.")[citation needed]
Starr returned to the group a week later on 4 September 1968 when he participated in the filming of promotional videos for "Hey Jude" and "Revolution". The first subsequent recording session was on 5 September for "While My Guitar Gently Weeps."[6]
[edit] Credits
- Paul McCartney – vocals, piano, lead guitar, drums, bass guitar, handclaps, percussion
- John Lennon – backing vocals, lead guitar, bass, drums, handclaps, percussion
- George Harrison – backing vocals, lead guitar, bass, drums, handclaps, percussion
[edit] Cover versions
- In 1969, Chubby Checker's cover version charted on the Billboard Hot 100.
- Also in 1969, John Fred & His Playboy Band released it as a single and on their 1970 album Love My Soul.
- In 1979, the punk group Dead Kennedys recorded a live version of the song that was released in 2004 on Live at the Deaf Club.
- In 1987, Billy Joel covered the song on his live-in-the-Soviet Union album Концерт.
- In 1992, the Leningrad Cowboys covered the song on their album We Cum from Brooklin.
- In 2001, Sigourney Weaver covered the song in the film Heartbreakers. While pretending to be Russian and despite knowing none of the Russian language, she was asked to perform a traditional folk song. After some hesitation, she instead began singing "Back in the U.S.S.R."
- In 2004, Beatallica recorded a heavy metal parody version titled "Blackened the U.S.S.R" on their album Beatallica, aka The Grey Album.
- In 2006 The Punkles did a Punk cover of this song on their album "Punkles For Sale!".
- In 2006, Guns N' Roses covered the song live at Wembley Arena. Their version of the song was called "Back in the Fucking UK".
- Type O Negative covered the song.
- Season 7 American Idol finalist Amanda Overmyer performed the song on the show March 18th, 2008, and likewise recorded a studio version.
- McCartney included a special version of the song when he and his band played in Liverpool in June 2008. It featured Foo Fighters lead singer Dave Grohl on drums.
[edit] Notes
- ^ a b Miles, Barry (1997). Paul McCartney: Many Years From Now. New York: Henry Holt & Company, 422-423. ISBN 0-8050-5249-6.
- ^ (1990) in Aldridge, Alan: The Beatles Illustrated Lyrics. Boston: Houghton Mifflin / Seymour Lawrence, 49. ISBN 0-395-59426-X.
- ^ a b MacDonald, Ian (2005). Revolution in the Head: The Beatles' Records and the Sixties, Second Revised Edition, London: Pimlico (Rand), 309-310. ISBN 1-844-13828-3.
- ^ Goodman, Joan (December 1984). "Playboy Interview with Paul McCartney". Playboy. Playboy Press.
- ^ a b Lewisohn, Mark (1988). The Beatles Recording Sessions. New York: Harmony Books, 151. ISBN 0-517-57066-1.
- ^ Lewisohn, Mark (1988). The Beatles Recording Sessions, 153.
