Hello and welcome on our blog! Today we will present you an article who talks about the very famous song of Sting : “Russians”. First we will show you the lyrics and the video, then we are going to explain the context of the song. Finally, we will analyse the lyrics. We hope you will enjoy your reading.
“Russians” from Sting extract from The Dream of the Blue Turtles in 1985 :
In Europe and America, there's a growing feeling of hysteria
Conditioned to respond to all the threats
In the rhetorical speeches of the Soviets
Mr. Khrushchev said we will bury you
I don't subscribe to this point of view
It would be such an ignorant thing to do
If the Russians love their children too
How can I save my little boy from Oppenheimer's deadly toy
There is no monopoly in common sense
On either side of the political fence
We share the same biology
Regardless of ideology
Believe me when I say to you
I hope the Russians love their children too
There is no historical precedent
To put the words in the mouth of the President
There's no such thing as a winnable war
It's a lie that we don't believe anymore
Mr. Reagan says we will protect you
I don't subscribe to this point of view
Believe me when I say to you
I hope the Russians love their children too
We share the same biology
Regardless of ideology
What might save us, me, and you
Is that the Russians love their children too
Context :
Between 1947 and 1991, the USA and all the West side are against the East side lead by the USSR. This kind of opposition is named the cold war. The iron curtain is defining each side, it is symbolized by the wall of Berlin. It’s not only an opposition of countries, it’s an opposition of ideologies. The marxism for the Eastern countries and the liberal democracy for the Western countries. Sting has certainly written this song before 1985, the presidents of the two sides were Reagan for USA and Khrushchev for USSR. Even if it seems anachronistic today because Gorbatchev became the president of USSR in 1985. We can understand it as a Sting's will to generalizes to all the Cold war and not just the year of publication of the song (1985).
Analysis :
Sting is an opponent to the war, he qualifies the cold war as an "hysteria". In the chorus, he criticizes errors of judgement of the americans and russians adults which conduces to dangerous decisions for everyone. He uses the symbol of children to foreground the lack of responsability of people wich are supposed to be advisable. He increases the symbol of the parents-children because the nuclear bomb is named "Oppenheimer's deadly toy". The children are in the text to point out the violence of the war. The singer opposes the differents ideologies and does not support either side while he is from the occident side (and at the west of the « Wall of Berlin »). But with "I hope the Russians love their children too" he accuses the USSR. He talks about biology and not about ideology, he wants to say that there is no reason to make the war. He wants to show the violence of the war who could start with the sentence "There is no historical precedent". The next sentence shows us that the politicians are actually unable to stop the war "To put the words in the mouth of the President".
This poster of Daily Mail was publicated in 1962. It may be linked with “Russians” because it also shows the childish of the Presidents of the two sides. Even if it is a real arm-wrestle between the two countries (Cuba Missile Crisis in 1962), it is still a child’s play.
No comments:
Post a Comment