Leningrad
Billy Joel
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Victor was born The spring of '44 And never saw His father anymore The child of sacrifice Child of war Another son who never had A father after Leningrad Went off to school And learned to serve his state Follow the rules And drank his vodka straight The only way to live Was drown the hate The Russian life was very sad And such was life in Leningrad I was born in '49 A cold war kid in the McCarthy times Stop 'em at the 38th parallel Blast those yellow reds to hell Cold war kids were hard to kill Under their desks in an air raid drill Haven't they heard we won the war What do they keep on fighting for? Victor was sent To some red army town Served out his time Become a circus clown The greatest happiness He'd ever found Was making Russian children glad When children lived in Leningrad. The children lived in Levittown Hid in the shelters underground Til the soviets turned their ships around Torn the Cuban missiles down And in that bright October sun We knew our childhood days were done I watched my friends go off to war What do they keep on fighting for? So my child and I came to this place To meet him , eye to eye and face to face He made my daughter laugh Then we embraced We never knew what friends we had Until we came to Leningrad.
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17 fans
Written by: Billy Joel
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
15 facts about this song
Artist Background"Leningrad" is a song by Billy Joel, an American singer-songwriter, composer, and pianist. He is often referred to as the "Piano Man" after his popular 1973 hit.
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Album DetailsThe song "Leningrad" is from Joel's 1989 album "Storm Front."
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Musical StyleThis song features a rich, orchestral backing, highlighting Joel's versatility as a songwriter and musician.
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Historical Background"Leningrad" was released during the final years of the Cold War, and the song reflects the political tensions of the era.
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Song's Inspiration"Leningrad" was inspired by Joey's tour of the Soviet Union in 1987. He was one of the first American pop artists to perform there as relations thawed between the US and the USSR.
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GenreThe song is considered a form of rock music mixed with elements of pop.
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Song's Narrative"Leningrad" tells the story of a man named Viktor, who was born in 1944 in the USSR, witnessing the changes in his city and country over time.
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Mirror to Personal LifeIn the song, Billy Joel mirrors Viktor’s life with his own, mentioning his birth year, 1949, and his own life experiences.
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Symbolic CityLeningrad (now St. Petersburg), is used symbolically in the song to represent the larger USSR and its evolution.
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LegacyDespite never being a major chart hit, "Leningrad" is one of Joel's most respected songs and is a fan favorite at concerts.
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Message of the SongThe song emphasizes the shared humanity of citizens of both the USSR and the US, rather than focusing on political differences.
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Song's ReceptionThe song received positive reviews for its meaningful lyrics and powerful narrative.
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Live PerformancesDuring live performances, this song often gets emotional reactions from audience members due to its historical implications and powerful storytelling.
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Biographical ReferencesIn the song, Billy Joel’s reference to his job as a circus performer playing his accordion is accurate, as he indeed used to work in a piano bar to support himself before his music career took off.
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International Performances"Leningrad" was performed by Billy Joel in a historic concert in Leningrad (St Petersburg), in 1987, while USSR was still in existence. He was one of the first American pop stars to tour in USSR.
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Citation
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"Leningrad Lyrics." Lyrics.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2025. Web. 15 Jan. 2025. <https://www.lyrics.com/lyric/2043848/Billy+Joel/Leningrad>.
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