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词条 Leningrad (song)
释义

  1. Synopsis

  2. Charts

     Weekly charts  Year-end charts 

  3. See also

  4. References

{{Infobox song
| name = Leningrad
| cover = Leningrad_single.jpg
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = Billy Joel
| album = Storm Front
| B-side = "Goodnight Saigon", "Vienna", "Scandinavian Skies"
| released = 1989
| format = {{hlist|7"|CD single}}
| recorded = 1988–89
| studio =
| venue =
| genre = Soft rock, new wave
| length = 4:06
| label = Columbia
| writer = Billy Joel
| producer = {{hlist|Billy Joel|Mick Jones}}
| prev_title = We Didn't Start the Fire
| prev_year = 1989
| next_title = I Go to Extremes
| next_year = 1989
}}

"Leningrad" is a 1989 song written and performed by American singer and songwriter Billy Joel. The song was originally released on his album Storm Front on the Columbia Records label, and went on to be released as a single. It was also released on his Greatest Hits, Vol. 3 compilation. The song title is derived from the contemporary name of St. Petersburg, Russia (see Leningrad).

Synopsis

The song was written by Billy about a Russian clown named Viktor Razinov, whom he met while touring the Soviet Union in 1987. Throughout the song, major items of Viktor's and Billy's lives are compared to show the cultural differences and similarities of the United States of America and the Soviet Union.

In the song, Billy describes Viktor's life as one of many Soviet children who lost fathers during World War II, specifically during the siege of Leningrad. He enlisted in the Red Army, drank vodka to fight the pain, and then became a circus clown, bringing joy to Russian children.

Billy described his childhood life as being "born in ‘49, a Cold War kid in McCarthy time." He briefly describes his life living in Levittown, and the fear of the Cuban Missile Crisis. Billy also makes a reference to the Korean War, a proxy war to the Cold War, as well as the Vietnam War.

In the end, the two meet after Billy's Leningrad concert (Viktor had journeyed across Russia to see all six of the Russian concerts), where Viktor draws a laugh from Billy's daughter Alexa. Billy and Viktor embrace afterwards. In the song's last line, Billy sings, "We never knew what friends we had, until we came to Leningrad."

The quote is printed on the single cover, but not on the cover of the 4 track CD, which instead features the titles of the extra songs: "Goodnight Saigon,” "Vienna,” and "Scandinavian Skies.”

In 2015, Viktor traveled to New York to see Billy Joel's concert in Madison Square Garden. For this reunion, Billy played “Leningrad,” which he rarely plays live.

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1989/1990)Peak
position
Belgian Singles Chart (Flanders)[1]17
Dutch Top 40[2]15
French Singles Chart[3]76
German Singles Chart14
UK Singles Chart53

Year-end charts

Chart (1990)Position
German Singles Chart[4]97

See also

  • List of anti-war songs
  • [https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=LgD_-dRZPgs “Leningrad” official video]

References

1. ^http://www.ultratop.be/nl/showitem.asp?interpret=Billy+Joel&titel=Leningrad&cat=s (Retrieved September 17, 2012)
2. ^Dutch Top 40 1990. Retrieved 2009-01-08.
3. ^{{cite web|url=http://www.infodisc.fr/Artistes.php |title=Archived copy |accessdate=2011-08-10 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120614035645/http://www.infodisc.fr/Artistes.php |archivedate=2012-06-14 |df= }}
4. ^{{cite web|url=http://ki.informatik.uni-wuerzburg.de/~topsi/deu1990/deu_1990t.html|title=INFINITY CHARTS: German Top 20|website=ki.informatik.uni-wuerzburg.de}}
{{Billy Joel}}{{1980s-rock-song-stub}}

7 : Billy Joel songs|1989 singles|Songs written by Billy Joel|Songs about cities|Songs about Russia|Columbia Records singles|1989 songs

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