From Sting's award-winning 1985 album Dream of the Blue Turtles, Russians cautions against nuclear conflict and offers a plea for reconciliation between the Soviet bloc and the West, on the grounds of their common humanity. Using a theme from the works of Russian composer Prokofiev, Sting ponders how he can save his child from nuclear war ("Oppenheimer's deadly toy"), rejects the tub-thumping of world leaders ("Mr Reagan says we will protect you", "Mr Krushchev says we will bury you") and expresses the hope that the Russians "love their children too".
The song is emblematic of its time. The first half of the 1980s marked an intensification of the Cold War, after tensions had eased during the détente of the 1970s. Harder lines were embraced and more provocative rhetoric utilised by the governments of Reagan, Thatcher and Brezhnev. Events of the period served to increase tensions - the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, the US boycott of the Moscow Olympics, American military action in Grenada, Reagan's abortive 'star wars' defence program, the shooting down of a Korean civilian airliner by Soviet jets, even a computer glitch that almost resulted in all-out nuclear bombardment in 1983. Popular culture was filled with representations of nuclear war and post-war society, such as The Day After (US) and Threads (UK), adding to public paranoia. Tensions eased in 1985 with the rise of Mikhael Gorbachev as Soviet premier.
Very good!
analbeard1976 3 years ago 10
Moving. Touching. As a child of the 80s, this song will always be with me.
19Osiris71 2 years ago 7