Ever since Vladimir Putin’s recent election victory, he hasn’t exactly been hiding from the headlines. Now he has a new announcement. He has unveiled a new Russian national anthem, which has a curiously familiar tune.
The song is called “U.S.S.R.” and the first officially sanctioned recording has been made by a band called the Gulag People. The lyrics in the verses spend a lot of time glorifying the Russian leader with rather exaggerated claims:
“Putin – he’s as strong as an ox, you know,
Putin – he’s as smart as a fox, you know,
Putin – he can stop all the clocks
With a single little finger
“Putin – he can wrestle a bear, and win,
Putin – he can race with a hare, and win,
Putin – can escape any snare
Without injury or mishap!”
While the chorus basically bigs up the whole country – or even more besides:
“Pledge your allegiance to the USSR
Pledge your allegiance to the USSR
Pledge yourself to destroying the West
Because we all know that Russia’s the best!”
The official writing credit lists the lyrics as by “Vladimir – no, not Vladimir, definitely not Vladimir, Piotr, that’s it, Piotr Pu- no, Piotr Pistov”.
Mr Putin himself had the following to say on the subject.
“Russia needs a new anthem. Now Russia has a new anthem. New anthem perfect for Russia and indeed world. Simples!”
One fellow journalist asked whether the reference to the USSR was a sign of things to come. Putin just smiled and said, “Wait and see.”
Another asked if the original writers were getting any credit or royalties for this reinvention. He was escorted kicking and screaming to somewhere. I heard one long scream from him behind closed doors and then all went quiet.
First Skripal, now this. I didn’t like to ask what had happened to him, I wanted to get out with everything intact.
It does seem to be becoming the in-thing for leaders to redo their countries’ national anthems. I still haven’t got over Donald Trump redoing America’s national anthem as “Donald, Donald, Über Alles”.