Editing Back in the U.S.S.R. (section)

==Political controversy and cultural significance==
Like "[[Revolution (Beatles song)|Revolution]]" and "[[Piggies]]",{{sfn|Turner|2009|p=86}} "Back in the U.S.S.R." prompted immediate responses in the US from the [[New Left]] and the Right. Among the latter, the [[John Birch Society]]'s magazine cited the song as further evidence of the Beatles' supposed pro-Soviet sentiments.{{sfn|Wiener|1991|p=63}}<ref name="O'Callaghan/RB" /> The line "You don't know how lucky you are, boys" left many anti-communist groups stunned.{{sfn|Turner|2009|p=68}} In Riley's view, the song's mocking tone and communist setting thereby had "the desired effect of inciting the [ire]" of the John Birch Society, who misunderstood the lyrics' "sympathetic socialism".{{sfn|Riley|2002|p=263}}

Ian MacDonald described the song as "a rather tactless jest", given that the [[Soviet Army]] had recently [[Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia|invaded Czechoslovakia]] and thwarted that country's attempt to introduce democratic reforms.{{sfn|MacDonald|2005|p=309}}{{refn|group=nb|Beginning on 21 August, the invasion was carried out by the USSR and other countries in the [[Warsaw Pact]].{{sfn|MacDonald|2005|p=451}} Within two days, the liberal measures introduced by Czech leader [[Alexander Dubček]]{{sfn|Quantick|2002|p=18}} had been overturned in favour of a return to authoritarian rule.{{sfn|MacDonald|2005|p=451}}}} Some members of the New Left also criticised the Beatles for this gesture.<ref name="O'Callaghan/RB">{{cite web|url=https://www.rbth.com/arts/329455-the-story-of-the-beatles-back-in-ussr|first=Tommy|last=O'Callaghan|title=The Beatles' 'Back in the U.S.S.R.': The parody that became a peace offering|website=[[Russia Beyond]]|date=7 November 2018|access-date=14 March 2019}}</ref> During the 1960s, the Beatles were officially derided in the Soviet Union as the "belch of Western culture".<ref>{{cite book |last1=Schultz |first1=Linda |title=Tales of the Awesome Foursome: Beatles Fans Share Their Personal Stories, Poems and Memories of The Fab Four |date=2004 |page=210 |publisher=Infinity |isbn=978-0-7414-2079-4 |url=https://archive.org/details/talesofawesomefo0000unse/page/210}}</ref> [[David Noebel]], a longstanding critic of the Beatles' influence on Western youth, said that: "The lyrics have left even the Reds speechless."{{sfn|Schaffner|1978|pp=53, 113}}

Writing for the website ''[[Russia Beyond]]'', Tommy O'Callaghan describes "Back in the U.S.S.R." as a "parody that became a peace offering". He says that, just as the Beatles provided a source of unity with the West for contemporary Russian music fans, the band set out to mock the "new Western narrative" presented by both [[McCarthyism]] and the New Left. Aside from the send-ups of the Beach Boys, Berry's "flag-waving" song and Prime Minister [[Harold Wilson]]'s "I'm Backing Britain" campaign, O'Callaghan views the references to Russian girls as mocking the "perceived unsexiness" of Soviet culture and says that the song's true satirical qualities are in "its portrayal of Russians and Americans at parity".<ref name="O'Callaghan/RB" />

Although the Beatles never performed in the USSR, [[Elton John]] was permitted to visit the country in 1979 in a [[Elton John's 1979 tour of the Soviet Union|historic concert tour]], which ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' magazine referred to as the first there by an "out-and-out rock artist".<ref name="BB">{{cite magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8yMEAAAAMBAJ&q=Elton|title=Russians to Issue John's 'Single Man'|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|date=2 June 1979|pages=1, 58|access-date=16 March 2019}}</ref> He sang "Back in the U.S.S.R." as his closing song throughout the tour,<ref name="Robinson/UCR">{{cite web|url=https://ultimateclassicrock.com/elton-john-russian-tour-1979/|first=Joe|last=Robinson|title=The Story of Elton John's Historic First Tour of Russia|website=[[Ultimate Classic Rock]]|date=21 May 2014|access-date=16 March 2019}}</ref> ignoring an official request after his opening show that he not do so.{{sfn|DeCouto|2018|pp=722–23}} Video from these concerts appeared in the documentary film ''To Russia with Elton''.<ref name="Robinson/UCR" />

In the 1980s, McCartney was refused permission to perform in the USSR.<ref name="Moscow Times">{{cite news|url=http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/article/paul-mccartney-finally-back-in-the-ussr/238263.html|title=Paul McCartney Finally Back in the U.S.S.R.|last=O'Flynn|first=Kevin|date=26 May 2003|work=[[The Moscow Times]]|access-date=16 August 2010}}</ref> In [[Barry Miles]]' 1997 book ''[[Paul McCartney: Many Years from Now]]'', McCartney said that: "Probably my single most important reason for going to Russia would be to play ['Back in the U.S.S.R.']"{{sfn|Miles|1997|p=423}} According to ''[[The Moscow Times]]'', when McCartney finally got to play the song on his [[Back in the World (tour)|Back in the World tour]] in Moscow's [[Red Square]] in May 2003, "the crowd went wild".<ref name="Moscow Times"/> When asked about the song before the concert, McCartney said he had known little about the Soviet Union when he wrote it and added: "It was a mystical land then. It's nice to see the reality. I always suspected that people had big hearts. Now I know that's true."<ref name="Moscow Times"/> In his autobiography, ''[[Good Vibrations: My Life as a Beach Boy|Good Vibrations]]'', Mike Love writes: "'Back in the U.S.S.R.' was a helluva song, and it's lasted longer than the country."{{sfn|Love|2017|p=186}}

In 1987, [[Billy Joel]] covered the song on his live-in-the-Soviet Union album ''[[Kontsert]]''. Also released as a single,{{sfn|Womack|2014|p=63}} his version reached number 33 in Australia<ref>{{cite book|first=David|last=Kent|author-link=David Kent (historian)|title=Australian Chart Book 1970–1992|publisher=Australian Chart Book|location=St Ives, NSW|year=1993|page=156|isbn=0-646-11917-6}}</ref> and number 44 in New Zealand.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://aotearoamusiccharts.co.nz/archive/singles/1987-12-04 |title=NZ Top 40 Singles Chart &#124; The Official New Zealand Music Chart |website=Nztop40.co.nz |date=1987-12-06 |access-date=2016-10-01}}</ref> McCartney said in 1997 that Joel's adoption of "Back in the U.S.S.R." for his Russian concert tours had contributed to the "jokey" song's standing as "a bit of an anthem now".{{sfn|Miles|1997|p=423}}

On 4 July 1984, the Beach Boys played "Back in the U.S.S.R.", with Starr joining them as a special guest, during their [[Fourth of July]] concerts in Washington, DC, and Miami.{{sfn|Badman|2001|p=337}} In Love's recollection, the "irony" of an Englishman being part of the celebrations for America's independence from Britain "was not lost on Ringo". Starr told a reporter: "Happy Birthday [America]{{nbsp}}... Sorry we lost."{{sfn|Love|2017|p=308}}

In 2022, ''[[The Spokesman-Review]]'' and ''[[The Dallas Morning News]]'' noted the absence of "Back in the U.S.S.R.", a usual staple of McCartney's live concerts, from the setlist of his [[Got Back]] tour,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2022/apr/28/thank-you-spokane-paul-mccartney-rocks-a-packed-ar/|title='Thank you, Spokane': Paul McCartney rocks a packed Arena with Beatles classics, solo tunes and a hilarious fan interaction|last=Condran|first=Ed|date=2 May 2022|website=[[The Spokesman-Review]]|access-date=31 May 2022}}</ref><ref name="Christensen 2022">{{cite web|url=https://www.dallasnews.com/arts-entertainment/music/2022/05/18/paul-mccartney-returns-to-fort-worth-in-concert-for-first-time-in-46-years/|title=Paul McCartney's first Fort Worth show in four decades was joyful and wistful all at once|last=Christensen|first=Tom|date=18 May 2022|website=[[The Dallas Morning News]]|access-date=31 May 2022}}</ref> in light of the [[2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine]].<ref name="Christensen 2022" /> Immediately preceding the [[encore]] at each stop on the tour, McCartney and his fellow band members left the stage and each returned with a flag: the [[flag of the United Kingdom]], the flag of the country they were performing in, an [[Rainbow flag (LGBT)|LGBT pride flag]], and, in 2022, the [[flag of Ukraine]],<ref name="Christensen 2022" /> as well as the [[state flag]] of whichever US state the concert took place in (for example, the [[flag of Texas]] at the show in [[Fort Worth, Texas]],<ref name="Christensen 2022" /> and the [[flag of Florida]] at the show in [[Hollywood, Florida]]<ref name="Albert 2022">{{cite web|url=https://www.miaminewtimes.com/music/concert-review-paul-mccartney-got-back-tour-at-hard-rock-live-may-25-2022-14563762|title=Paul McCartney Was Unstoppable at Hard Rock Live|last=Albert|first=Grant|date=26 May 2022|website=[[Miami New Times]]|access-date=31 May 2022}}</ref>).