Editing Back in the U.S.S.R.

{{Short description|1968 song by the Beatles}}
{{about|the Beatles song|other uses|Back in the USSR (disambiguation)}}
{{Distinguish|Back to the USSR{{!}}''Back to the USSR''}}
{{Use British English|date=June 2011}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2022}}
{{Infobox song
| name       = Back in the U.S.S.R.
| cover      = File:Back in the USSR single.png
| cover_size = 
| alt        =
| caption    = Picture sleeve for the song's 1976 UK single release
| type       =
| artist     = [[the Beatles]]
| album      = [[The Beatles (album)|The Beatles]]
| EP         =
| written    =
| published  = 
| released   = {{Start date|1968|11|22|df=y}}
| format     =
| recorded   = {{nowrap|22–23 August 1968}}
| studio     = [[Abbey Road Studios|EMI]], London
| venue      =
| genre      = [[Rock and roll]]{{sfn|Campbell|2008|p=175}}{{sfn|Hertsgaard|1996|p=355|ps=: "'Back In The USSR' was straight-ahead rock 'n' roll{{nbsp}}..."}}
| length     = {{Duration|m=2|s=43}}
| label      = [[Apple Records|Apple]]
| writer     = [[Lennon–McCartney]]
| composer   =
| lyricist   =
| producer   = [[George Martin]]
| misc          = {{Extra chronology
| artist = [[The Beatles]] UK
| type = single
| prev_title = [[Yesterday (Beatles song)|Yesterday]]
| prev_year = 1976
| title = Back in the U.S.S.R.
| year = 1976
| next_title = [[Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (song)|Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band]]
| next_title2 = [[With a Little Help from My Friends]]
| next_year = 1978
}}
{{External music video
 | {{YouTube|nS5_EQgbuLc|"Back in the U.S.S.R. (2018 Mix)"}}
 | type = song
}}
}}
"'''Back in the U.S.S.R.'''" is a song by the English rock band [[the Beatles]] and the first track of the 1968 double album ''[[The Beatles (album)|The Beatles]]'' (also known as the "White Album"). Written by [[Paul McCartney]] and credited to the [[Lennon–McCartney]] partnership,{{sfn|Miles|1997|pp=422–423}} the song is a [[parody]] of [[Chuck Berry]]'s "[[Back in the U.S.A.]]" and [[the Beach Boys]]' "[[California Girls]]". The lyrics subvert Berry's patriotic sentiments about the United States, as the narrator expresses relief upon returning home to the [[Soviet Union]] (officially named Union of Soviet Socialist Republics – USSR).

The Beatles recorded "Back in the U.S.S.R." as a three-piece after [[Ringo Starr]] temporarily left the group, in protest at McCartney's criticism of his drumming and the tensions that typified the sessions for the White Album. Instead, the other Beatles created a composite drum track from numerous takes. McCartney's singing was based on [[Jerry Lee Lewis]], while the bridge features a Beach Boys–style celebration of girls from various parts of the USSR. The song opens and closes with a [[tape loop]] of an aircraft landing on a runway.

Released three months after the [[Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia|Warsaw Pact's invasion of Czechoslovakia]], the Beatles' sympathetic portrayal of the USSR prompted condemnation in the West from both the [[New Left]] and the political right. In 1976, backed by "[[Twist and Shout]]", it was issued as a single to promote the compilation album ''[[Rock 'n' Roll Music (album)|Rock 'n' Roll Music]]''. It peaked at number 19 on the [[UK Singles Chart]] and number 11 in Ireland. In 2003, McCartney performed the song in Moscow's [[Red Square]]. [[Elton John]] and [[Billy Joel]] have also released versions recorded during concerts in Russia.

==Background and inspiration==
[[Paul McCartney]] began writing the song as "I'm Backing the UK", inspired by the "[[I'm Backing Britain]]" campaign,{{sfn|MacDonald|2005|pp=309–10}}{{sfn|Schaffner|1978|p=113}} which had gained wide national support in January 1968,<ref>{{cite news|first=Joe|last=Moran|title=Defining Moment: The 'I'm Backing Britain' campaign unites the nation, January 1968|url=https://www.ft.com/content/3573bd46-99e7-11df-a0a5-00144feab49a |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221210/https://www.ft.com/content/3573bd46-99e7-11df-a0a5-00144feab49a |archive-date=10 December 2022 |url-access=subscription|newspaper=[[Financial Times]]|date=31 July 2010|access-date=10 December 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|first=John M.|last=Lee|title=More Overtime Helpers Enlist in the 'I'm Backing Britain' Campaign; British Backers' Widen Campaign|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1968/01/06/archives/more-overtime-helpers-enlist-in-the-im-backing-britain-campaign.html|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=6 January 1968|page=1|access-date=10 December 2018}}</ref> a month before [[the Beatles]] departed [[The Beatles in India|for India]] to undertake a course in [[Transcendental Meditation]].{{sfn|Quantick|2002|pp=19–20, 68}} According to author [[Ian MacDonald]], McCartney altered the title to "I'm Backing the USSR" and then, drawing on [[Chuck Berry]]'s 1959 hit song "[[Back in the U.S.A.]]", arrived at the song's eventual title.{{sfn|MacDonald|2005|pp=309–10}} [[Donovan]], the Scottish singer-songwriter who joined the Beatles in India, said that "Back in the U.S.S.R." was one of the "funny little ditties" that McCartney regularly played at the [[ashram]], adding that "of course, melodious ballads just poured out of him".{{sfn|Leitch|2005|p=210}}

In a November 1968 interview for [[Radio Luxembourg]], McCartney said the song was inspired by Berry's "Back in the U.S.A." and was written from the point of view of a Russian spy returning home to the [[Soviet Union|USSR]] after an extended mission in the United States.{{sfn|Winn|2009|p=224}} [[Mike Love]] of [[the Beach Boys]], another student at the meditation retreat, recalled McCartney playing "Back in the U.S.S.R." on acoustic guitar over breakfast in Rishikesh,<ref>{{cite magazine|first=Mike|last=Love|title=The Ashram Where the Beatles Sought Enlightenment|url=https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/beatles-ashram-sought-enlightenment-180967494/|magazine=[[Smithsonian (magazine)|Smithsonian]]|date=January 2008|access-date=12 December 2018}}</ref> at which point he suggested to McCartney that the [[Bridge (music)|bridge]] section should focus on the "girls" in Russia,{{sfn|Miles|1997|p=422}}<ref name="Paytress/MojoSpecial">{{cite book|first=Mark|last=Paytress|chapter=A Passage to India|year=2003|title=[[Mojo (magazine)#Special editions|Mojo Special Limited Edition]]: 1000 Days of Revolution (The Beatles' Final Years – Jan 1, 1968 to Sept 27, 1970)|location=London|publisher=Emap|page=15}}</ref> in the style of the Beach Boys' "[[California Girls]]".{{sfn|Love|2017|pp=185–86}}{{refn|group=nb|Love added: "Of course, he needed no help in writing a song, but he later acknowledged that I helped him out on the bridge. A tape still exists of he and I playing around with the song."<ref name="Paytress/MojoSpecial" />}} In his 1984 interview with ''[[Playboy]]'' magazine, McCartney said he wrote it as "a kind of Beach Boys parody" based on "Back in the U.S.A." He added:
<blockquote>I just liked the idea of [[Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic|Georgia]] girls and talking about places like [[Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic|the Ukraine]] as if they were California, you know? It was also hands across the water, which I'm still conscious of. 'Cause they like us out there [in Soviet Russia], even though the bosses in the [[Kremlin]] may not.<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Goodman|first=Joan|title=Playboy Interview with Paul McCartney|date=December 1984|magazine=[[Playboy]]|page=110}}</ref></blockquote>

In his lyrics, McCartney transposed the patriotism of Berry's song into a Soviet context.{{sfn|Schaffner|1978|p=113}} He said that he intended it to be a "spoof" on the typical American international traveller's contention that "it's just so much better back home" and their yearning for the comforts of their homeland. McCartney said that, despite the lack of luxuries in the USSR, his Soviet traveller would "still be every bit as proud [of his home country] as an American would be".{{sfn|Miles|1997|p=422}} According to author [[Michael Gray (author)|Michael Gray]], "Back in the U.S.S.R." was the Beatles' [[Sardonicism|sardonic]] comment on Berry's idealised [[Americana (culture)|Americana]], which had become "deeply unfashionable" by the late 1960s.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2017/mar/19/chuck-berry-obituary-a-perfect-fit-of-street-talk-to-music|first=Michael|last=Gray|title=Chuck Berry obituary: 'A lively, perfect fit of street-talk to music'|newspaper=[[The Independent]]|date=20 March 2017|access-date=11 December 2018}}</ref>{{refn|group=nb|In 2003, when he played his first concert in Russia, McCartney described the song as "a pisstake on Chuck Berry's 'Back in the USA'".<ref name="Bainbridge/Guardian">{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2003/dec/14/popandrock.paulmccartney|first=Luke|last=Bainbridge|title=Mac in the USSR|newspaper=[[The Guardian]]|date=15 December 2003|access-date=11 December 2018}}</ref>}}

==Composition==
"Back in the U.S.S.R." opens and closes with the sound of a [[turboprop]] aircraft landing on a runway.{{sfn|Lewisohn|2005|p=151}} The effect also appears partway through the recording and represents an "aural cartoon", according to music critic [[Tim Riley (music critic)|Tim Riley]], who says the song is "offered as a hoot and delivered as such".{{sfn|Riley|2002|pp=262–63}} The opening lyrics refer to a "dreadful" flight back to the USSR from [[Miami Beach]] in the United States, on board a [[British Overseas Airways Corporation|BOAC]] airliner. Driven by McCartney's [[Glossary of music terminology#U|uptempo]] piano playing and Harrison's lead guitar riffs,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.beatlesbible.com/1968/08/23/recording-mixing-back-in-the-ussr/|title=23 August 1968: Recording, mixing: Back In The USSR|date=21 November 2018|publisher=The Beatles Bible|access-date=10 September 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.beatlesbible.com/songs/back-in-the-ussr/|title=Back In The USSR|date=14 March 2008|publisher=The Beatles Bible|access-date=24 December 2016}}</ref> the lyrics tell of the singer's happiness on returning home, where "the [[Ukraine]] girls really knock me out" and the "[[Moscow]] girls make me sing and shout". He invites these women to "Come and keep your [[Comrade#Russo-Soviet usage|comrade]] warm" and looks forward to hearing the sound of "[[balalaika]]s ringing out".{{sfn|Miles|1997|pp=422–423}}{{sfn|Aldridge|1990|p=49}}

Cultural historian Doyle Greene describes the song as a parody of Berry's "Back in the U.S.A." "with a bridge that parodies the Beach Boys' 'California Girls'".{{sfn|Greene|2016|p=46}} According to Riley, while "Back in the U.S.S.R." is usually viewed as a Beach Boys parody – specifically, a "send-up" of "California Girls" and "[[Surfin' U.S.A. (song)|Surfin' U.S.A.]]" – its "more direct association" is with Berry's track.{{refn|group=nb|Love said that the song was the Beatles' "take" on the Beach Boys, but a gesture he considered "light-hearted and humorous".{{sfn|Miles|1997|p=422}}}} He adds that Berry's focus on commercialism is "relocated and mocked" such that "the joyous return to the Soviet homeland is sarcastic [[camp (style)|camp]]."{{sfn|Riley|2002|p=263}} McCartney's lyrics also contain an allusion to [[Hoagy Carmichael]]'s and [[Stuart Gorrell]]'s "[[Georgia on My Mind]]". He sings about the female population of [[Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic|the Soviet Republic of Georgia]], right after mentioning "the Ukraine girls" and "Moscow girls".{{sfn|Everett|1999|p=187}}

==Recording==
The sessions for ''[[The Beatles (album)|The Beatles]]'' (also known as the "White Album") were fraught with disharmony among the band members.{{sfn|Greene|2016|p=47}} While rehearsing "Back in the U.S.S.R." on 22 August 1968, [[Ringo Starr]] became tired of McCartney's criticism of his drumming on the song and of the bad atmosphere generally{{sfn|Hertsgaard|1996|pp=250–51}}{{sfn|Clayson|2003|pp=183–84}}{{sfn|Winn|2009|p=205}} and walked out, intent on quitting the group.{{sfn|Lewisohn|2005|p=151}} The other Beatles continued with the session, which took place at EMI Studios (now [[Abbey Road Studios]]) in London. [[Ken Scott]], the band's recording engineer, later recalled that they created a "composite drum track of bits and pieces" in Starr's absence.{{sfn|Lewisohn|2005|p=151}}{{refn|group=nb|According to author [[Kenneth Womack]], the song was originally intended for [[Twiggy]], a young English model and singer, to record.{{sfn|Womack|2014|p=63}}}}

Five takes were recorded of the basic track, featuring McCartney on drums, [[George Harrison]] on electric guitar, and [[John Lennon]] on [[Fender Bass VI]].{{sfn|Everett|1999|p=188}}{{sfn|Spizer|2003|p=103}} Take 5 was chosen as "best".{{sfn|Lewisohn|2005|p=151}} During the overdubbing on the song, on 23 August, McCartney and Harrison also contributed bass parts, and both also added lead guitar parts.{{sfn|Lewisohn|2005|p=151}} According to author John Winn, the first overdubs were piano, played by McCartney; drums by Harrison, replacing Lennon's bass part from the previous day; and another electric guitar part.{{sfn|Winn|2009|p=205}}

After these additions were mixed down to a single track, McCartney sang a lead vocal, using what he described as his "[[Jerry Lee Lewis]] voice",{{sfn|Spizer|2003|p=103}} and Lennon, Harrison and McCartney added backing vocals, including Beach Boys-style harmonies over the song's bridges.{{sfn|Everett|1999|p=188}} All three musicians added handclaps.{{sfn|Everett|1999|p=188}} Other overdubs included McCartney's bass, Harrison on six-string bass, and Lennon playing a [[snare drum]].{{sfn|Winn|2009|p=205}} Harrison played the guitar solo in the instrumental break, while McCartney contributed a high-pitched, single-note solo over the final verse.{{sfn|Everett|1999|pp=187–88}} MacDonald describes the musical arrangement as a "thunderous wall of sound".{{sfn|MacDonald|2005|p=310}} For the sounds of the aircraft that appear on the track, Scott created a [[tape loop]] from a recording of a [[Vickers Viscount|Viscount]] turboprop{{sfn|Winn|2009|p=205}} stored in EMI's library.{{sfn|Lewisohn|2005|p=151}}{{sfn|Womack|2014|p=63}}

After the other Beatles urged him to return, Starr rejoined the group on 4 September to participate in the filming of a promotional clip for their "[[Hey Jude]]" single.{{sfn|Lewisohn|2005|p=153}}{{refn|group=nb|The following day, to celebrate Starr's return to the recording studio, Harrison covered his drum kit in flowers.{{sfn|The Beatles|2000|p=312}}<ref name=rollingstone>{{cite magazine|title=85 – 'Back in the USSR'|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/100-greatest-beatles-songs-20110919/back-in-the-ussr-19691231|series=100 Greatest Beatles Songs|magazine=Rolling Stone|access-date=16 June 2012}}</ref>}} During a break in the filming, [[Marc Sinden]] (who appears in the film) recalls Lennon playing a song on his acoustic guitar. "Everyone went 'Wow'&nbsp;... Filming started before we could ask what it was. When it was later released, we realised it was 'Back in the USSR'."<ref>{{cite news|last=Pinch|first=Emma|title=Marc Sinden on John Lennon: We were in the presence of God|date=6 March 2009|newspaper=[[Liverpool Daily Post]]|url=http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-life-features/liverpool-special-features/2009/03/06/marc-sinden-on-john-lennon-we-were-in-the-presence-of-god-92534-23077241|access-date=7 March 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090310053521/http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-life-features/liverpool-special-features/2009/03/06/marc-sinden-on-john-lennon-we-were-in-the-presence-of-god-92534-23077241|archive-date=10 March 2009 <!--DASHBot-->|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Release==
[[Apple Records]] released ''The Beatles'' on 22 November 1968, with "Back in the U.S.S.R." sequenced as the opening song.{{sfn|Spizer|2003|pp=101, 102}}{{sfn|Lewisohn|2005|pp=163, 200}} The turboprop aircraft landing sound at the close of the track was [[Cross-fader|cross-faded]] with the start of the next song, "[[Dear Prudence]]".{{sfn|Spizer|2003|p=103}} In 1969, Apple issued "Back in the U.S.S.R." as a single in Scandinavia, backed by Starr's composition "[[Don't Pass Me By]]".{{sfn|Womack|2014|p=63}}{{sfn|Spizer|2003|p=105}} In 1973, three years after [[the Beatles' break-up]], the song was included on the band's double album compilation ''[[1967–1970]]'',{{sfn|Womack|2014|p=118}} as one of only three tracks representing the White Album.{{sfn|Spizer|2003|p=232}}

On 25 June 1976, the song was issued as a single by [[Parlophone]] in the UK to promote the compilation album ''[[Rock 'n' Roll Music (album)|Rock 'n' Roll Music]]''.{{sfn|Badman|2001|p=187}}{{sfn|Womack|2014|pp=62, 63}} The B-side was "[[Twist and Shout]]",{{sfn|Badman|2001|p=187}} making it the first [[EMI]] single by the Beatles to include a non-original composition.{{sfn|Schaffner|1978|pp=187, 206}}{{refn|group=nb|To promote ''Rock 'n' Roll Music'' in the US, [[Capitol Records]] instead released "[[Got to Get You into My Life]]", backed by the White Album track "[[Helter Skelter (song)|Helter Skelter]]".{{sfn|Schaffner|1978|p=187}}}} It peaked at number 19 on the [[UK Singles Chart]],{{sfn|Womack|2014|p=63}} number 11 in Ireland,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://irishcharts.ie/search/placement|title=Back in the USSR|publisher=irishcharts.ie|access-date=9 December 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721125210/http://irishcharts.ie/search/placement|archive-date=21 July 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref> and number 19 in Sweden.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://swedishcharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=The+Beatles&titel=Back+In+The+U%2ES%2ES%2ER%2E&cat=s|title=The Beatles – Back in the U.S.S.R. (song)|publisher=swedishcharts.com|access-date=11 December 2018}}</ref> In September 2022, the [[British Phonographic Industry]] (BPI) awarded the song a silver [[Music recording certification|certification]] for sales and streaming figures exceeding 200,000 units.<ref>{{cite certification|region=United Kingdom|type=single|artist=Beatles|title=Back in the USSR|award=Silver|certyear=2022|id=18387-1786-1|access-date=23 September 2022}}</ref> EMI made a promotional film for the release, setting the song to footage of the Beatles visiting Amsterdam in 1964 and from their [[The Beatles' 1966 tour of Germany, Japan and the Philippines|1966 tour of West Germany]].{{sfn|Badman|2001|p=187}} The single was subsequently included in the ''[[The Beatles Singles Collection|Beatles Singles Collection]]'' box set, released by EMI's World Division in December 1982, making it the 24th single in the series.{{sfn|Womack|2014|p=123}}

A version by [[Chubby Checker]] reached number 86 in Canada, April 28, 1969.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/obj/028020/f2/nlc008388.5963.pdf| title=RPM Top 100 Singles – April 28, 1969}}</ref>

==Critical reception==
In his album review for the ''[[NME]]'', Alan Smith described the song as "A fantastic piece of screaming excitement. Great opener."<ref>{{cite magazine|first=Alan|last=Smith|title=Beatles Double-LP in Full|magazine=[[NME]]|date=9 November 1968|page=3}}</ref> ''[[Record Mirror]]''{{'}}s initial reviewer wrote: "The LP begins with a rock based, falsetto backed number called 'Back In The USSR' concerning the attributes of Russian women. Wild Harrison guitar and heavy brass lend that [[Soul music|soul]] element as well."<ref>{{cite magazine|title=The Beatles: ''The Beatles'' (''White Album'') (Apple)|author=Uncredited writer|magazine=[[Record Mirror]]|date=16 November 1968}} Available at [http://www.rocksbackpages.com/Library/Article/the-beatles-ithe-beatles-white-albumi-apple-2 Rock's Backpages] (subscription required).</ref>{{refn|group=nb|According to Winn, McCartney "mock[ed] overanalytical rock critics" during his 1968 Radio Luxembourg interview, by joking that "[The song] concerns the attributes of Russian women – sole element created by George's guitar and heavy brass!"{{sfn|Winn|2009|p=224}}}} Writing for the same publication, David Griffiths described the song as a "perfectly ingenious" opening track, since:
<blockquote>[I]t serves the purpose of disorientating (both politically and socially) the "average" listener whose mind is likely to be thoroughly confused by such lines as "Back in the US, back in the US, back in the USSR," and the use of rock and Beach Boy effects to praise Russian chicks. With both Georgias on his mind, perhaps the listener is rendered more receptive. The message comes across that nothing is as simple as it seems and the violence of the beat effectively demonstrates that The Beatles have not gone soft, or too arty, or too far away from the basics, despite their fame and riches.<ref>{{cite magazine|first=David|last=Griffiths|title=Griffiths' Golden Albums|magazine=[[Record Mirror]]|date=4 January 1969|page=9}}</ref></blockquote>

Writing in ''[[Partisan Review]]'', [[Geoffrey Cannon]] said that ''The Beatles'' showed the band failing to engage with the contemporary rock audience in the manner that [[the Rolling Stones]] had done on their 1968 album ''[[Beggars Banquet]]''. In Cannon's view: "The Beatles kick out the jams only in their [[hard rock]] numbers: 'Back in the U.S.S.R.', 'Birthday' and 'Helter Skelter'. But the eclecticism of the first two numbers makes them evanescent. They may intend to be good jokes about the Beach Boys, Chuck Berry and [[Little Richard]]; in fact, they hide behind these out-front stars."<ref name="Cannon/PartisanReview">{{cite magazine|first=Geoffrey|last=Cannon|title=The Age of Aquarius|magazine=[[Partisan Review]]|date=Spring 1969}} Available at [https://www.rocksbackpages.com/Library/Article/the-age-of-aquarius Rock's Backpages] (subscription required).</ref> In his review for ''[[The New York Times]]'', [[Nik Cohn]] similarly complained that "they hide behind send-up: the middle eight of 'Back in the U.S.S.R.,' for instance, is pure surf-age Beach Boys but it's all half-hearted and limp".<ref>{{cite news|title=A Brito Blasts the Beatles|last=Nik|first=Cohn|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=15 December 1968}}</ref>

[[Jann Wenner]] of ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' described "Back in the U.S.S.R." as the "perfect example" of the Beatles' ability to quote from others' work and "expand the idiom, but{{nbsp}}... [also] to penetrate it and take it further" in a way that recent satirical albums by [[the Turtles]] and [[Frank Zappa]] had failed to do. He added: "It would be too simple to say that 'Back In the USSR' is a parody, because it operates on more levels than that: it is fine contemporary rock and roll and{{nbsp}}... also a superb commentary on the United States S. R., hitting every insight – 'honey, disconnect the phone.' As well as a parody, it's also a Beatles song."<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/review-the-beatles-white-album-186863/|title=Review: The Beatles' 'White Album'|first=Jann S.|last=Wenner|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|date=21 December 1968|page=10|access-date=26 June 2019}}</ref>{{refn|group=nb|In his review for ''[[International Times]]'', [[Barry Miles]] said that "'Back In the USSR' is of course [a] parody of Chuck Berry's 'Back In the USA' only this medium rocker doesn't put down the USSR, it parodies the USA."<ref>{{cite news|title=Multi-Purpose Beatles Music|last=Miles|first=Barry|newspaper=[[International Times]]|date=29 November 1968|page=10}}</ref>}} [[Richard Goldstein (writer born 1942)|Richard Goldstein]] of ''The New York Times'' praised the double album's "burlesque of musical forms", saying that it represented "almost a mock-history of pop" in which "Back in the U.S.S.R." was "a rock primer, quoting the [[Jefferson Airplane]], the Beach Boys, Jerry Lee Lewis and [[Ray Charles]]".<ref>{{cite news|last=Goldstein|first=Richard|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|title=The Beatles|date=8 December 1968|pages=33, 37}}</ref>

Tim Riley describes "Back in the U.S.S.R." as "[[Brian Wilson]] with sex appeal" and an example of how, further to "[[Lady Madonna]]", several of McCartney's 1968 compositions "straddle the ironic distance between genre treatments and fresh, inventive material that stands well on its own".{{sfn|Riley|2002|pp=260–61}}{{refn|group=nb|Asked for his feelings on the song, Wilson said he was unaware that it was a send-up of "California Girls" until someone pointed it out. He added, "I thought it was really adorable."{{sfn|White|1996|p=310}} While acknowledging Wilson's "well-known" influence on McCartney, songwriter [[Paul Zollo]] described the song as McCartney and the Beatles' "most overt Brian-inspired composition" and recalled an occasion in which Wilson "sang for me all of 'Back in the U.S.S.R.{{'"}} during a lunch outing.<ref>{{cite book|last=Zollo|first=Paul|title=More Songwriters on Songwriting|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NQPTDQAAQBAJ&pg=PA274|year=2016|publisher=Hachette Books|isbn=978-0-306-81799-1|page=274}}</ref> Wilson also told Zollo that the song "''blew'' my mind" when he first heard it.{{sfn|Zollo|2016|p=278}} }} In his book on the White Album, [[David Quantick]] cites the song as an example of McCartney's standing as "a master of pastiche and parody", adding that "In lesser, feebler, hands, 'Back in the U.S.S.R.' could have been a rotten comedy song, a weak parody tune, but McCartney – cocky, confident, and able to do almost anything musically – made it into something amazing."{{sfn|Quantick|2002|p=68}} Quantick admires the three Beatles' musicianship and "hilarious" harmony vocals, and concludes: "The whole thing rocks – and rocks substantially more than the Beach Boys ever did."{{sfn|Quantick|2002|p=72}} In a review coinciding with the album's 40th anniversary, John Bohannon of ''[[PopMatters]]'' similarly praised the band's performance, including the guitar work and a McCartney vocal that he deemed "one of the best hard rock vocal[s] delivered from below the belt".<ref>{{cite web|author=Pop Matters staff|title=The White Album: Side One|url=https://www.popmatters.com/65095-the-beatles-white-album-40th-anniversary-2-2496107902.html?rebelltitem=1#rebelltitem1|website=[[PopMatters]]|date=17 November 2008|access-date=21 January 2020}}</ref>

In 2010, ''Rolling Stone'' ranked "Back in the U.S.S.R." at number 85 on the magazine's list of the "100 Greatest Beatles Songs".{{sfn|Womack|2014|p=63}}<ref name=rollingstone/> In a similar list compiled by ''[[Mojo (magazine)|Mojo]]'' in 2006, it appeared at number 64.<ref name="Mojo/101 Greatest">{{cite news|last=Alexander|first=Phil|title=The 101 Greatest Beatles Songs|work=[[Mojo (magazine)|Mojo]]|date=July 2006|page=44|display-authors=etal}}</ref> In his commentary for the magazine, English singer [[Billy Bragg]] said that 1968 was when "our love affair with all things American began to turn sour", with the year marked by reports of US atrocities in [[Vietnam War|Vietnam]], the assassinations of [[Martin Luther King Jr.|Martin Luther King]] and [[Robert F. Kennedy|Robert Kennedy]], the gesture of African-American athletes introducing [[1968 Olympics Black Power salute|Black Power politics at the Mexico Olympic Games]], and [[Richard Nixon]]'s victory in the US presidential race. Bragg added: "By opening [the White Album] with this wonderful inversion of Chuck Berry's 'Back In The USA', The Beatles made clear whose side they were on{{nbsp}}... Subversive or just mischievous? You decide."<ref name="Mojo/101 Greatest" /> In 2018, the music staff of ''[[Time Out London]]'' ranked the song at number 26 on their list of the best Beatles songs.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.timeout.com/london/music/the-best-beatles-songs|author=Time Out London Music|title=The 50 Best Beatles songs|website=[[Time Out London]]|date=24 May 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181215173746/https://www.timeout.com/london/music/the-best-beatles-songs|archive-date=15 December 2018|access-date=31 July 2019}}</ref>

==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>).

==Personnel==
According to Ian MacDonald{{sfn|MacDonald|2005|p=309}} and [[Mark Lewisohn]]:{{sfn|Lewisohn|2005|p=151}}

*[[Paul McCartney]]&nbsp;– [[double tracking|double-tracked]] lead vocals, backing vocal, piano, bass guitar, drums, lead guitar, handclaps, [[percussion instrument|percussion]]
*[[John Lennon]]&nbsp;– backing vocals, rhythm guitar, [[Fender Bass VI|six-string bass]], handclaps, drums, percussion
*[[George Harrison]]&nbsp;– backing vocals, rhythm and lead guitars, six-string bass, drums, handclaps, percussion

==Charts==
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+ Weekly chart performance for "Back in the U.S.S.R."
! scope="col"| Chart (1976–80)
! scope="col"| Peak<br />position
|-
! scope="row"| New Zealand ([[Recorded Music NZ]])<ref>{{Cite web |title=THE BEATLES – BACK IN THE U.S.S.R. (SONG) |url=https://charts.nz/showitem.asp?interpret=The+Beatles&titel=Back+In+The+U%2ES%2ES%2ER%2E&cat=s |website=charts.nz}}</ref>
| 44
|-
! scope="row"| Sweden ([[Sverigetopplistan]])<ref>{{Cite web |title=THE BEATLES – BACK IN THE U.S.S.R. (SONG) |url=https://swedishcharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=The+Beatles&titel=Back+In+The+U%2ES%2ES%2ER%2E&cat=s |website=swedishcharts.com}}</ref>
| 19
|-
! scope="row"| [[UK Singles Chart|UK Singles]] ([[Official Charts Company|OCC]])<ref>{{Cite web |title=BACK IN THE USSR by THE BEATLES |url=https://www.officialcharts.com/songs/the-beatles-back-in-the-ussr-0/ |website=Official Charts Company}}</ref>
| 19
|}

==Certifications==
{{Certification Table Top}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|type=single|artist=Beatles|title=Back in the USSR|award=Silver|relyear=2010|certyear=2022|id=18387-1786-1|accessdate=October 4, 2022}}
{{Certification Table Bottom|noshipments=true|streaming=true|nosales=true}}

==Notes==
{{reflist|30em|group=nb}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Sources==
{{Refbegin|30em}}
*{{Cite book|publisher=Houghton Mifflin/Seymour Lawrence|year=1990|title=The Beatles Illustrated Lyrics|location=Boston, MA|editor1-last=Aldridge|editor1-first=Alan|editor1-link=Alan Aldridge|isbn=0-395-59426-X}}
* {{cite book|last=Badman|first=Keith|title=The Beatles Diary Volume 2: After the Break-Up 1970–2001|publisher=Omnibus Press|location=London|year=2001|isbn=978-0-7119-8307-6}}
* {{cite book|last=The Beatles|title=The Beatles Anthology|publisher=Chronicle Books|location=San Francisco, CA|year=2000|isbn=0-8118-2684-8|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/beatlesanthology0000unse}}
*{{Cite book|publisher=Cengage Learning|year=2008|title=Rock and Roll: An Introduction|last=Campbell|first=Michael|isbn=978-0-534-64295-2}}
*{{cite book|first=Alan|last=Clayson|author-link=Alan Clayson|title=Ringo Starr|publisher=Sanctuary|location=London|year=2003|isbn=1-86074-488-5}}
* {{cite book|first=David John|last=DeCouto|title=Captain Fantastic: The Definitive Biography of Elton John in the '70s|publisher=Triple Wood Press|location=Chandler, AZ|year=2018|isbn=978-1980762485}}
* {{cite book|last=Everett|first=Walter|author-link=Walter Everett (musicologist)|year=1999|title=The Beatles as Musicians: Revolver Through the Anthology|publisher=Oxford University Press|location=New York, NY|isbn=978-0-19-512941-0|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eTkHAldi4bEC }}
* {{cite book|last=Greene|first=Doyle|year=2016|title=Rock, Counterculture and the Avant-Garde, 1966–1970: How the Beatles, Frank Zappa and the Velvet Underground Defined an Era|publisher=McFarland|location=Jefferson, NC|isbn=978-1-4766-6214-5}}
* {{cite book|last=Hertsgaard|first=Mark|author-link=Mark Hertsgaard|title=A Day in the Life: The Music and Artistry of the Beatles|publisher=Pan Books|location=London|year=1996|isbn=0-330-33891-9}}
*{{cite book|last=Leitch|first=Donovan|author-link=Donovan|title=The Autobiography of Donovan: The Hurdy Gurdy Man|year=2005|publisher=St. Martin's Press|location=New York, NY|isbn=978-0-312-35252-3}}
* {{cite book|first=Mark|last=Lewisohn|author-link=Mark Lewisohn|title=The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions: The Official Story of the Abbey Road Years 1962–1970|publisher=Bounty Books|location=London|year=2005|orig-year=1988|isbn=978-0-7537-2545-0}}
*{{cite book|last=Love|first=Mike|author-link=Mike Love|title=Good Vibrations: My Life as a Beach Boy|year=2017|publisher=Faber & Faber|location=London|isbn=978-0-571-32469-9}}
* {{cite book|last=MacDonald |first=Ian |year=2005|author-link=Ian MacDonald |title=Revolution in the Head: The Beatles' Records and the Sixties ''(2nd rev. edn)''|publisher=Chicago Review Press|location=Chicago, IL|isbn=978-1-55652-733-3|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YJUWJhIbkccC }}
*{{Cite book|last=Miles|first=Barry|year=1997|author-link=Barry Miles|title=Paul McCartney: Many Years from Now|publisher=Henry Holt and Company|location=New York, NY|isbn=0-8050-5249-6|url=https://archive.org/details/paulmccartneyman00mile}}
* {{cite book|last=Quantick|first=David|author-link=David Quantick|title=Revolution: The Making of the Beatles' White Album|publisher=A Cappella Books|location=Chicago, IL|year=2002|isbn=1-55652-470-6}}
* {{cite book|first=Tim|last=Riley|author-link=Tim Riley (music critic)|title=Tell Me Why – The Beatles: Album by Album, Song by Song, the Sixties and After|publisher=Da Capo Press|location=Cambridge, MA|year=2002|orig-year=1988|isbn=978-0-306-81120-3|url=https://archive.org/details/tellmewhybeatles00rile}}
* {{cite book|last=Schaffner|first=Nicholas|author-link=Nicholas Schaffner|title=The Beatles Forever|publisher=McGraw-Hill|location=New York, NY|year=1978|isbn=0-07-055087-5|url=https://archive.org/details/beatlesforever00scha}}
* {{cite book|last=Spizer|first=Bruce|author-link=Bruce Spizer|title=The Beatles on Apple Records|publisher=498 Productions|location=New Orleans, LA|year=2003|isbn=0-9662649-4-0}}
*{{cite book|last=Turner|first=Steve|author-link=Steve Turner (writer)|title=The Beatles: The Stories Behind the Songs 1967–1970|year=2009|publisher=Carlton|isbn=978-1-84732-268-5}}
* {{cite book |last=White |first=Timothy |author-link=Timothy White (writer) |title=The Nearest Faraway Place: Brian Wilson, the Beach Boys, and the Southern Californian Experience |date=1996 |publisher=Macmillan |isbn=0333649370 |url=https://archive.org/details/nearestfarawaypl0000whit/ |url-access=registration}}
*{{cite book|last=Wiener|first=Jon|author-link=Jon Wiener|title=Come Together: John Lennon in His Time|year=1991|location=Urbana, IL|publisher=University of Illinois Press|isbn=978-0-252-06131-8|url=https://archive.org/details/cometogetherjohn00jonw}}
* {{cite book| last=Winn| first=John C.|year=2009| title=That Magic Feeling: The Beatles' Recorded Legacy, Volume Two, 1966–1970| publisher=Three Rivers Press|location=New York, NY| isbn=978-0-3074-5239-9}}
* {{cite book|last= Womack|first=Kenneth|author-link=Kenneth Womack|year= 2014|title=The Beatles Encyclopedia: Everything Fab Four|publisher=ABC-CLIO|location=Santa Barbara, CA|isbn= 978-0-313-39171-2}}
{{Refend}}

==External links==
{{Wikiquote|The Beatles (album)}}
* [https://www.thebeatles.com/back-ussr Full lyrics for the song at the Beatles' official website]
* {{noteson|http://www.icce.rug.nl/~soundscapes/DATABASES/AWP/bitu.shtml|Back in the U.S.S.R.}}
* {{YouTube|dc2tJqnkLLA|The Beatles – Back in the U.S.S.R.}}

{{The Beatles (White Album)}}
{{The Beatles singles}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:1968 songs]]
[[Category:The Beatles songs]]
[[Category:Songs written by Lennon–McCartney]]
[[Category:Song recordings produced by George Martin]]
[[Category:Songs published by Northern Songs]]
[[Category:Apple Records singles]]
[[Category:Parlophone singles]]
[[Category:1969 singles]]
[[Category:1976 singles]]
[[Category:1987 singles]]
[[Category:Live singles]]
[[Category:Songs about Russia]]
[[Category:Answer songs]]
[[Category:Musical parodies]]
[[Category:Musical tributes to the Beach Boys]]
[[Category:British rock-and-roll songs]]