Back in the U.S.S.R. Lyrics



Lennon/McCartney


Flew in from Miami Beach BOAC
Didn't get to bed last night
On the way the paper bag was on my knee
Man I had a dreadful flight
I'm back in the U.S.S.R.
You don't know how lucky you are boy
Back in the U.S.S.R.

Been away so long I hardly knew the place
Gee it's good to be back home
Leave it till tomorrow to unpack my case
Honey disconnect the phone
I'm back in the U.S.S.R.
You don't know how lucky you are boy
Back in the U.S.S.R.

Well the Ukraine girls really knock me out
They leave the West behind
And Moscow girls make me sing and shout
That Georgia's always on my mind.

I'm back in the U.S.S.R.
You don't know how lucky you are boys
Back in the U.S.S.R.

Show me round your snow peaked mountains way down south
Take me to your daddy's farm
Let me hear your balalaika's ringing out
Come and keep your comrade warm.
I'm back in the U.S.S.R.
You don't know how lucky you are boys
Back in the U.S.S.R.

 
Lead Singer: Paul

Recording: 8/22/68, 8/23/68
Mixing: 8/23/68, 10/13/68
Length: 2:42
Take: 6

Anomalies

0:48 * NEW *
Macca misses the snare, and provides an unintentional rimshot.
1:05 * NEW *
A cut, as "Ukraine" comes in. In the right channel, the word comes in a little early, and the cymbal too. This throws the beat off slightly. On the left, the airplane effect drops in level at this point.
Very End
Many people have reported a range of various things said at the end here, "How's That?", "How Bout It?", "Ha ha!". It's actually just "I'm Back!"
Things were tense when they were working on this album, and Ringo walked out during recording, briefly quitting the band. Paul McCartney played drums in his place.
McCartney was inspired by Chuck Berry's "Back in the U.S.A."
McCartney: "I wrote that as a kind of Beach Boys parody."
The Beatles originally wrote this for wafer-thin actress and model Twiggy.
The line "Georgia's always on my mind" in a play on the Ray Charles song "Georgia On My Mind." It has a double meaning, since Georgia was part of the U.S.S.R.
Elton John performed this when he toured Russia in 1979. Billy Joel also played it when he toured Moscow in 1987. (thanks, Adrian - Wilmington, DE)
Paul McCartney used this as the title to an album he released only in Russia in 1989.
This opens with the sound of an airplane flying from left to right across the speakers. Stereo was relatively new, so this was very innovative for the time.
 
The White Album Lyrics   

How many times this song has been viewed: