A sample of some obscure – and some maybe not obscure – tunes from my strange and off-the-wall collection.

Today’s selection: Waterboys - Red Army Blues

I changed my mind about this week's tune. I kept the Russia theme - inspired by a comment by John Fleming about Stalin in last week's tune post:
"That evil demon Stalin used Russian patriotism to keep himself in power. May he reside in the nethermost circle of Hell where Satan chews his bones with that of Judas Iscariot for all eternity."

A 17yo Russian joins the army in 1943 as a patriot, is part of the conquest of Berlin - and after the war, is sent to a gulag by Stalin because he might have become Westernized for having mingled with Americans.

When I left my home and my family
My mother said to me
"Son, it's not how many Germans you kill that counts
It's how many people you set free!"

*******************

"Dressed in stripes and tatters
In a gulag left to die
All because Comrade Stalin was scared that
We'd become too westernized!"

"Used to love my country
Used to be so young
Used to believe that life was
The best song ever sung
I would have died for my country
In 1945"

Two books, "The Forgotten Soldier" written of the German view, and "The Day of Viktenty Angarov", the account of a Russian soldier, inspired Scotland's The Waterboys' Mike Scott to write the song.

We didn't win the European war, the Russians did - but our help shortened the effort.

I hope Trump and Putin can finally put an end to this century-long mess. It's not the Soviet Union anymore.
Hell, if we can be "friends" with Japan and Germany (maybe). And China and Saudi Arabia ...

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