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      • The Overland Stage: 11 – Pass Creek to Bridger Station
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      • The Overland Stage: 17 – Fort Bridger to Weber Station

I find I don’t wish to explore new lands, but to explore again those I have already passed through, trying to see what I’d missed in the first hectic rush … Gerard Van der Leun

Home→Published 2025 → March → 11

Daily Archives: March 11, 2025

Tunes For Tuesday – Waterboys “Red Army Blues”

The New American Digest Posted on March 11, 2025 by DTMarch 23, 2025

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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Posted in tunes | 9 Replies

Rules

Gerard Van der Leun
12/26/45 - 1/27/23


Gerard's Last Post
(posthumous): Feb 4, 2023
"So Long. See You All a Little Further Down the Road"

When my body won’t hold me anymore
And it finally lets me free
Where will I go?
Will the trade winds take me south through Georgia grain?
Or tropical rain?
Or snow from the heavens?
Will I join with the ocean blue?
Or run into a savior true?
And shake hands laughing
And walk through the night, straight to the light
Holding the love I’ve known in my life
And no hard feelings

Avett Brothers - No Hard Feelings

The following was posted along with the announcement of Gerard's passing.
Leonard Cohen - Going Home

For a 2005 interview with Gerard


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Hey, Mr. Tambourine Man,
play a song for me
I'm not sleepy
and there ain't no place I'm goin' to

Hey, Mr. Tambourine Man,
play a song for me
In the jingle jangle morning,
I'll come followin' you

Take me for a trip upon
your magic swirling ship
All my senses have been stripped
And my hands can't feel to grip
And my toes too numb to step
Wait only for my boot heels to be wanderin'

I'm ready to go anywhere,
I'm ready for to fade
Unto my own parade
Cast your dancing spell my way
I promise to go under it


Men who saw night coming down about them could somehow act as if they stood at the edge of dawn.


From Gerard's site. The picture always caught my eye.

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