Sir Paul McCartney banishes Beatles hit song Back in the USSR from all live shows

To exclude, to expel:

Sir Paul McCartney decided to drop the hit 1968 song – about a Russian spy returning home – ahead of his recent Get Back tour

Nyet It Be… Sir Paul McCartney is supporting Russia’s invasion of Ukraine – by removing the Beatles classic Back in the USSR from his gig.

It will be missing from all of his performances for the foreseeable future, including his title performance at the Glastonbury Festival next Saturday.

A source said: ‘The song is a huge hit, but given the horrors unfolding in Ukraine, it was a simple decision made by Paul.

“It would be terrible to sing a funny rock’n’roll song about Russia.

“In all conscience, Paul cannot sing those words when so many people are being brutally slaughtered at the hands of Russia.” The song was written by Macca in 1968, about a Russian spy returning from the US.

The lyrics include the line “and the Moscow girls make me sing and scream”.

It is the sixth most played song at his shows after Let It Be, Hey Jude, Band on the Run, Live and Let Die, and Lady Madonna.

Back to the Soviet Union was present at all of Sir Paul’s previous solo tours since 1989.

But the song wasn’t played at any of his recent US dates, which ended on Thursday night.

Beatles legend Sir Paul, turning 80 today, waved the Ukrainian flag on stage during his performance in the US.

He said in February shortly after Russia launched the invasion: “Remember to play for our friends in Ukraine in Independence Square [in the capital Kyiv] in 2008 and think of them during these difficult times. We send our love and support. ”

Macca often plays the song right before the encore along with Let It Be, Live and Let Die, and Hey Jude.

Sir Paul wrote the song while The Beatles were meditating in India.

Macca sees it as a parody of Chuck Berry’s Back in the USA, with a nod to the Beach Boys’ classic California Girls hit.

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Speaking of the Soviet Union, it included the lines: “Well, the Ukrainian girls really knocked me down / They left the West behind.”

The lyrics also include: “Oh, show me around your snowy mountains in the south / Take me to your dad’s farm / Let me hear your balalaikas ring / Come and keep your teammates warm.”

The song caused fury in the US at the time because it was seen as a commemoration of the Cold War enemy – especially since it was released a few months after the Warsaw Pact countries, including the Soviet Union. Soviet Union invades Czechoslovakia.

Some accused the Beatles of being Communist sympathizers, even though the group was banned in the Soviet Union.

Sir Paul once said: “Perhaps my most important reason for coming to Russia was to play Back in the USSR.”

The song took Moscow’s Red Square by storm in 2003 when he was finally performed nationally.

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