If you’re in a bar in Russia, there’s live rock music playing, and the band spot you aren’t from Russia – chances are they’ll play the Beatles classic ‘Back in the USSR’ just for you. This post rounds up some of the coolest, and the oddest covers of ‘Back in the USSR’ that I could find on Youtube, and is dedicated those bands.
First up, lets start with an unexpected star turn from Sigourney Weaver – a con artist pretending to be a Russian, Sigourney is forced to sing the only traditional Russian song she can think of. Accompanied, naturally, by balalaikas.
What? Sigourney was a bit too slow for you? How about this from Ukrainian singer Ruslana then. Stick around to the 25 second mark – it’s well worth the wait for the ultimate in cheesy Eastern Euro-pop covers:
Hmm. Talking of mind-blowing, some say that a few select Beatles songs contain coded messages when played backwards. Is there a coded message in Back in the USSR? Find out for yourself:
OK – enough of the backwards silliness. Let’s go forwards again – this time with an oddly compelling fingerstyle version by PeaceJoyTown:
This Battlestar Galactica mashup is quite mellow too. Very, very odd though.
Speaking of odd – it’s the Hoff!
And there you have it. Let’s finish up with one final video of the only Beatle ever to actually sing Back in the USSR in Russia – yes, Paul McCartnery couldn’t resist throwing it into the playlist for his 2003 Red Square concert.
Did you spot a certain Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin in the crowd, his head almost imperceptably nodding along in time to the beat?
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Watching ‘Heartbreakers’ was fun … particularly the scene in the “Kremlin Restaurant” when Vladimir (Elya Baskin = the waiter) asks Max (Weaver) quite a few “funny questions” … and she keeps replying “?? ?? … ?? ?? ?? !”. Her version of “Back to the U.S.S.R.” is great. It’s the best on your list
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