1917 Revolution
Beau Lyrics


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My mind is young, my body lean,
I live in Petrograd, the year is 1917.
I see the horses in the street,
I hear the sound of running feet,
I see the torches burning bright
Marching out into the night…
I turn my horse towards the sun.
They say the movement has begun
When every man shall own his share;
An end to sorrow and despair.
And now they say the Tsar has gone…
I turn my horse towards the sun.

Though I am tired, I must ride on
To find the peace I know I want.
The Caucasus and the Ukraine -
Across the land and back again -
Then down the seaboard we will ride,
Unopposed and undefied…
We turned our horses to the sun.
They say the movement has begun
When every man shall own his share;
An end to sorrow and despair.
And now they say the Tzar has gone…
We turned our horses to the sun.

And the dancers danced, balalaikas played,
As the people watched the grand parade;
And as the peasants watched, they knew
What the community could do
When they saw what had been won
And what the Soviet had done…
They turned their horses to the sun.
They say the movement has begun
When every man shall own his share;
An end to sorrow and despair.




And now they say the Tzar has gone…
They turned their horses to the sun.

Overall Meaning

In Beau's song "1917 Revolution," the lyrics center around a young person who is witnessing the events of the Russian Revolution in Petrograd (now Saint Petersburg) in the year 1917. The opening lines, "My mind is young, my body lean, I live in Petrograd, the year is 1917" immediately set the scene and establish the youthful perspective from which the events are being observed. The singer mentions seeing horses and hearing the sound of running feet, which creates a sense of urgency and movement, as if something important is happening.


The chorus of the song, which repeats three times, centers around the idea that the movement for change has begun and that every man will own his share, bringing an end to sorrow and despair. The second verse expands on this theme, as the singer talks about riding across the country to find peace and mentions the territories of the Caucasus and the Ukraine. The final verse brings in the celebratory aspect of the revolution, with mention of dancers and balalaikas (traditional Russian instruments) playing as people watch a grand parade. The peasants in particular are highlighted as having a sense of community and power in the aftermath of the revolution.


Overall, the song portrays a hopeful and optimistic view of the revolution, with a sense that change is possible and that it will bring about a better future for all. The repeated turning towards the sun symbolizes this hope and determination, as if the people are moving towards a brighter future.


Line by Line Meaning

My mind is young, my body lean,
I am youthful and full of energy, and my body is in great physical shape.


I live in Petrograd, the year is 1917.
I am living in Petrograd in the year 1917.


I see the horses in the street,
I observe horses on the street.


I hear the sound of running feet,
I hear the sound of feet running.


I see the torches burning bright
I see brightly burning torches.


Marching out into the night…
Marching out into the night.


I turn my horse towards the sun.
I direct my horse towards the sun.


They say the movement has begun
It is believed that the movement has commenced.


When every man shall own his share;
When every individual possesses a proportionate share.


An end to sorrow and despair.
Complete cessation of sorrow and despair.


And now they say the Tsar has gone…
It is reported that the Tsar has departed.


Though I am tired, I must ride on
Despite being fatigued, one must continue riding.


To find the peace I know I want.
To discover the peace that I know I desire.


The Caucasus and the Ukraine -
The regions of the Caucasus and Ukraine.


Across the land and back again -
Traversing across the land and then returning.


Then down the seaboard we will ride,
Subsequently travelling along the coast on horseback.


Unopposed and undefied…
Without facing any opposition or defiance.


We turned our horses to the sun.
We steered our horses towards the sun.


And the dancers danced, balalaikas played,
The dancers performed whilst the balalaikas played.


As the people watched the grand parade;
As the citizens viewed the magnificent march.


And as the peasants watched, they knew
The peasants recognised as they observed.


What the community could do
What the community was capable of doing.


When they saw what had been won
After seeing what was triumphantly achieved.


And what the Soviet had done…
And the accomplishments of the Soviet.


They turned their horses to the sun.
They diverted their horses towards the sun.




Contributed by Amelia I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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