Polyushka Polye

For other uses, see Polyushka Polye (disambiguation).

Polyushka Polye (Russian spelling: Полюшко Поле) is a Soviet Russian-language song. Polye means "field" in Russian, "polyushko" is a diminutive/hypocoristic form for "polye".

Soviet arrangements

The music was by Lev Knipper, with lyrics by Viktor Gusev. Knipper's song was part of the symphony with chorus (lyrics by Gusev) "A Poem about a Komsomol Soldier" (Поэма о бойце-комсомольце) composed in 1934. The original lyrics are sung from the perspective of a Red Army recruit, who proudly leaves his home to keep watch against his homeland's enemies.

The song was covered many times by many artists in the Soviet Union, including a well-known rock version made from the "Singing Guitars" (Russian: Поющие гитáры), released c. 1967. The song has been regularly performed and recorded by the Alexandrov Ensemble since 1928, and it is listed in the Alexandrov Ensemble discography.

Other arrangements

Outside Russia, several arrangements of the tune are known under the title The Cossack Patrol, particularly a version by Ivan Rebroff, and some under other titles including Meadowland, Cavalry of the Steppes and Gone with the Wind. Tanz Brüderchen by Hyperactive, an authorised rave remix of Rebroff's performance, is well-known in some online communities for its inclusion in the Flash cartoon at rathergood.com (See links below).

Origa, a Russian singer based in Japan, released her own version with altered lyrics in 1998.

Cultural influence

The tune is still popular, including ringtones. It was used to very dramatic effect in the 1967 film The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming. Michael Palin notably performed the song with the choir of the Russian Pacific Fleet in the television series Full Circle with Michael Palin ^[1]. The song can be heard in the background of the movie Cast Away and in an episode in Airwolf ("Proof Through The Night"); and is the opening title of Aki Kaurismäki's film Leningrad Cowboys Go America. The song is also covered instrumentally on Hammond organ by Steven Stills on Jefferson Airplane's 1969 album Volunteers as an interlude between A Song For All Seasons and the title track.

The song is also the basis for a Glenn Miller and Jerry Gray song called Russian Patrol or The Red Cavalry March.^{[citation needed]}

Blackmore's Night's Gone with the Wind (1999) is an adaptation of Polyushka Polye.^[2][3]

The song is also the basis for a Marc Almond song called So Long the Path (So Wide the Field) featured on his 2003 album of Russian Songs Heart On Snow. ^[4].

It is also the basis for a song by the Italian melodic death metal band Dark Lunacy called Forlorn from their first official album Devoid.^{[citation needed]}

The song has also been made popular and sometimes mandatory in Swedish student contexts, after its initial introduction in the student theatre Katarina II (performed by Chalmersspexet). In such situations, it is commonly referred to as Livet or Livet är härligt. As a consequence, the pianeur of said theatre, Jan Johansson, later performs same song under the title Stepp, min stepp in the 1967 album Jazz på ryska (Jazz in Russian).

Notes

1. ^ Full Circle Day 22: Vladivostok
2. ^ Blackmore's Night - Gone With the Wind - based on Polyushko Pole, a traditional Russian song | Around Lyrics
3. ^ Blackmore's Night : Under a violet moon -re-issue Record Shop X
4. ^ The Light Music official site

External links

• Polyushka Polye sung by the Soviet Red Army Chorus (RealAudio)
• A Chinese rendition with translated lyrics performed by the Male Choir of the People's Armed Police