而這首歌Leningrad (列寧格勒) 就是在這背景下創作出來的，這首歌出現在他於1989年發行的專輯Strom Front裡，該專輯可嗅出當年諸多民主與集權、資本與共產的氣味，1989年真是人類歷史上一個驚天動地的一年啊！上半年世界的焦點都在中國北京的天安門廣場，下半年的焦點全都到柏林圍牆上了！
以下是節自維基百科上論述Leningrad這首歌的原文，我將其潤詞釋譯一下，連同歌詞，不一定一蘿蔔一坑式地照本宣科翻譯，而是儘量照作者原意表達………
The
song (Leningrad) was written by Joel about a Russian clown named Viktor, whom
he met while touring the Soviet Union in 1987. Throughout the song, major items
of Viktor's and Joel's lives are compared to show the cultural difference of
the United States of America and the Soviet Union.
In the
song, Joel expresses Viktor's life as one of many Soviet children who lost
fathers during World War II. He was enlisted into the Red Army, drank Vodka to
fight the pain, and then became a circus clown, bringing joy to the Russian
children.
(列寧格勒) 這首歌寫的是Billy Joel在1987年於莫斯科紅場舉辦個人演唱會時認識的一位名叫Viktor的前蘇聯馬戲團的小丑的故事。整首歌曲貫穿比較……..同樣的平行時間進程中，分別居住在美國的Billy Joel與蘇聯的Viktor兩人成長與生活背景差異。Viktor就如同其他在第二次世界大戰時失去父親的孩童一樣；成年後應徵從軍、過著典型俄國的生活 (vodka伏特加酒，典型俄國佳釀)、與艱苦搏鬥，退伍後自理生涯規劃(Viktor役畢後，選擇了擔任馬戲團的小丑的工作)，他想帶給俄國孩子們歡笑。
Joel
described his childhood life as being "born in '49, a cold war kid in
McCarthy time." He describes his life briefly of living in Levittown, and
the fear of the Cuban Missile Crisis. Joel also makes a reference to the Korean
War, widely considered a proxy war to the Cold War, as well as the Cuban
Missile Crisis and the Vietnam War.
Billy
Joel也描述了他自己的童年；他是1949年生，那是個彌漫著冷戰與麥卡錫主義 (反共主義)的年代，他同時也提到居住在Levittown(Billy Joel的老家，位於紐約州)的日子，及發生在1962年的古巴導彈危機，以及整個前後冷戰時期的著名衝突；諸如韓戰、越戰。這些都是當時所謂民主與集權、資本與共產兩陣營的對立！
In the
end, the two meet after Billy's Leningrad concert (Viktor had journeyed across
Russia to see all six of Russian concerts), where Viktor draws a laugh from
Billy's daughter Alexa, then they hug. In the song's final line Billy states,
"We never knew what friends we had, until we came to Leningrad."
歌曲最後，說到Billy Joel 與Viktor在1987年的演唱會相互認識了 (Viktor參與了Billy Joel當年在蘇聯全境6場所有演唱會)，當他們兩相擁的那一刻，什麼冷戰、什麼敵對你我、什麼蘇聯美國，都是沒有意義的對立！於是Billy Joel 很感慨地寫到“我們竟從不知道在世界的另一端有這樣的朋友；直到此時此刻我們同聚在列寧格勒”。
後記：
當年還在只有聽錄音帶的時候，我反覆聽這首歌差點兒把錄音帶絞斷，聽到自己感動落淚，現在想想，原來我在少年十五二十時，還是有感性的思緒的，十足性情中人！
Leningrad 歌詞 by Billy Joel
Viktor was born in the spring of '44
And never saw his father anymore
A child of sacrifice, a child of war
Another son who never had a father after Leningrad
Viktor出生於1944年的春天
他從未見過自己的父親
他是戰火下被犧牲的一代
和其他相同遭遇的人一樣；又一個在列寧格勒保衛戰中失去父親的孩子
Went off to school and learned to serve the state
Followed the rules and drank his vodka straight
The only way to live was drown the hate
A Russian life was very sad
And such was life in Leningrad
離開學校後進入社會，學習如何報效祖國
遵循著法條，過著典型俄國的生活(vodka伏特加酒，典型俄國佳釀)
只有將自己沉浸在仇恨之中，才是唯一的生存之道在俄國，那去日苦多的人們
就像當年在列寧格勒保衛戰中去日苦多的生命一樣
I was born in '49
A cold war kid in McCarthy time
Stop 'em at the 38th Parallel
Blast those yellow reds to hell
And cold war kids were hard to kill
Under their desk in an air raid drill
Haven't they heard we won the war
What do they keep on fighting for?
我(Billy Joel)出生於1949年
一個圍繞在冷戰語麥卡錫主義 (反共主義)年代
北緯38度停戰線
將共產黨 (yellow reds剛好是中共與蘇聯國旗的主色)推到
為避免殺戮，冷戰中的孩子時常演練防空警報
但我從未聽過冷戰中的對立雙方，到底誰取得了最終勝利
既然如此，他們為什麼還要無意義地拼鬥下去呢？
Viktor was sent to some Red Army town
Served out his time, became a circus clown
The greatest happiness he'd ever found
Was making Russian children glad
And children lived in Leningrad
長大後Viktor被送到列寧格勒服役 (Red Army town指的是列寧格勒等，曾在二次大戰中，凡是蘇聯紅軍戰勝德國納粹的城市皆付予Red Army Town的榮譽頭銜)
役畢後，做了擔任馬戲團的小丑的工作
這是一份他覺得最快樂的工作
就是能讓蘇聯的孩子們展顏歡笑
那些生活在列寧格勒的孩們展顏歡笑
But children lived in Levittown
And hid in the shelters underground
Until the Soviets turned their ships around
And tore the Cuban missiles down
And in that bright October sun
We knew our childhood days were done
And I watched my friends go off to war
What do they keep on fighting for?
住在Levittown (Billy Joel的老家，位於紐約州) 的孩子
躲在地底下的防空洞裡
直到蘇聯撤除他們的戰艦
同時解除設置於古巴的導彈
我記得那個燄陽高照的十月 (古巴危險是從1962年10月中開始)
看到的朋友們都躍躍欲試地想跟敵人大幹一場
他們為什麼要無止地拼鬥下去呢？
And so my child and I came to this place
To meet him eye to eye and face to face
He made my daughter laugh, then we embraced
We never knew what friends we had
Until we came to Leningrad
今天，此時此刻我同女兒來到這裡
與Viktor見到面；距離如此地近
女兒因為他的逗趣而開心不已，接著我們相擁在一起
啊！…….我們竟從不知道，在世界的另一端有著這樣的朋友
直到此時此刻我們同聚在列寧格勒
