Billy Joel's "Leningrad" and the Cold War

While many musicians have been known to use their platforms to express views about politics and religion, Billy Joel did so in a unique way which served as a reflection on the Cold War and many American events rather than expressing bold convictions.
An example of this style of political analysis can be seen in his song “Leningrad” which details his experience meeting a street performer (clown) in St. Petersburg. Billy Joel compares the life of Victor the clown to his own life. The song begins,

“Victor was born
The spring of '44
And never saw
His father anymore”

This opening line is a reference to Victor losing his father in WWII. Military plays a huge role in Russian culture and many Russians claim that all Russians can name at least one family member who has been involved in the military in some way. This is because military service is mandatory for all Russian men with some exceptions. The song then continues to talk about Victor’s life and some of the repercussions the post-war economy had on the daily lives of the people of Russia. He sings,

“The Russian life was very sad
And such was life in Leningrad”

Billy Joel then transitions to discussing his experience in the Cold War Era on the other side of the world. He sings,

“I was born in '49
A cold war kid in the McCarthy times
…
Cold war kids were hard to kill
Under their desks in an air raid drill
Haven't they heard we won the war
What do they keep on fighting for?”

This is perhaps the most direct opinion we hear from Billy Joel regarding his views on the Cold War. He seems to be criticizing the Cold War as an unnecessary conflict given the fact that WWII was over. His analysis gives insight into what the American experience was like during the Cold War with air raid drills.
Billy Joel then continues to sing,

“The children lived in Levittown
Hid in the shelters underground”

Levittown was the blue-collar town Billy Joel grew up in. This lyric describes the atmosphere of fear created by the Cold War. This atmosphere continues as he addresses the Cuban Missile Crisis, singing,

“Til the soviets turned their ships around
Torn the Cuban missiles down”

Billy Joel then expresses his emotion that the Cold War has deprived the American children of the innocence of childhood. For many of Billy Joel’s peers, the realities of adulthood came too early when they were drafted into the Vietnam War.*
Joel sings,

“We knew our childhood days were done
I watched my friends go off to war
What do they keep on fighting for?”

Overall, the song seems to be criticizing the Cold War as being unnecessary and disrupting world peace. Never once does Joel directly condemn either America or the Soviet Union. Instead, Billy Joel approaches the issue with empathy, reflecting on the similarities between him and his friend Victor the clown. Even though they were on opposite sides of the war, both were suffering as a result of the conflict. He seems to be asking the question, If both sides are suffering, is anyone really winning? And if nobody is winning, what’s the point of the war?
And so it seems Billy Joel is not criticizing either side, but criticizing the lack of unity and empathy in the world, especially after the loss endured by all from WWII.
The song seems to close appropriately with the lyrics,

“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.”

*Further opinions on the Vietnam War can be seen in the song “Goodnight Saigon” in which Billy Joel reflects on the very personal losses he faced as a result of the Vietnam War by referencing specific friends who lost their lives in the war.

Sources:
Joel, Billy "Leningrad"