Viktor was ^Em7born^G in the spring of '^A44^D and never ^Em7saw ^G his father ^Aanymore.^D7 A child of ^Gsacrifice^Dsus4, a ^Dchild of ^Ewar^E7. ^D Another ^F#7son who never ^Bmhad a father ^Gaf^Ater Lening^Drad. Went off ^Em7to school ^G and learned to ^Aserve the state^D. Followed the ^Em7rules ^G and drank his ^Avodka straig^D7ht. The only ^Gway to live ^Dsus4 was ^Ddrown the ^Ehate^E7. ^D A Russian li^F#7fe was very sad^Bm and such was ^Glife ^Ain ^DLeningrad ^Dm

I was born in '49 a ^Asus4cold war kid in Mc^AmCarthy time. ^Gsus4Stop 'em at the 38th ^GParallel, ^Asus4blast those yellow ^Areds to hell. ^Dsus4Cold war kids were ^Dmhard to kill ^Asus4under their desk in an ^Amair raid drill. ^Gsus4Haven't they heard we ^Gwon the war? ^Asus4What do they keep on ^Afighting for?^D

Viktor was ^Em7sent^G to some Red ^AArmy town^D. Served out his ^Em7time ^G became a ^Acircus ^D7clown. The greatest ^Ghappiness^{Dsus4 D}he'd ever ^Efound^{E7 D} was making ^F#7Russian children ^Bmglad and children ^Glived ^Ain ^DLeningrad.^Dm

But children lived in Levitown and ^Asus4hid in the shelters ^Amunderground till the ^Gsus4Soviets turned their ^Gships around^Asus4 and tore the Cuban ^Amissiles down. And ^Dsus4in that bright Oct^Dmober sun we ^Asus4knew our childhood ^Amdays were done and ^Gsus4I watched my friends go ^Goff to war. ^Asus4What do they keep on ^Afighting for?^D

And so my ^Em7child and I ^G came ^Ato this place ^D to meet him ^Em7eye to ey^Ge and ^Aface to ^D7face. He made my ^Gdaughter laugh^{Dsus4 D}then we embr^Eaced^E7. ^D We never ^F#7knew what friends we ^Bmhad until we ^Gcame ^Ato ^DLeningrad.