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The Beatles song that the BBC banned decades after its release

There is a long list of songs that the BBC banned during the Beatles' heyday in the 1960s. Many of these bans were justified for the time, as their lyrics contained drugs, sexual innuendo and brand names. Most of these things wouldn't make today's listeners sweat, but 1960s Britain was a very different time and country.

In addition to songs like 'I Am The Walrus' and 'Come Together' being banned by the BBC, another song was banned because of its controversial political content. However, it was not banned until years after it was first broadcast.

At first glance, it is completely understandable why the BBC banned the 1968 song “Back In The USSR”. The song was originally heard on The Beatles (better known as White Album). It contained numerous references to politics and the former Soviet Union.

American fans were not happy with the lyrics “You don't know how lucky you are, boys / Back in the USSR,” which hinted at the band's possible pro-Soviet leanings. The album was released weeks after the Warsaw Pact invaded Czechoslovakia, and the Beatles' sympathetic lyrics sparked outrage among left-wing and right-wing citizens and politicians across the pond.

Why did the BBC ban “Back In The USSR”?

However, the BBC is a British organization, not an American one. Many would assume that the people of the UK had a similar dislike for the lyrics of “Back In The USSR.” We’re sure many scoffed at the song and its title. However, that didn’t stop it from peaking at number 19 on the UK Singles Chart and number 11 on the Irish Chart.

So if there was no particular hatred towards the song, why did the BBC ban it? You may be surprised to learn that the song was actually not banned in the 1960s when it was released.

[Get Tickets To See The Beatles’ Paul McCartney Live]

“Back In The USSR” was actually banned shortly before the collapse of the USSR in December 1991. The BBC issued the ban in 1990 at the start of the first Gulf War, almost 22 years after “Back In The USSR” was first released.

It wasn't the only politically motivated song banned by the BBC at the time. Songs like “Ghost Town” by The Specials and “Atomic” by Blondie were also banned for their political lyrics. It would have made more sense if the BBC had banned the Beatles' song in the 1960s. However, they have definitely banned songs for less serious offenses; this case only lasted a few years.

Courtesy of Apple Corps Ltd.

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