Unit 15: Era of World Wars / Soviet Union
"Life's Getting Better"
From Lebedev-Kumach, Vasily, and Aleksandr Aleksandrov. "Life's Getting Better." As reproduced in Mass Culture in Soviet Russia, trans. James von Geldern, ed. James von Geldern and Richard Stites (Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press, 1995), 237-238.

 
In 1934, Stalin announced in a speech that "life was getting better" as a result of his program and encouraged artists to promote the "better life" of the Soviet Union. One of the best-known songs of these years was the 1936 "Life's Getting Better," written by Aleksandr Aleksandrov, founder and leader of the Red Army Ensemble.

Beautiful as birds all in a row
Songs fly above the Soviet land.
The happy refrain of the cities and fields:
"Life's getting better
And happier too!"

The country is growing and singing as one,
It forges everyone's joy with its songs.
Look at the sun--the sun's brighter too!
"Life's getting better
And happier too!"

There's room everywhere for our minds and our hands,
Wherever you go you'll find you have friends.
Old age feels warmer, and youth braver still--
"Life's getting better
And happier too!"

Know, Voroshilov, we're all standing guard--
We won't give the enemy even a yard.
There is a saying for folks old and young:
"Life's getting better
And happier too!"

Let's let the whole gigantic country
Shout to Stalin: "Thank you, our man,
Live long, prosper, never fall ill!"
"Life's getting better
And happier too!"

Reprinted by permission.

This website was produced by
Octagon Multimedia