A Rumor in St. Petersburg

The Neva flows

A new wind blows

And soon it will be spring

I hear you comrades,

The revolution hears you

Together we will forge a new Russia

And we'll be the envy of all the World

The Czars St. Petersburg

Is now the people's Leningrad

They can call it Leningrad

But it will always be Petersburg

New name, same empty stomachs!

They tell us times are better

Well, I say they're not

Can't cook an empty promise

In an empty pot

"A brighter day is dawning

It's almost at hand!"

The skies are gray, the walls have ears

And he who argues disappears

Hail our brave new land

St. Petersburg is booming

A city on the rise

It's really very friendly

If you don't mind spies

Sshh

We stand behind our leaders

And stand in line for bread

We're good and loyal comrades

And our fav'rite color's red

Now everyone is equal

Professors push the brooms

Two dozen total strangers

Live in two small rooms

You hold a revolution

And here's the price you pay

Thank goodness for the gossip

Spazibo za slukhi!

Thank goodness for the gossip

That gets us through the day

Hey

Have you heard

There's a rumor in

St. Petersburg

Have you heard

What they're saying on the street

Although the Tsar did not survive

One daughter may be still alive

The Princess Anastasia

But please do not repeat

It's a rumor

A legend

A mystery

Something whispered in an alleyway

Or through a crack

It's a rumor

That's part of our history

They say her royal grandmama

Will pay a royal sum

To someone who can bring the princess back

("Dimitry, they've closed another border,

We should've gotten out of Russia while we still could!")

St. Petersburg was lovely

When royalty was in

I called myself a count

As though I'd always been

I hobnobbed with the royals

But then a change of luck-

The Tsar was dead

The royals fled

And comrade, now we're stuck

("Vlad, I've been thinking about the Princess Anastasia...)

(Oh not you too Dimitry!")

It's the rumor

The legend

The mystery

It's the Princess Anastasia

Who will help us fly

You and I, friend

Will go down in history

We'll find a girl to play the part

And teach her what to say

Dress her up and take her to Paree

Imagine the reward

Her dear old grandmama would pay

Who else could pull it off but you and me

("No!")

("It was a truck backfiring, comrade, that's all it was

Those days are over, neighbor against neighbor

There's nothing to be afraid of anymore...

You're shaking... There's a tea shop just steps from here")

("Thank you")

("What's your hurry?)

("I can't lose this job,

They're not easy to come by...

But thank you")

("I'm here everyday!")

A ruble for this painting

It's a Romanov, I swear!

Count Yusupov's pajamas, comrade

Buy the pair!

I found this in a palace

Initialed with an "A"

It could be Anastasia's

Now what would someone pay?

("We need something of hers to show the old lady!

How much is that music box?")

("Ah... the music box, it's genuine Romanov

I could never part with it!")

("Two cans of beans, comrade")

("Done!")

("Do you believe in fairytales, Vlad?")

("Once upon a time I did")

("We're going to create a fairytale the whole world will believe")

Now it's risky

But not more than usual

We'll need papers

We'll need tickets

We'll need nerves of steel

Yes it's risky

A lot more than usual

We'll try to cross the border

With our princess and our plot

Hopefully disaster won't ensue

With luck it all goes smoothly

And with luck we won't be shot

Who else could pull it off

But me and you

We'll be rich (We'll be rich)

We'll be out (We'll be out)

And St. Petersburg will have some more to talk about

I heard it from a person

I heard it from

A person who

Assured me it was absolutely true

Sshh

Have you heard

There's a rumor in St. Petersburg

Have you heard

Comrade, what do you suppose?

A fascinating mystery

The biggest con in history

The Princess Anastasia

Alive or dead

Who knows?

Sshh