5 Things to Know About Ukraine Lyrics

1. Behind the scenes, Obama’s team was looking to “midwife” a new government in Ukraine, what some would call a “coup d’etat." Washington was also trying to get out in front of the European Union and Moscow to engineer the end game.

2. Washington’s “good guys” in Kiev weren’t so good. Moscow’s “good guys” in Crimea, likewise, aren’t so good. Despite what Presidents Obama and Putin assert.

3. There are these things called ‘fossil fuels.’ They’re pretty important, and governments care about their distribution and sale.

4. Crimea is strategically valuable to Russia. This is what countries with imperial-grade militaries do; they maintain their bases and their operational reach. Russia’s ties to Ukraine go back a long way.

5. There is no “No” vote on the Crimean secession referendum. You can vote “Not Yet,” which if pronounced quickly sounds like “Nyet.” But that’s as close as it gets.

How to Format Lyrics:

  • Type out all lyrics, even repeating song parts like the chorus
  • Lyrics should be broken down into individual lines
  • Use section headers above different song parts like [Verse], [Chorus], etc.
  • Use italics (<i>lyric</i>) and bold (<b>lyric</b>) to distinguish between different vocalists in the same song part
  • If you don’t understand a lyric, use [?]

To learn more, check out our transcription guide or visit our transcribers forum

About

Genius Annotation

You know it’s coming: that moment at a dinner party when you’re asked about your thoughts on the Ukrainian crisis.

We’ve got you covered. Just bring up our handy explainer on the new Genius app, which outlines the crisis and provides a portal to speeches, press conferences and documents related to the crisis, all annotated.

The Crimean referendum’s potential effect on the world energy market? Huh? Don’t get stumped, just pretend that you’re checking email or important texts and return with an informed opinion!

Q&A

Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning

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