Musical Time Capsule: Cold War and Nuclear Anxiety

I've always been fascinated by the idea that consuming art from previous eras often acts as a history lesson and a living time capsule into what the social and political climate was like at the time. Perhaps I will turn this into a series of other events, somewhere down the road. But for now, I want to focus on the nuclear anxiety from the 60s-80s; where tensions between the US and Soviet Union were at an all time high.

Honestly, songs about events that happened as a result of the cold war would be almost never ending (See: "songs that directly protest the Vietnam War"). So this time, I just want to focus on the more cerebral social reaction to said events: Paranoia and high anxiety about nuclear fallout. It's spawned some truly great songs, let's take a look at just a few of many.

Land of Confusion by Genesis

Accompanied by a fantastically creepy music video with puppets by Peter Fluck and Roger Law, this is one of the more political tracks to come out of post-Gabriel Genesis. It's a perfect call out to the powers that be to stop goofing off with people's peace of mind (or lack thereof), and do something to call for an end to the tensions between the two global superpowers.

The music video acts as a good companion piece to the song, full of satire and cultural references, and ends with an accidental nuclear detonation. It may not be the song many people think about when they think of Genesis in the 80s; but as a protest anthem about nuclear anxiety--it's perfect.

Time Will Crawl by David Bowie

Though this song is from Bowie's 1987 album, Never Let Me Down--one often maligned by fans and critics alike--this song still manages to be uniquely Bowie: Catchy melody, morbid and eccentric lyrics, and an awesome music video to boot. Bowie would even go on to say it was one of his favorites in his entire catalog.

The song was written in response to the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, which happened as he was working on his album in Switzerland. He had heard a Norwegian radio broadcast that was "screaming to anyone who would listen, that huge billowing clouds were moving over from the Motherland and they weren't rain clouds." The lyrics mention the post-apocalyptic landscape and the long-term effects of massive radiation poisoning.

I saw a black black stream

Full of white eyed fish

And a drowning man

With no eyes at all

I felt a warm warm breeze

That melted metal and steel

I got a bad migraine

That lasted three long years

And the pills that I took

Made my fingers disappear

The song may sound upbeat and fun, but it's truly harrowing when you listen to the words and realize they were a reality for many people.

Russians by Sting

This song appeared on Sting's first debut album, The Dream of Blue Turtles and samples Prokofiev's "Romance" theme from Lieutenant Kije. The song came to fruition after a friend of Sting's invited him to come watch Soviet television that he had been able to hack into via satellite signals. The only thing playing at the time they were watching were Russian children's shows. Sting remembered being impressed by the "care and attention" that was paid to these children's programs--He only wished the same care and attention was given to the foreign policy at the time.

The song centers on the idea of mutually assured destruction. In layman's terms: It's an unofficial pact to prevent nuclear attacks between world superpowers like Russia and the US. If one country launces a nuclear attack, the other will have no choice but to retaliate--thus annihilating both of their countries. Because of this idea, Sting feels the only hope of keeping WWIII from breaking out--is the hope that Russians love their children too. The song resurfaced in popularity in 2022 after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and Sting re-released an acoustic version--the proceeds going to Ukranian aid.

Breathing by Kate Bush

Kate Bush is the queen of beautiful, but slightly unnerving ballads. With her signature fae-like voice, she sings from the point of view of a fetus who is aware of the nuclear fallout going on outside. The helpless life pleads to breathe clean air and emerge into a world that they don't need to be afraid of. The lyrics cut out at the end with the line "Oh, life is...", implying that this life did not survive.

The song is beautiful and tragic. It's little wonder Kate Bush had considered the piece some of her best work when it was first released. It perfectly captures isolation, restrained terror, and sadness that was so prevalent for everyone.

Crawl Out Through The Fallout by Sheldon Allman

This novelty song with some wickedly dark (more sensitive listeners may say it's all over tasteless) gallows humor, resurfaced into pop culture after it was used in the video game, Fallout 4.

I wasn't able to find a ton of information on this song's background or the reception it received on initial release. It seems like it was a pretty deep cut prior to Fallout. Maybe that's for the better, as I imagine it might have left some people clutching their pearls. Using dark humor to deal with fear and uncertainty isn't a new concept, as this song plainly shows. Sometimes a situation is so bleak that you have to point out the absurdity in it all. That is exactly what Sheldon Allman did here.

Two Suns in the Sunset by Pink Floyd

The Final Cut, which this song comes from, is hardly a Pink Floyd album and more of a Roger Waters solo album with the name "Pink Floyd" stamped on top. Floyd fans are divided on what they think about the album, and bringing it up may even be considered controversial in some fan circles. But, as a Floyd fan myself, it simply wouldn't be right for me to mention songs about nuclear anxiety and not mention this song.

The album is entirely about the terrors of war from varying perspectives: The PTSD-riddled veteran who was forced to return to his civilian job as a school teacher; inflicting his terror and anger on his students (essentially "Another Brick in The Wall, Part 2" but from the teacher's perspective). A child who never got to have a father because he was taken away too soon in battle. Satirical conversations between government powers. A morbid fantasy about executing the government war criminals. Finally, the album ends with this track: A simple man driving home when he sees a mushroom cloud in the rearview mirror behind him. He regrets all the time he took the world and those he loved for granted as he begins to turn to dust.

Lots of people have varying opinions about Roger Waters, but you can't say he doesn't know how to write visceral and emotional music. Especially where war is concerned.

Do You Hear What I Hear? by Bing Crosby

First released in October 1962 by songwriters Noel Regney an Gloria Shayne, and originally performed by the Harry Simeone Chorale; this Christmas classic is one that is still listened to years later as the holiday season rolls around. It is about the Nativity of Jesus. But there's something else. Do you know what else was happening in October of 1962? The Cuban Missile crisis: The closest the Cold War came from escalating into all out nuclear war.

The emotions in the song are strong. Gloria Shayne said about it years later: "Our little song broke us up. You must realize there was a threat of war at the time."

While the song details the nativity, and the trek of the shepherds and wise men to Bethlehem; the third verse starts to venture into the anxious and emotional territory--pleading:

"Said the king to the people everywhere

'Listen to what I say!

Pray for peace, people everywhere!'"

Those lines are not just lines being said by the king, but also a plea to the listeners from the songwriters in a time of turmoil and uncertainty.

Masters of War by Bob Dylan

Although I can appreciate Bob Dylan's contribution to music as a whole--I've personally never been a huge fan. However, I do appreciate this song in how ruthless it is in calling out the war machine and manufacturers of nuclear weapons. The lyric that stabs the hardest:

There's on thing I know, though I'm younger than you

That even Jesus would never forgive what you do

The song keeps the same nerve-racking, jangling chord progression throughout--adding layer upon layer of anxiety to the listener. But it's also strangely hypnotic. I have a feeling that if the government at the time had actually listened to the song, the Cold War may not have gone on as long as it did. Because the way Dylan addresses them is powerful and--quite frankly--I would be scared if he was talking to me that way.

Forever Young by Alphaville

This song seems like a new wave ballad of yearning and nostalgia. In fact, it can be quite easy to misread it as such. But, it is actually about nuclear paranoia. All you need to do is listen closely to the lyrics:

"Hoping for the best but expecting the worst

Are you gonna drop the bomb or not"

and

"Can you imagine when this race is won?

Turn our golden faces into the sun

Praising our leaders, we're getting in tune

The music's played by the mad man"

Originally intended as an energetic dance hit, the band decided to slow it down so the severity of the lyrics could really sink in. The music video has a similar vibe to it. While it plods along as just a regular "band performing in a random location while extras listen intently"--it ends with the audience entering a trance-like state as they blindly enter a void of bright lights.

99 Luftballons by Nena

Finally, no list of songs about nuclear anxiety would be complete without this German new wave hit. The song was released in both German and English, so you don't need to be a German scholar to decipher the story, but I'll do it anyway: Some children buy a bag of balloons and set them off in the sky. They are spotted by the military, who believe it to be an attack, and they launch the missiles. Armageddon happens because of some paranoia over something innocent and fun.

The song was thought up by the band's guitarist, Carlo Karges, who was watching a Rolling Stones concert in what was then West Berlin, loads of balloons were set off into the sky. Karges' mind began to wander and he thought about what might happen if the balloons all floated over the wall to East Berlin. The result of this pondering, made up the story of the song.