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