at first i thought this song was about the paris riots (i think were in '68), with obvious reference back to the french revolution.
now i'm pretty sure it's about the prague spring, the attempt by czech socialists to liberalise their regime during the spring of 68. this attempt was ruthlessly crushed by the soviets, who occupied prague and firmly dragged czechoslovakia into the eastern bloc.
i wasn't round then, but i assume this was a pretty severe blow for a lot of people on the left who had hopes for a peaceful socialist future based on the ussr. instead 68 was the year this false hope died.
i'm quite prepared to accept the possibility that i'm completely wrong.
at first i thought this song was about the paris riots (i think were in '68), with obvious reference back to the french revolution.
now i'm pretty sure it's about the prague spring, the attempt by czech socialists to liberalise their regime during the spring of 68. this attempt was ruthlessly crushed by the soviets, who occupied prague and firmly dragged czechoslovakia into the eastern bloc.
i wasn't round then, but i assume this was a pretty severe blow for a lot of people on the left who had hopes for a peaceful socialist future based on the ussr. instead 68 was the year this false hope died.
i'm quite prepared to accept the possibility that i'm completely wrong.