Wind Of Change- Scorpions

Harmonic whistling, visuals of Moscow, and a build up, creating a structure for the beautiful guitar riff that makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up, Wind of Change by the German rock band Scorpions, released in 1990 under the album Crazy World, became the song 8 year old me was trying to whistle along to with my uncle. For years we sat in the garage, whistling, and singing words I did not understand. Years later, when distance separated us, we sang over the phone, again, words I never paid much attention to. It always held a special place in my heart, mostly because it was the very first happy memories I have of my childhood, the beginning of my music taste and the best memory I have of my uncle. When he passed away in 2020, I flew out to Mexico for his funeral, and when I landed, Wind of Change was playing at the airport. I took that as a sign from him, maybe a last goodbye, or an “I love you” in disguise. A couple months after he passed, I got my first tattoo, the cover of Crazy World. Now not only does this album and song hold an emotional significance to me, but it is part of me forever. After his passing, I began to not only listen to the song, but actually hear the meaning behind the words. The song was inspired by the end of the Cold War, the fall of the Berlin wall, and the collapse of the Soviet Union, and throughout the song we hear a heartfelt voice, that of Klaus Meine sing with the passion of having German descents, and singing to show that the new generation of Germans are not welding guns, but have their arms open to everyone. This ballad, which visually described parts of Russia, like the Moska river, and Gorky Park, and the social and political changes that began in Eastern Europe, became the song of hope for many people, as well as one of reminiscence. The idea of “wind of change” was the obvious failure of communism, giving hope for a change, as eastern and western parts of Germany begin to peacefully reunite. I didn’t know how important this song was to those who first listened to it when it was released. A song can mean so much to many people for different reasons, an emotional connection, or the fact that the song sings about a new change in the world.