Soviet Airmen’s or Red Airmen's Song
Our planes are roaring, roaring for the battle,
High in the air above the clouds we speed,
Our bombs are ready, our machine-guns rattle,
Against the world’s imperialist greed,
Chorus
Flying higher, higher and higher,
Our emblem the Soviet Star,
And ever propeller is roaring,
Defending the USSR,
(shout) Red Front ! or (Shout) Y-C-L
But to the workers and the toiling masses,
A gleam of hope all our propellers whirl,
We drop them leaflets while we bomb their bosses,
The first Red Air Force of the world,
Chorus
Our proud machines obey our every order
There is no flight our pilots do not dare,
We form an iron ring above our border
The workers first squadrons of the air,
Chorus
And should dictators with snouts come rooting
Around the soil of our free Soviet land,
Our guns can sting the jaws that gape for looting,
Our bombs will smash the greedy hand
END
NOTES
other versions of Chorus
Flying higher, higher and higher,
Our emblem the Soviet Star,
And ever propeller is turning,
In defence of the USSR
or below the University Labour Federtation version
And ever propeller is roaring
Red Front ! Defending the USSR
Alternative...........................
Chorus
Flying higher, higher and higher,
Our emblem the Soviet Star
And ever propeller is turning,
In defence of the USSR,
(Shout) Y-C-L
or
And ever blade is turning
in defence of the USSR
This song was very popular amongst Communist Party, Young Communist League (YCL) and Clarion Choirs during and after the war, the Chorus often being sung on its own with great passion. (also with hand movements to replicate propellers turning).
The first version I can trace has words adapted by Randall Swingler of the Workers Music Association in 1939 costing 2d
Kevin Halpin states this chorus is correct
Flying higher, higher and higher,
Our emblem the Soviet Star,
And ever propeller is roaring,
Defending the USSR,
(shout) Red Front ! or (Shout) Y-C-L
We sail the sky as steamers sail the ocean.
The Randall Swingler version starts with
Our engines roar the frozen air is cleaving
Red Square is darkened
Our guardian shade
And over lands and polar oceans
Weaving our cable lines of peace are laid
CHORUS
Higher and Higher and higher
Our emblem the Soviet star
And every propeller is roaring
Defending the USSR
Soviet or Red Airmen's Song
Michael Walker