City of Mary (song)

"City of Mary"
The official cover for "Misto Marii"
Single by Okean Elzy
Released22 April 2022
Recorded21 April 2022
Length4:20
LabelTOB
Songwriter(s)Sviatoslav Vakarchuk
Okean Elzy singles chronology
"Весна"
(2022)
"City of Mary"
(2022)
Music video
"Місто Марії" on YouTube

"City of Mary" (Ukrainian: Місто Марії, pronounced [ˈmʲisto mɐˈrʲiji]), also known as "Misto Marii", is a 2022 single by Ukrainian band Okean Elzy. The song was released on 22 April 2022 as a music video, and released on 10 May 2022 on streaming platforms.[1]

Background[edit]

According to band frontman Sviatoslav Vakarchuk, a military friend of Vakarchuk, who was fighting in the Siege of Mariupol, requested that the band should make a song that paid tribute to the Ukrainian fighters defending the city. Vakarchuk accepted, saying "it tears me from the inside every day when I read the news about Mariupol."[2]

Composition[edit]

The song is dedicated to the Ukrainian fighters of the Siege of Mariupol. The band sings about how Mariupol will stand against Russian attacks, no matter how fierce they are.[3] The song also features excerpts from Ukrainian patriotic song "Oi u luzi chervona kalyna".[4]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "The City of Mary: A New Song About the Defense of Mariupol'". Reason.com. Retrieved 2022-06-02.
  2. ^ ""Я вперше в житті написав пісню на прохання", — Святослав Вакарчук написав пісню про Маріуполь "Місто Марії" та розповів історію створення треку". Офіційний сайт каналу 1+1 - 1plus1.ua (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 2022-06-03.
  3. ^ "Окупанти хочуть організувати свій гуманітарний коридор з Маріуполя в росію". 032.ua - Сайт міста Львова (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 2022-06-03.
  4. ^ "Ukraiński zespół Okean Elzy ma nową piosenkę. Utwór dedykowany jest obrońcom Mariupola [WIDEO]". niezalezna.pl. Retrieved 2022-06-03.