For many, it became the song synonymous with the fall of the Berlin Wall.
‘Wind of Change’ by German rock band the Scorpions was written in 1989 during a visit to Moscow. Even though the tune did not go global until 1991, after the end of the Cold War, it kept growing in popularity. The group believes the Wall’s fall was a defining historical moment. Scorpions singer Klaus Meine said: ‘‘The celebration, the twentieth anniversary of the coming down of the Berlin Wall is something also for a young generation. It is important not to go ‘yeah, ok, again, this anniversary and again and again and the Wall and this and this.’‘ ‘‘I think history is still so young that later, in the years to come, for the generations to come, they will go back in time and this was a very, very special moment in German history, in world history, you know, because it was peaceful and no bullet was fired,’‘ Meine said. The lyrics of ‘Wind of Change’ celebrate the increasing freedom and political shifts in Europe 20 years ago. Even so, the group admits it did not imagine the Wall would fall as quickly as it did. ‘‘It was like the world was changing in front of our eyes and so coming back home in September ’89, it was so deep emotions, you know, and what we saw between ’88 in Leningrad and ’89 in Moscow, was a strong feeling of hope that the world would change for the better,’‘ Meine added.