The song is a tribute to Russian fiction writer Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, who had been forced by the USSR government to leave the Soviet Union earlier in 1974.
Written as usual by poet Betty Thatcher, the lyrics are based on Solzhenitsyn's famous fiction novel about Soviet repression, One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich.
[4] Because fans of the band were surprised at the move into topical songwriting, singer Annie Haslam has had often to point out to interviewers that "Mother Russia" really refers to Solzhenitsyn.
Musically, the full version of "Mother Russia" begins with a sparse, string-driven introduction marked by occasional piano crescendos.
Recording engineer and co-producer Dick Plant stated: I think that the real thrust of the music came from John Tout's piano.