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Samurai (song)

song

Manuscripts, fine bindings, an engraving plate and preserved performance ephemera
Arts and lettersInterpretive dossier study · Crown Archives visual atlas
Record originEnglish Wikipedia
Text licenseCC BY-SA 4.0
Source revisionApr 7, 2026
Entity authorityQ7413087
Source-derived summary

"Samurai" is a song by Romanian-German singer-songwriter Michael Cretu from his third studio album, Die Chinesische Mauer (1985).

Composition and chart performance

In the lyrics, the protagonist of the song shows how frustrating his live act is.

A German-language version of the song was also released around the same time as the English version, but it was not a commercial success unlike the English version which reached the top 10 in a number of countries across Europe.

Music video

The plot of the music video features Michael Cretu with some studio musicians in a dojo, while two kendōkas are fighting against each other.

Track listing and formats

European 7-inch single

A. "Samurai (Did You Ever Dream)" – 4:28

B. "Sword of Fear" – 3:55

European 12-inch maxi-single

A. "Samurai (Did You Ever Dream)" (Long Version) – 7:01

B1. "Samurai (Did You Ever Dream)" – 4:28

B2.

Editorial summary

Begin with the source’s own compact description: “Samurai (song)” is song. The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through Samurai and song, not as a finished interpretation.

Editorial reviewA productive route into publication, performance and collection histories when the underlying object or edition remains clearly identified. The current lead gives the account dated anchors—1985—that can be checked directly. The linked authority record independently contributes the date 1985-09-07. For this dossier, Samurai and song is the immediate research focus.
Editorial analysis

Why this record matters

The phrase “song” supplies a clear boundary for inquiry. It also exposes the unanswered questions: who defined that boundary, when it became stable and which sources sit outside it.

Evidence profile

Object files, edition statements, performance records and contemporary criticism preserve different stages of the work’s history. The source revision retrieved here is dated Apr 7, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q7413087. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1985.

Critical limits

Titles can refer to several editions, objects or performances, making precise identification essential before interpretation. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.

How to read it

Separate the work, its editions or performances, and its later reception. Catalogue records, publication histories and object files often preserve different parts of that story.

Best used for
  • Identifying works and editions
  • Tracing reception history
  • Finding collection records
Verify next

The original object or edition, catalogue raisonné, performance record, rights file and holding institution.

Three-step research path

  1. Establish the record: confirm the title “Samurai (song)”, its source revision and the description used here.
  2. Expand the search: follow Samurai (song) primary sources, Samurai (song) archive and Samurai research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
  3. Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.

Questions for further research

  1. Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Samurai (song)”?
  2. Which edition, object, performance or recording is being described?
  3. Where is authorship, date or provenance documented?
Subject index

Search terms from this dossier

Source & attribution

This entry incorporates text from Samurai (song)” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.