When I was an FM radio junkie in the late 90s, one of the competitions they would have on every night was called "Fame it or Flame it". It was when they introduced 2 songs, and asked listeners to call up and vote for which one was their preferred. The song with the most votes would be the winner (and would be "famed", and would appear on the following night's show) while the song with the least votes would be the user (and would be "flamed").
What I aim to do here is in similar spirit, but different. What I will be doing here is going through each ABBA album, selecting and "faming" the song I think is the best of all on the album, and voting off ("flaming") the worst. Wish me luck!
Ring Ring Album:
Famed: Nina Pretty Ballerina. A delightful instantly-catchy melody. Don't think much of the lyrics, but the melody alone makes it my favourite song in this whole album.
Flamed: I Saw It In The Mirror: Obviously this was one of the (rare) ABBA songs where not much effort was put into recording. A junkyard-worthy performance, in my humble opinion.
Waterloo Album:
Famed: Honey Honey. Some people call this track silly. But that's exactly what makes it stand out and be so fun. Along with the fun there's even a touch of emotion in there ("I don't wanna see you cry/So stay on the ground girl, you'd better not get to high") which is a rare touch indeed for a song as laid back and happy as this.
Flamed: Suzy-Hang-Around: A depressive, schoolyard-bullying track. Not their finest moment by a long shot.
ABBA Album:
Famed: SOS. Just beating Mamma Mia by an inch of a nose, this catchy, deep, powerful song has everything a successful pop song is made for, and more. Sad, but oddly, with a touch of underlying happiness to the beat also. As is commonly commented, this is the first song which demonstrated Agnetha's ability to "cry with her voice".
Flamed: Man In The Middle. No surprises about this one. Still remains one of the worst ABBA songs ever. There is no sense or meaning as to why this song would be worthy of being released, in my opinion. A failed attempt perhaps at something meaningful.
Arrival Album:
Famed: Why Did It Have To Be Me. Sorry, but of all the songs that weren't released as singles that should have been, this one has to take the cake. The saxophone melody tops it off perfectly.
Flamed: When I Kissed The Teacher. I know some people commend this as being a clever and meaningful song, but I respectfully disagree. Sure, a lot of people would be able to relate to it - but to me its profoundness doesn't quite top off its sense of silliness. To each their own, I guess.
The Album Album:
Famed: Move On. Hopeful, respectable, profound, elegant. No sign of anything silly or immature here. One of ABBA's finest moments, my overall favourite ABBA song. As close to perfection as any song can ever be, in my opinion.
Flamed: (this was a very hard one) I Wonder (Departure). This is a great album and all tracks I believe are masterpieces, which made this decision very hard. This is a very elegant melody with beautiful vocals, but the lyrics don't quite cut it for me. Sure, it deals with the emotions of someone struggling to make a decision about whether to make a big change, a step forward in their life. But something about it just doesn't make it stand out quite as brilliantly as the other tracks on the album.
Voulez-Vous Album:
Famed: I Have A Dream. A beautiful masterpiece, pure, angelic, and hopeful. Again, no sign of any silly immaturity here. The children's choir is the icing on the cake.
Flamed: Voulez-Vous. Sorry, I know some people may disagree, but I just think this song was way too over-complex. Although I have to admit, it is starting to grow on me.
Super Trouper Album:
Famed: Andante Andante. Delicious, sensitive, tender melody. A true gem amongst gems on this album.
Flamed: (again this was a very hard one): Me And I. Actually a great song, but perhaps not quite stacked up with the rest of them lyrically. Sure, it's quite clever, but it seems a little bit of a cliche, there seem to be a few too many songs around with lyrics like these, at least these days. Still, having to take a track off this album was torture.
The Visitors Album:
Famed: When All Is Said And Done. No surprises here. My second favourite ABBA song, just an inch before Move On. This is a powerful, emotionally strong masterpiece, and in my opinion the ultimate tribute to turning an emotionally challenging experience into something positive and uplifting.
Flamed: Two For The Price Of One. Again, no surprises here. This is such a great album, and yet this little obscure track in the middle of it once again makes them look like they were bored and looking for something to do. I like the marching band instrumental at the end though, symbolising how life marches on proudly after this new-found love.
Saturday, 26 March 2011
Thursday, 24 March 2011
Super Trouper, Succinctly
More brief descriptions of tracks from this classic album.
Super Trouper: The power of one
The Winner Takes It All: Emotional powerhouse
On And On And On: All is not well in the world, now lets rock
Andante Andante: Tenderness, almost too delicate to express
Me And I: What do Dr Freud, Jeckyll and Hyde have in common?
Happy New Year: Sweet, hopeful, trumps Auld Lang Syne any day.
Our Last Summer: Trapped hopelessly in an idealistic past, yet irresistible and sunny.
The Piper: Seductive
Lay All Your Love On Me: The disco flower the whole album revolves around
The Way Old Friends Do: The ultimate anthem for companionship.
Super Trouper: The power of one
The Winner Takes It All: Emotional powerhouse
On And On And On: All is not well in the world, now lets rock
Andante Andante: Tenderness, almost too delicate to express
Me And I: What do Dr Freud, Jeckyll and Hyde have in common?
Happy New Year: Sweet, hopeful, trumps Auld Lang Syne any day.
Our Last Summer: Trapped hopelessly in an idealistic past, yet irresistible and sunny.
The Piper: Seductive
Lay All Your Love On Me: The disco flower the whole album revolves around
The Way Old Friends Do: The ultimate anthem for companionship.
The Voulez-Vous tracks in a few words
A brief succinct analysis of each of the songs on this turning-point disco album
As Good As New: Bouncy and hopeful
Voulez-Vous: Over-complex
I Have A Dream: Angelic
Angeleyes: Love culture
The King Has Lost His Crown: A majestic fall from grace
Does Your Mother Know: Daring and stylish
If It Wasn't For The Nights: Disco and more disco!
Chiquitita: Hopeful
Lovers Live A Little Longer: Stylish sexual energy
Kisses Of Fire: Deep and fiery
As Good As New: Bouncy and hopeful
Voulez-Vous: Over-complex
I Have A Dream: Angelic
Angeleyes: Love culture
The King Has Lost His Crown: A majestic fall from grace
Does Your Mother Know: Daring and stylish
If It Wasn't For The Nights: Disco and more disco!
Chiquitita: Hopeful
Lovers Live A Little Longer: Stylish sexual energy
Kisses Of Fire: Deep and fiery
The Visitors: A song of political oppression
I hear the door-bell ring and suddenly the panic takes me
The sound so ominously tearing through the silence
I cannot move, I'm standing
Numb and frozen
Among the things I love so dearly
The books, the paintings and the furniture
Help me...
The signal's sounding once again and someone tries the doorknob
None of my friends would be so stupidly impatient
And they don't dare to come here
Anymore now
But how I loved our secret meetings
We talked and talked in quiet voices
Smiling...
Chorus:
Now I hear them moving
Muffled noises coming through the door
I feel I'm
Crackin' up
Voices growing louder, irritation building
And I'm close to fainting
Crackin' up
They must know by now I'm in here trembling
In a terror evergrowing
Crackin' up
My whole world is falling, going crazy
There is no escaping now, I'm
Crackin' up
These walls have witnessed all the anguish of humiliation
And seen the hope of freedom glow in shining faces
And now they've come to take me
Come to break me
And yet it isn't unexpected
I have been waiting for these visitors
Help me...
(repeat chorus x3 and fadeout)
To go from such cheery catchy bright songs such as "Dancing Queen", "Take A Chance On Me"
and "Waterloo" to this? Something must have surely been up within the band. Although it
is no secret that broadly all the band members definitely had issues at the time, the
exact specifics of them were anyone's guess. What was going on within the minds of the
songwriters to write such grim, sad lyrics such as this? I now attempt to examine them
more closely, although I must stress, that this is only my interpretation and may or may
not reflect what the song was really about.
First of all, lets start with what we know about the song: It was written to reflect the
dangerous situation of political dissent in the Soviet Union at the time. This tends to
suggest the song is sung through the eyes of someone who is oppressed by the political
authority around them and is dying (perhaps with fultility) for a revolution. But to me
the song is much more than that. Where most songs would stop at just giving a broad
overview of the situation, this song actually actively describes someone in the midst of
a situation where the authoritative power(s) are about to catch up to him/her. This is
not a song about hope for freedom at all, but rather about someone who is about to meet
his/her fate and be captured by the oppressor.
The song describes the moment the authoritative power knocks on the door to capture
whoever is rebelling against their oppression. This could be reflective of what was
going on with the Soviet Union's regime of targeting dissidents who have fled the country,
tracking them down, and knocking on them door to pull them back into the USSR. The whole
song is centered about that one moment, that knock on the door, that inevitable moment
of truth. The moment when the singer realises there's no turning back, this is real,
there's no escape, they are about to be captured by their oppressor.
The lyrics "I hear the doorbell ring and suddenly the panic takes me" and "the sound so
ominously tearing through the silence" describe this moment. "I cannot move I'm standing
numb and frozen among the things I love so dearly - the books, the paintings and the
furniture" - is reflective on how someone is, perhaps for the last time, reflecting on
the things they value dearly about their current life as they know it, before they are
about to be swept away from their world forever.
The next lyrics "The signal's sounding once again and someone tries the doorknob" followed
by "None of my friends would be so stupidly impatient" further suggest how the singer is
becoming more aware of the reality of who is about to come and get him/her. "And they
don't dare to come here any more now", again a reference to his/her friends, is most
likely referring to the dangerous situation of when someone rebelling against society
has started to become actively pursued by the authorities, and the friends don't dare
to come to their house any more as they have sensed the risk of getting caught is too
high. "But how I loved our secret meetings, we talked and talked in quiet voices,
smiling" is a reference to the happy times a rebel against society has with their fellow
rebels against oppression, talking quietly in secret in the privacy of their own home,
smiling.
The chorus is basically a further reflection on the feelings the person on such a
situation of political repression must be feeling, when their ultimate moment of
fate is imminent. Lyrics such as "And I'm close to fainting" and "My whole world is
falling, going crazy, there is no escaping now I'm crackin' up", are further examples of
this. Incidentally, quite apart from what I believe is its political purpose, I
believe this song would also be a great description of feelings of social anxiety in
general, but that's another matter.
"These walls have witnessed all the anguish of humiliation" - quite simply refers to
to the feelings of the person being oppressed, of both anger and humiliation, and what
the walls could say they have witnessed this person feel ("If walls could talk...").
But most telling and startling of all I believe is the lyrics which follow "And now
they've come to take me, come to break me, and yet it isn't unexpected." And yet it
isn't unexpected? It really makes me wonder where on earth they came up with the idea
to write these lyrics. "I have been waiting for these visitors" again is startling as
it seems to suggest that the singer not only fears the oppressors who are coming to get
them, but also for some reason has been waiting for them?
Let me try to explain this further. I haven't much firsthand experience in this area
myself, but I can imagine/guess that when a person gets so wound up in the idea and
excitement of fighting against oppression, there is a certain side of him/her that almost
wants to be caught. The feeling that they almost want to become a martyr. This may
sound far fetched at first, but lets consider the life of someone who's been oppressed
by authority all their life. The idea of getting caught and having their fight against
oppression known is almost a dream come true in a way. The idea that this is no longer
a secret, that they will now get to confront their oppressor(s) head on is almost a
relief. However, it may also be a misguided feeling as undoubtedly the treatment the
dissidents of the Soviet Union went through was cruel and harsh.
Put quite simply, the feeling of "And yet it isn't unexpected" and "I have been waiting
for these visitors" is a reference to the feeling of hopelessness of the singer, a sort
of knowing that in the end they will inevitably be caught, but they want to give a shot
at living this secret, awesome, excitement-filled underground life for a while, just to
enjoy it while it lasts. But deep down somewhere, they've always known what will await
them in the end. Incidentally, a further reference to this type of feeling is expressed
in the book 1984 when the captor O'Brien says to the main character Winston when he has
just been captured in the Ministry of Love "You knew this, Winston. Don't deceive
yourself. You did know it - you have always known it" as a reference to knowing that
Winston has always known, during his time of rebellion against his oppressive society,
that his day of capture would come. The same feeling is expressed in the words
"I have been waiting for these visitors" - the "visitors" being the oppressors, the
capturers, and the victim or oppressee always having known deep down that someday this
day would come.
Overall, The Visitors remains to me one of the greatest songs which is reflective of
the innermost deepest darkest feelings of anyone who has ever experienced
oppression or social anxiety in the world around them. The song is a little more
negative than usual and perhaps not one of their strongest moments, rather it
reflects someone becoming resigned to their emotional weaknesses. If you want
a song about emotional strength, you should check out "When All Is Said And Done" or
"Should I Laugh Or Cry". However, as a whole, the album with the same name, released
in 1981, is full of hidden gems and lyrical masterpieces and is I believe the
centerpiece of why I believe ABBA is so under-rated for lyrics.
The song reached the top 10 on the Dance charts, in, strangely enough, of all places,
the US. It wasn't really single material, but as time has gone by it has strangely
gained recognition and become a fan-favourite. I do have to admit, I still don't know
what the ABBA members were thinking when they wrote these lyrics, or whether they had
had some kind of experience that made them able to relate to this. What remains an
even greater mystery is how they were able to transform from their early happy
energetic hits we all know and love such as "Ring Ring", and "Honey Honey" and
"Mamma Mia" to a deep dark political piece like this. Likely the mystery will remain
in the minds of the four members forever who are largely superficial when talking
about their songwriting careers, although if anything this song must be proof there
is truth in the saying "Still waters run deep."
The sound so ominously tearing through the silence
I cannot move, I'm standing
Numb and frozen
Among the things I love so dearly
The books, the paintings and the furniture
Help me...
The signal's sounding once again and someone tries the doorknob
None of my friends would be so stupidly impatient
And they don't dare to come here
Anymore now
But how I loved our secret meetings
We talked and talked in quiet voices
Smiling...
Chorus:
Now I hear them moving
Muffled noises coming through the door
I feel I'm
Crackin' up
Voices growing louder, irritation building
And I'm close to fainting
Crackin' up
They must know by now I'm in here trembling
In a terror evergrowing
Crackin' up
My whole world is falling, going crazy
There is no escaping now, I'm
Crackin' up
These walls have witnessed all the anguish of humiliation
And seen the hope of freedom glow in shining faces
And now they've come to take me
Come to break me
And yet it isn't unexpected
I have been waiting for these visitors
Help me...
(repeat chorus x3 and fadeout)
To go from such cheery catchy bright songs such as "Dancing Queen", "Take A Chance On Me"
and "Waterloo" to this? Something must have surely been up within the band. Although it
is no secret that broadly all the band members definitely had issues at the time, the
exact specifics of them were anyone's guess. What was going on within the minds of the
songwriters to write such grim, sad lyrics such as this? I now attempt to examine them
more closely, although I must stress, that this is only my interpretation and may or may
not reflect what the song was really about.
First of all, lets start with what we know about the song: It was written to reflect the
dangerous situation of political dissent in the Soviet Union at the time. This tends to
suggest the song is sung through the eyes of someone who is oppressed by the political
authority around them and is dying (perhaps with fultility) for a revolution. But to me
the song is much more than that. Where most songs would stop at just giving a broad
overview of the situation, this song actually actively describes someone in the midst of
a situation where the authoritative power(s) are about to catch up to him/her. This is
not a song about hope for freedom at all, but rather about someone who is about to meet
his/her fate and be captured by the oppressor.
The song describes the moment the authoritative power knocks on the door to capture
whoever is rebelling against their oppression. This could be reflective of what was
going on with the Soviet Union's regime of targeting dissidents who have fled the country,
tracking them down, and knocking on them door to pull them back into the USSR. The whole
song is centered about that one moment, that knock on the door, that inevitable moment
of truth. The moment when the singer realises there's no turning back, this is real,
there's no escape, they are about to be captured by their oppressor.
The lyrics "I hear the doorbell ring and suddenly the panic takes me" and "the sound so
ominously tearing through the silence" describe this moment. "I cannot move I'm standing
numb and frozen among the things I love so dearly - the books, the paintings and the
furniture" - is reflective on how someone is, perhaps for the last time, reflecting on
the things they value dearly about their current life as they know it, before they are
about to be swept away from their world forever.
The next lyrics "The signal's sounding once again and someone tries the doorknob" followed
by "None of my friends would be so stupidly impatient" further suggest how the singer is
becoming more aware of the reality of who is about to come and get him/her. "And they
don't dare to come here any more now", again a reference to his/her friends, is most
likely referring to the dangerous situation of when someone rebelling against society
has started to become actively pursued by the authorities, and the friends don't dare
to come to their house any more as they have sensed the risk of getting caught is too
high. "But how I loved our secret meetings, we talked and talked in quiet voices,
smiling" is a reference to the happy times a rebel against society has with their fellow
rebels against oppression, talking quietly in secret in the privacy of their own home,
smiling.
The chorus is basically a further reflection on the feelings the person on such a
situation of political repression must be feeling, when their ultimate moment of
fate is imminent. Lyrics such as "And I'm close to fainting" and "My whole world is
falling, going crazy, there is no escaping now I'm crackin' up", are further examples of
this. Incidentally, quite apart from what I believe is its political purpose, I
believe this song would also be a great description of feelings of social anxiety in
general, but that's another matter.
"These walls have witnessed all the anguish of humiliation" - quite simply refers to
to the feelings of the person being oppressed, of both anger and humiliation, and what
the walls could say they have witnessed this person feel ("If walls could talk...").
But most telling and startling of all I believe is the lyrics which follow "And now
they've come to take me, come to break me, and yet it isn't unexpected." And yet it
isn't unexpected? It really makes me wonder where on earth they came up with the idea
to write these lyrics. "I have been waiting for these visitors" again is startling as
it seems to suggest that the singer not only fears the oppressors who are coming to get
them, but also for some reason has been waiting for them?
Let me try to explain this further. I haven't much firsthand experience in this area
myself, but I can imagine/guess that when a person gets so wound up in the idea and
excitement of fighting against oppression, there is a certain side of him/her that almost
wants to be caught. The feeling that they almost want to become a martyr. This may
sound far fetched at first, but lets consider the life of someone who's been oppressed
by authority all their life. The idea of getting caught and having their fight against
oppression known is almost a dream come true in a way. The idea that this is no longer
a secret, that they will now get to confront their oppressor(s) head on is almost a
relief. However, it may also be a misguided feeling as undoubtedly the treatment the
dissidents of the Soviet Union went through was cruel and harsh.
Put quite simply, the feeling of "And yet it isn't unexpected" and "I have been waiting
for these visitors" is a reference to the feeling of hopelessness of the singer, a sort
of knowing that in the end they will inevitably be caught, but they want to give a shot
at living this secret, awesome, excitement-filled underground life for a while, just to
enjoy it while it lasts. But deep down somewhere, they've always known what will await
them in the end. Incidentally, a further reference to this type of feeling is expressed
in the book 1984 when the captor O'Brien says to the main character Winston when he has
just been captured in the Ministry of Love "You knew this, Winston. Don't deceive
yourself. You did know it - you have always known it" as a reference to knowing that
Winston has always known, during his time of rebellion against his oppressive society,
that his day of capture would come. The same feeling is expressed in the words
"I have been waiting for these visitors" - the "visitors" being the oppressors, the
capturers, and the victim or oppressee always having known deep down that someday this
day would come.
Overall, The Visitors remains to me one of the greatest songs which is reflective of
the innermost deepest darkest feelings of anyone who has ever experienced
oppression or social anxiety in the world around them. The song is a little more
negative than usual and perhaps not one of their strongest moments, rather it
reflects someone becoming resigned to their emotional weaknesses. If you want
a song about emotional strength, you should check out "When All Is Said And Done" or
"Should I Laugh Or Cry". However, as a whole, the album with the same name, released
in 1981, is full of hidden gems and lyrical masterpieces and is I believe the
centerpiece of why I believe ABBA is so under-rated for lyrics.
The song reached the top 10 on the Dance charts, in, strangely enough, of all places,
the US. It wasn't really single material, but as time has gone by it has strangely
gained recognition and become a fan-favourite. I do have to admit, I still don't know
what the ABBA members were thinking when they wrote these lyrics, or whether they had
had some kind of experience that made them able to relate to this. What remains an
even greater mystery is how they were able to transform from their early happy
energetic hits we all know and love such as "Ring Ring", and "Honey Honey" and
"Mamma Mia" to a deep dark political piece like this. Likely the mystery will remain
in the minds of the four members forever who are largely superficial when talking
about their songwriting careers, although if anything this song must be proof there
is truth in the saying "Still waters run deep."
My top 50 ABBA songs
Move On earns a special place at the top of my overall ABBA song list, due to its complete and utter flawless nature, both in melody and in lyrics. When All Is Said And Done was a no brainer, as it takes something potentially emotionally weak and insecure (being the breakup of a relationship) and turns it into something strong and hopeful. Those lyrics are so fully of boldness and hope they give me chills. SOS I believe is their most classic pop song, and one of their most emotional, although also with a weird underlying sense of happiness in its melody that is just out of reach to explain. Mamma Mia - well we couldn't go wrong there - it is like SOS in that it has all the hallmarks of a classic pop song, but in other ways, totally different. One Man One Woman, like Move On, is one of ABBA's most brilliant utterly flawless melodies, although not quite as good in lyrics.
I Have A Dream - how could anyone not like it. It's angelic, pure, and hopeful. The Visitors gets a special place on the list due to its ability to depict feelings of dealing with oppression and social anxiety. The Name Of The Game similarly deals with social anxiety but perhaps not in quite such a blunt way, and a more mainstream pop type of way also. Chiquitita is another one of those songs whose lyrics are so hopeful they just make me chill - although funnily I didn't like this song at first. I think it's the lyrics that make this song work - and when I went over them and applied them to the situation I was going through at the time, I suddenly clicked. It was right up my alley. Why Did It Have To Be Me is just one of those MANY songs that not enough people know about that really should - it's one of the many songs that unfortunately couldn't be released as singles but would have made great single material. It's fun, it's immediately catchy, and it's a flawless pop song.
Kisses Of Fire is deep and daring in dealing with the full-on fiery emotions of a love affair. I Let The Music Speak - well, that's what ABBA is all about isn't it? Letting the music speak? It's probably the most elegant sounding song they ever did - not like their earlier songs at all. Should I Laugh Or Cry also deals with pressure from authority although likely within a personal relationship setting. Andante Andante is so delicate and melodic it's hard not to fall head over heels for it. Nina Pretty Ballerina is one of their cutest songs of all, although you obviously don't like it for the lyrics. I've Been Waiting For You is a flawless ballad, which unfortunately was only a hit in New Zealand. The melody is full of hope and the "na na na"'s at the end top it off perfectly.
My Love My Life is another perfect example of this - again, a real shame this beautiful ballad couldn't have been a single. The Day Before You Came of course was destined to be a fan favourite, because of how it unusually delves into great detail about a day in the life of the character. One wonders whether the singer Agnetha is singing about herself. It's also kinda an interesting concept, makes you think. Gonna Sing You My Lovesong joins I've Been Waiting For You and My Love My Life as ABBA's strength at redefining the limits of beauty in a ballad. And Honey Honey, well, how could I not include this - it's catchy, it's happy, it's ABBA at their best. It was just a shame it didn't even reach number one anywhere.
As for the remaining 21 to 50 (note that ABBA has about 100 songs in total so my top 50 basically makes up my top half) - there are some notable entries - particularly at number 24 with the famous smash hit Dancing Queen. It had everything about it that a great hit could ever be, and although it's not my favourite ABBA song, I am still able to appreciate it for its real quality. Watch Out at number 26 is another notable Waterloo album track - this male vocal-led performance is a little unusual but surprisingly appealing. Lay All Your Love On Me at number 36 is just a clear example of how multi-talented ABBA were, this time in the disco arena. This song reached number one on the US dance charts. Number 42, Hole In Your Soul, sounds very much like everything you would expect a number one US pop song to sound like. But again, unfortunately, it was never released as a single So, here it goes:
1. Move On
2. When All Is Said And Done
3. SOS
4. Mamma Mia
5. One Man, One Woman
6. I Have A Dream
7. The Visitors
8. The Name Of The Game
9. Chiquitita
10. Why Did It Have To Be Me
11. Kisses Of Fire
12. I Let The Music Speak
13. Should I Laugh Or Cry
14. Andante Andante
15. Nina Pretty Ballerina
16. I Am The City
17. I've Been Waiting For You
18. My Love My Life
19. The Day Before You Came
20. Gonna Sing You My Lovesong
21. Honey Honey
22. Put On Your White Sombrero
23. The Piper
24. Eagle
25. Dancing Queen
26. On And On And On
27. Watch Out
28. Happy New Year
29. Angel Eyes
30. The Way Old Friends Do
31. I'm A Marionette
32. Arrival
33. Bang A Boomerang
34. Super Trouper
35. Money Money Money
36. Soldiers
37. Lay All Your Love On Me
38. Gimme Gimme Gimme
39. Like An Angel Passing Through My Room
40. Take A Chance On Me
41. Me And I
42. I Wonder (Departure)
43. Hole In Your Soul
44. Slipping Through My Fingers
45. That's Me
46. Sitting In The Palmtree
47. Cassandra
48. Head Over Heels
49. Intermezzo No.1
50. The King Has Lost His Crown
I Have A Dream - how could anyone not like it. It's angelic, pure, and hopeful. The Visitors gets a special place on the list due to its ability to depict feelings of dealing with oppression and social anxiety. The Name Of The Game similarly deals with social anxiety but perhaps not in quite such a blunt way, and a more mainstream pop type of way also. Chiquitita is another one of those songs whose lyrics are so hopeful they just make me chill - although funnily I didn't like this song at first. I think it's the lyrics that make this song work - and when I went over them and applied them to the situation I was going through at the time, I suddenly clicked. It was right up my alley. Why Did It Have To Be Me is just one of those MANY songs that not enough people know about that really should - it's one of the many songs that unfortunately couldn't be released as singles but would have made great single material. It's fun, it's immediately catchy, and it's a flawless pop song.
Kisses Of Fire is deep and daring in dealing with the full-on fiery emotions of a love affair. I Let The Music Speak - well, that's what ABBA is all about isn't it? Letting the music speak? It's probably the most elegant sounding song they ever did - not like their earlier songs at all. Should I Laugh Or Cry also deals with pressure from authority although likely within a personal relationship setting. Andante Andante is so delicate and melodic it's hard not to fall head over heels for it. Nina Pretty Ballerina is one of their cutest songs of all, although you obviously don't like it for the lyrics. I've Been Waiting For You is a flawless ballad, which unfortunately was only a hit in New Zealand. The melody is full of hope and the "na na na"'s at the end top it off perfectly.
My Love My Life is another perfect example of this - again, a real shame this beautiful ballad couldn't have been a single. The Day Before You Came of course was destined to be a fan favourite, because of how it unusually delves into great detail about a day in the life of the character. One wonders whether the singer Agnetha is singing about herself. It's also kinda an interesting concept, makes you think. Gonna Sing You My Lovesong joins I've Been Waiting For You and My Love My Life as ABBA's strength at redefining the limits of beauty in a ballad. And Honey Honey, well, how could I not include this - it's catchy, it's happy, it's ABBA at their best. It was just a shame it didn't even reach number one anywhere.
As for the remaining 21 to 50 (note that ABBA has about 100 songs in total so my top 50 basically makes up my top half) - there are some notable entries - particularly at number 24 with the famous smash hit Dancing Queen. It had everything about it that a great hit could ever be, and although it's not my favourite ABBA song, I am still able to appreciate it for its real quality. Watch Out at number 26 is another notable Waterloo album track - this male vocal-led performance is a little unusual but surprisingly appealing. Lay All Your Love On Me at number 36 is just a clear example of how multi-talented ABBA were, this time in the disco arena. This song reached number one on the US dance charts. Number 42, Hole In Your Soul, sounds very much like everything you would expect a number one US pop song to sound like. But again, unfortunately, it was never released as a single So, here it goes:
1. Move On
2. When All Is Said And Done
3. SOS
4. Mamma Mia
5. One Man, One Woman
6. I Have A Dream
7. The Visitors
8. The Name Of The Game
9. Chiquitita
10. Why Did It Have To Be Me
11. Kisses Of Fire
12. I Let The Music Speak
13. Should I Laugh Or Cry
14. Andante Andante
15. Nina Pretty Ballerina
16. I Am The City
17. I've Been Waiting For You
18. My Love My Life
19. The Day Before You Came
20. Gonna Sing You My Lovesong
21. Honey Honey
22. Put On Your White Sombrero
23. The Piper
24. Eagle
25. Dancing Queen
26. On And On And On
27. Watch Out
28. Happy New Year
29. Angel Eyes
30. The Way Old Friends Do
31. I'm A Marionette
32. Arrival
33. Bang A Boomerang
34. Super Trouper
35. Money Money Money
36. Soldiers
37. Lay All Your Love On Me
38. Gimme Gimme Gimme
39. Like An Angel Passing Through My Room
40. Take A Chance On Me
41. Me And I
42. I Wonder (Departure)
43. Hole In Your Soul
44. Slipping Through My Fingers
45. That's Me
46. Sitting In The Palmtree
47. Cassandra
48. Head Over Heels
49. Intermezzo No.1
50. The King Has Lost His Crown
Some of my favourite ABBA lyrics
To start this thing off, hear are some of my favourite lyrics in ABBA songs:
- "They say my wound will heal and only leave a scar, but then they never shared our love" (Disillusion)
- "Mamma mia, it's a game we play, bye bye doesn't mean forever" (Mamma Mia)
- "Every feeling you're showing is a boomerang you're throwing" (Bang-a-Boomerang)
- "I know I don't possess you, so go away god bless you, you are still my love and my life" (My Love My Life)
- "How can I explain the wonder of the moment to be alive and feel the sun that follows every rain" (Move On)
- "I believe in angels, something good in everything I see" (I Have A Dream)
- "The heartaches come and they go and the scars they're leaving" (Chiquitita)
- "I am to myself what Jeckyll must have been to Hyde" (Me and I)
- "No taste for humble pie" (When All Is Said And Done)
- "I let the music speak with no restraints, I let my feelings take over, leading me all the way into a place where beauty meets the darkness of the day" (I Let The Music Speak)
- "He's wrapped up in a warm and safe caccoon of an eternal lie" (Should I Laugh Or Cry)
- "They say my wound will heal and only leave a scar, but then they never shared our love" (Disillusion)
- "Mamma mia, it's a game we play, bye bye doesn't mean forever" (Mamma Mia)
- "Every feeling you're showing is a boomerang you're throwing" (Bang-a-Boomerang)
- "I know I don't possess you, so go away god bless you, you are still my love and my life" (My Love My Life)
- "How can I explain the wonder of the moment to be alive and feel the sun that follows every rain" (Move On)
- "I believe in angels, something good in everything I see" (I Have A Dream)
- "The heartaches come and they go and the scars they're leaving" (Chiquitita)
- "I am to myself what Jeckyll must have been to Hyde" (Me and I)
- "No taste for humble pie" (When All Is Said And Done)
- "I let the music speak with no restraints, I let my feelings take over, leading me all the way into a place where beauty meets the darkness of the day" (I Let The Music Speak)
- "He's wrapped up in a warm and safe caccoon of an eternal lie" (Should I Laugh Or Cry)
Welcome
Well, as you can see there's not much here yet. This is the site where I plan to hopefully, if all goes well, post ABBA lyrics and analyse, interpret and comment on ABBA songs. Having been an ABBA fan for over 10 years, I have analysed each song thoroughly a thousand times over and over in my head. For some songs, there isn't much to say about the lyrics at all. But for others, I could write pages and pages about it.
I bought my first ABBA album when I was 16 in January 2000, after having been an FM radio junkie for several years before that, and was quickly relieved to realise they were a band of real quality, and I quickly became a fan. First and foremost, ABBA are masters of pop music sound. But as time has gone by, I have struggled more and more with their public image. I have to admit, I didn't care for the Mamma Mia show or the movie, and didn't like what they did to the songs. I'm not interested at all in the type of clothes ABBA wore, or their personalities, which I find to be most boring, and a distraction. I am interested in the music, and only the music.
Whoever says that ABBA only wrote silly immature unemotional pop songs is simply totally, completely wrong. Anyone who has listened carefully to the heart-wrenchingly upfront emotional masterpiece of The Winner Takes It All, or the eloquent wording of I Let The Music Speak, or the unyieldingly strong and flawlessly hopeful tone of When All Is Said And Done, or the angelic verses of I Have A Dream, will tell you that this is far from the truth. That said, ABBA did also do some delightfully silly bouncy pop songs with famously catchy melodies and beats that really make them stand out from all the rest.
ABBA have sold upwards of 370 million records, and yet have only just recently been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame. At least 20 of their songs topped the charts in some country worldwide, yet only one of them managed to sneak into Rolling Stone's Top 500 song list of all time. For a lot of people, I think, ABBA are something rather unpleasant to think about that they wish wasn't there. Their public image is largely to blame. But there's a lot of misunderstanding too. Despite all this, their albums continue to top the charts worldwide, with their greatest hits album topping charts as recently as 2009. Happy New Year continues to chart on the singles charts at the beginning of each year even today.
I like a lot of other artists - including Blondie, Madonna, Cher, The Corrs, and Roxette. However, with the exception of the latter, ABBA is the only artist for whom I can listen to an album nonstop from start to end without skpping a track, and being able to appreciate every song. That's a rarity that you get music good enough where you can do that these days. ABBA had a unique style of recording that may be unfamiliar to most - where most of the time they did not bother including a song on an album unless it had potential to be released as a single. Put On Your White Sombrero, a stunning track recorded in 1980, was actually left off the album it was planned for and not released until 1994.
Ironically though, it is their last album entitled The Visitors (hence the title of this blog) - an album where the band members confessed to be running out of energy, which actually contained the most mature lyrical gems. The title track deals with political dissent in the Soviet Union. Another track deals gracefully with a relationship breakup with lyrics such as "No taste for humble pie" or "Standing calmly at the crossroads no desire to run". Another track analyses the beauty and plainness in letting the music speak "so strange yet we're so well acquainted", while another track deals with a mother's mixed emotions when parting with her child for the first time.
I do hope I can use this blog to analyse, interpret and discuss many songs. Like I said, it's only in the early stages yet and I don't know what will come of it. I will probably post 2 more articles shortly. Lets hope I can get into creative gear and start writing some good stuff!
I bought my first ABBA album when I was 16 in January 2000, after having been an FM radio junkie for several years before that, and was quickly relieved to realise they were a band of real quality, and I quickly became a fan. First and foremost, ABBA are masters of pop music sound. But as time has gone by, I have struggled more and more with their public image. I have to admit, I didn't care for the Mamma Mia show or the movie, and didn't like what they did to the songs. I'm not interested at all in the type of clothes ABBA wore, or their personalities, which I find to be most boring, and a distraction. I am interested in the music, and only the music.
Whoever says that ABBA only wrote silly immature unemotional pop songs is simply totally, completely wrong. Anyone who has listened carefully to the heart-wrenchingly upfront emotional masterpiece of The Winner Takes It All, or the eloquent wording of I Let The Music Speak, or the unyieldingly strong and flawlessly hopeful tone of When All Is Said And Done, or the angelic verses of I Have A Dream, will tell you that this is far from the truth. That said, ABBA did also do some delightfully silly bouncy pop songs with famously catchy melodies and beats that really make them stand out from all the rest.
ABBA have sold upwards of 370 million records, and yet have only just recently been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame. At least 20 of their songs topped the charts in some country worldwide, yet only one of them managed to sneak into Rolling Stone's Top 500 song list of all time. For a lot of people, I think, ABBA are something rather unpleasant to think about that they wish wasn't there. Their public image is largely to blame. But there's a lot of misunderstanding too. Despite all this, their albums continue to top the charts worldwide, with their greatest hits album topping charts as recently as 2009. Happy New Year continues to chart on the singles charts at the beginning of each year even today.
I like a lot of other artists - including Blondie, Madonna, Cher, The Corrs, and Roxette. However, with the exception of the latter, ABBA is the only artist for whom I can listen to an album nonstop from start to end without skpping a track, and being able to appreciate every song. That's a rarity that you get music good enough where you can do that these days. ABBA had a unique style of recording that may be unfamiliar to most - where most of the time they did not bother including a song on an album unless it had potential to be released as a single. Put On Your White Sombrero, a stunning track recorded in 1980, was actually left off the album it was planned for and not released until 1994.
Ironically though, it is their last album entitled The Visitors (hence the title of this blog) - an album where the band members confessed to be running out of energy, which actually contained the most mature lyrical gems. The title track deals with political dissent in the Soviet Union. Another track deals gracefully with a relationship breakup with lyrics such as "No taste for humble pie" or "Standing calmly at the crossroads no desire to run". Another track analyses the beauty and plainness in letting the music speak "so strange yet we're so well acquainted", while another track deals with a mother's mixed emotions when parting with her child for the first time.
I do hope I can use this blog to analyse, interpret and discuss many songs. Like I said, it's only in the early stages yet and I don't know what will come of it. I will probably post 2 more articles shortly. Lets hope I can get into creative gear and start writing some good stuff!
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