I have been obsessed with the Swedish pop group ABBA for as long as I can remember. This obsession shocks lots of my family members, friends and others who know me because I am part of Generation Z, and ABBA was extremely popular way before my time. Despite this, ABBA has continued to be my favorite band and music to listen to. Finding out that ABBA was coming out with a new album decades after the band had broken up was such exhilarating news; the name of the album was “Voyage” and was released in November of 2021. The concert for ABBA’s “Voyage,” which ABBA’s official website is describing as “a concert 40 years in the making,” took technology to a whole new level, with the band members being depicted as digital avatars on stage. Their incredible comeback was no surprise; in just 15 months, the show had accumulated over $150 million in sales, according to Bloomberg.
Given ABBA’s amazing comeback, and my love for the band that has only continued to increase over the years, I wanted to share some of my favorite songs of theirs of all time and personal interpretations of them:
Mamma Mia
The song “Mamma Mia” is by far one of ABBA’s most popular songs of all time. The title of this song may be familiar to many due to its use in the hit Broadway musical and movie “Mamma Mia!” which featured several of ABBA’s hit songs. The song depicts a tragic relationship in which one person is struggling to let go of the love of his or her partner. Lyrics such as, “Mamma mia, here I go again. My my, how can I resist you?” show the struggle that the person in the song is having in getting over his or her partner, disclosing the repeated emotions the singer is feeling every time he or she sees their love again. Despite trying to get over the relationship, it appears the speaker is unable to let go. This message is further depicted in the lyrics “I think you know that you won’t be away too long. You know that I’m not that strong.” The vulnerability of the speaker is explicitly discernible by the listeners.
Dancing Queen
“Dancing Queen” is another one of ABBA’s most successful hits. The song is known for being ABBA’s biggest hit of all time, becoming the band’s first and only number one hit in the United States in April 1977. The lyrics read, “You are the dancing queen, young and sweet, only seventeen…” in the chorus, depicting the action of a girl enjoying herself on the dance floor, with her energy and happiness grabbing the attention of others. The message of depicting a young girl who is simply having a great time dancing is further seen in the lyrics, “You can dance, you can jive. Having the time of your life.” Despite being presented with a typical weekend, starting with “Friday nights and the lights are low, looking out for a place to go…” the girl in the song ends up having the time of her life through her dancing. The song expresses how the smallest things in life can help turn a boring day into one of the best.
The Winner Takes It All
This song, which many who are familiar with the movie can remember as being part of Meryl Streep’s iconic scene of running up the stairs to the church at the end of “Mamma Mia!” is another one that pulls at the heartstrings. Its release had come shortly after the breakup of two of ABBA’s members: Agnetha Faltskog and Bjorn Ulvaeus. Bjorn had admitted that 90% of the song was fictional, so having his ex-wife (i.e., Agnetha) sing it felt okay. The song itself is about divorce and the struggles, regrets and pains that can come with that. The beginning lyrics of this song read, “I don’t wanna talk about things we’ve gone through. Though it’s hurting me, now it’s history…” These lyrics indicate the pain the person from the breakup is going through, showcasing that he or she is trying to suppress and put his or her feelings in the past, despite how hard it may be. The words “Seeing me so tense, no self-confidence…” reiterate the person’s downfall since the divorce. This song was very successful in the UK during its release in 1980, and it even climbed to number 8 in the U.S.
Nina, Pretty Ballerina
To me, this song has such an important underlying message to its listeners: everyone has their own stories and traits that may not be explicitly observant, and that you shouldn’t let others indicate who you should be. The opening lyrics read, “Everyday in the morning on her way to the office…Just a face among a million faces, just another woman with no name.” These lyrics, which carry a negative connotation to them, depict an image of a regular girl who is having a typical day by heading to her office for work. The song initially showcases Nina as a plain girl with a tedious career; however, as it progresses into the main chorus, the lyrics read, “Cause, I know she’s got a little secret, Friday evening she turns out to be…” going on to say, “Nina, pretty ballerina. Now she is the queen of the dancing floor. This is the moment she’s waited for, just like Cinderella.” Right here is when Nina completely transforms into a different girl than the one she was before. She is seen as anything but a “typical” girl, rather someone who is breaking free, showcasing her true qualities and personality, and overall, simply having an amazing Friday evening. ABBA’s use of juxtaposition was spot on, showcasing the side-by-side contrast of a person who initially appears to be shy and boring but ends up being such a lively and outgoing girl. Overall, Nina is anything but a “bore,” which the song’s initial description of her indicates.
The Visitors
“The Visitors” shows the vulnerability of an individual who is expressing lots of fear and anxiety due to some “visitors” at the door. The first line of this song immediately reveals this, as it reads, “I hear the door-bell ring and suddenly the panic takes me.” Given the fright by the singer, this line indicates to listeners that the visitors at the door are unwelcome. The lyrics continue to say, “I cannot move. I’m standing numb and frozen.” Personally, listening to this song, the terror being revealed by the person in the song creates a sense of uncertainty but also eagerness to know who is at the door and why the speaker is so afraid. Not only do the lyrics give off a mysterious vibe, but so does the instrumental music in the background with its menacing and haunting feel. The singer’s fear appears to only elevate as the song progresses. Later, the lyrics read, “Voices growing louder, irritation building, and I’m close to fainting.” At this point, the person in the song is evidently ready to flee his or her current situation but is simply way too overwhelmed by the panic and distress that is overtaking him or her. It’s been noted that “The Visitors,” which was released in 1981, actually portrayed a political view/issue: conflict related to varying viewpoints of the Soviet Union during the Cold War era.
Slipping Through My Fingers
This song no doubt has the potential to pull at the heartstrings of parents and children all around the world. “Slipping Through My Fingers” was part of ABBA’s 1981 album “The Visitors.” The song carries a bittersweet tone to it as it depicts the lives of a mother and daughter in which the daughter has already grown up and the mother is wondering where all the time and good memories went. This is seen in the beginning of the song where it reads, “The feeling that I’m losing her forever, and without really entering her world.” The song showcases a mother’s regret that her daughter has already grown up and that she hasn’t really formed what appears to be a desired “ever-lasting” bond with her daughter. This makes it seem as if time has simply passed by too fast, which is supported with the lyrics, “What happened to the wonderful adventures? The places I had planned for us to go?” The mother reveals that while some of the “plans” she had made were fulfilled, most of them were not, and she’s simply unsure of why. This song is a great reminder to its listeners that you should always live in the present and never take a moment for granted. It can be easy to take advantage of the present moment and only realize just how important it was when it’s already gone.
Overall, while these are just some of my favorite ABBA songs of all time, there are so many more. ABBA’s ability to write songs about a variety of different situations, from relationships, family bonds, politics, personal identity and much more just showcases how well-rounded the band was/is. While some songs, such as “Dancing Queen,” were known for their disco vibe, others were more sentimental, such as “Slipping Through My Fingers.” ABBA’s comeback in 2021 was amazing; it simply showed that ABBA truly is the band that never ceases to impress.