A Life Lesson in ABBA
15:44
A couple of weekends ago I was having a particularly sad Saturday. My post-travel blues were well a truly hitting and in my stupor I decided to feel a bit more sorry for myself, so I pulled up Spotify.
ABBA Gold, of course.
ABBA's music is laced with more heartbreak and sadness than meets the listeners ear. Looking beyond the bubblegum image and slick production values, listening to ABBA as an adult is completely different experience. The same songs that we tend to associate with after-hour wedding receptions, Christmas parties and novelty have hidden away in their upbeat tempos a sense of genuine sadness.
If you think of a song like ‘Dancing Queen’ universally known and the by far the most played ABBA record. Consider the viewpoint of that song, I've always seen it the narrator looking back and reminiscing about their day as the 'Dancing Queen'. When I've spoken to my mum about this she's always commented that the song reminds her of when she and her best friend used to go out and party when they were both student nurses with no responsibilities which is quite telling. The narrator is no longer the person she once was, so in that regard I think the basis of it is that it taps into the envy of young hedonism and the carefree.
ABBA wrote complex love songs; I think 'Knowing Me, Knowing You' is one of the best and effective songs about the demise of a relationship. The duality of ABBA's music and lyrics make for the perfect storm when listening.
All this makes perfect sense knowing that both pairs (Agnetha & Bjorn and Anni-Fried & Benny) were married and divorced within the band's lifetime. That's not to say that that the fizzy and disco beats that surround the lyrics are not valid, if anything they help to frame the situation within the song better and make it stronger, and hey you can still dance to it.
ABBA wrote complex love songs; I think 'Knowing Me, Knowing You' is one of the best and effective songs about the demise of a relationship. The duality of ABBA's music and lyrics make for the perfect storm when listening.
All this makes perfect sense knowing that both pairs (Agnetha & Bjorn and Anni-Fried & Benny) were married and divorced within the band's lifetime. That's not to say that that the fizzy and disco beats that surround the lyrics are not valid, if anything they help to frame the situation within the song better and make it stronger, and hey you can still dance to it.
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