Tag Archives: abba songs

abba

ABBA – The Singles (UK) 1972 – 1974

Leave a comment 
Abba, the chart topping band from Sweden, which featured the blonde one, the dark haired one and the two blokes. But to the Abba fan, they were Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Anni-Frid Lyngstad. The women provided the vocal harmonies, and Benny and Björn, wrote the lyrics and music. Their journey was incredible, they had number ones all over the world and their songs remain as fresh today as when they recorded them! 

Here are their first singles up to and including Waterloo, with which they won the Eurovision Song Contest in 1974 at Brighton, England.

He Is Your Brother – 1972

Released as Bjorn & Benny, Agnetha and Anni-Frid, this was from their studio album, Ring, Ring. This wasn’t released in the United Kingdom, but was in some of the Scandinavian countries.

B-Side: Santa Rosa

The B side was Santa Rosa which never appeared as an album track until the release of the Thank You For The Music box set.

He Is Your Brother

Written by: (B. Andersson / B. Ulvaeus)

I was a fighter always looking for trouble
And my life was so empty there was nothing left to live for
But then it happened one night as I got into a fight
I could hear someone saying as though he was praying

Treat him well, he is your brother You might need his help one day We depend on one another
Love him that’s the only way
On the road that we’re going
We all need words of comfort and compassion
Treat him well, he is your brother Love him that’s the only way

I was a woman never thinking of others
And my life was so lonely didn’t care for anybody
But then I happened to meet
A begging man in the street
As I turned down his praying
I heard someone saying

Treat him well, he is your brother You might need his help one day We depend on one another
Love him that’s the only way
On the road that we’re going
We all need words of comfort and compassion
Treat him well, he is your brother Love him that’s the only way

© Copyright 1972 for the world by Universal/Union Songs AB, Stockholm, Sweden. All rights reserved

People Need Love – 1973

This record was released to promote Björn and Benny’s partnership and their songwriting skills – Agnetha and Anni-Frid were guest singers, however, the positive reaction they received was unexpected. It was not released in the UK as a single.

B-Side: Merry-Go-Round

This was recorded in Swedish. It was also featured on the Thank You For The Music compilation album.

People Need Love

Written by: (B. Andersson / B. Ulvaeus)

People need hope,
People need lovin’
People need trust from a fellow man
People need love to make a good livin’
People need faith in a helping hand

Man has always wanted a woman by his side to keep him company Women always knew that it takes a man to get matrimonial harmony
Everybody knows that a man who’s feeling down wants some female sympathy
Gotta have love to carry on living Gotta have love ’til eternity

People need hope,
People need lovin’
People need trust from a fellow man
People need love to make a good livin’
People need faith in a helping hand

Flowers in a desert need a drop of rain like a woman needs her man If a man’s in love and his woman wants the moon then he’ll take it down if he can
Somebody who loves you and somebody who cares isn’t that what you call a friend
Gotta have love to carry on living Isn’t it easy to understand

People need hope,
People need lovin’
People need trust from a fellow man
People need love to make a good livin’
People need faith in a helping hand

© Copyright 1972 for the world by Universal/Union Songs AB, Stockholm, Sweden. All rights reserved

Ring Ring – 1973

Ring Ring was the single that charted in several European countries, including reaching number 32 in the UK. It had the working title, Clock Tune, which was changed to Ring Ring for more universal appeal. Björn & Benny enlisted the help of Neil Sedaka for the English lyrics. They entered this song in the Swedish Eurovision selection competition where they finished third.

B-Side: She’s My Kind Of Girl

This was the first Björn & Benny single. It was released in Japan and reached number one. It was used in a soft porn film, The Seduction of Inga in 1971.

Ring Ring

Written by: (B. Andersson / S. Anderson / B. Ulvaeus / N. Sedaka / P. Cody)

I was sitting by the phone
I was waiting all alone
Baby by myself I sit and wait and wonder about you
It’s a dark and dreary night
Seems like nothing’s going right
Won’t you tell me honey how can I go on here without you
Yes, I’m down and feeling blue and I don’t know what to do, oh-oh,

Ring, ring, why don’t you give me a call
Ring, ring, the happiest sound of them all
Ring, ring, I stare at the phone on the wall
and I sit all alone impatiently won’t you please understand the need in me
So, ring, ring, why don’t you give me a call So, ring, ring ,why don’t you give me a call

You were here and now you’re gone
Hey did I do something wrong
I just can’t believe that I could be so badly mistaken
Was it me or was it you
Tell me, are we really through
Won’t you hear me cry and you will know that my heart is breaking
Please forgive and then forget
or maybe darling better yet, oh-oh

Ring, ring, why don’t you give me a call
Ring, ring, the happiest sound of them all
Ring, ring, I stare at the phone on the wall
and I sit all alone impatiently won’t you please understand the need in me
So, ring, ring why don’t you give me a call
So, ring, ring why don’t you give me a call

© Copyright 1973 for the world by Universal/Union Songs AB, Stockholm, Sweden. All rights reserved

Waterloo – 1974

This was the first single to be released under the name ABBA. It was the Swedish entry for the Eurovision Song Contest and won it for the country. At the 50th anniversary celebration of the Contest, this was voted the best song in the competition’s history. The Swedish version’s B-side was Honey Honey. It was number one in several countries. including the UK and reached the U.S. Top 10.

B-Side: Watch Out

This was included on the Waterloo album with Björn on lead vocals.

Waterloo

Written by: (B. Andersson / S. Anderson / B. Ulvaeus)

My, my, at Waterloo Napoleon did surrender
Oh yeah, and I have met my destiny in quite a similar way
The history book on the shelf is always repeating itself

Waterloo – I was defeated, you won the war
Waterloo – promise to love you for ever more
Waterloo – couldn’t escape if I wanted to
Waterloo – knowing my fate is to be with you
Wa, wa, wa, wa, Waterloo – finally facing my Waterloo

My, my, I tried to hold you back but you were stronger
Oh yeah, and now it seems my only chance is giving up the fight
And how could I ever refuse I feel like I win when I lose

Waterloo – I was defeated, you won the war
Waterloo – promise to love you for ever more
Waterloo – couldn’t escape if I wanted to
Waterloo – knowing my fate is to be with you
Wa, wa, wa, wa, Waterloo – finally facing my Waterloo

So how could I ever refuse I feel like I win when I lose –
Waterloo – couldn’t escape if I wanted to
Waterloo – knowing my fate is to be with you
Wa, wa, wa, wa, Waterloo – finally facing my Waterloo

© Copyright 1974 for the world by Universal/Union Songs AB, Stockholm, Sweden. All rights reserved

Favourites

Band

Leave a comment

ABBA

abba

Ever since Abba’s appearance on The Eurovision Song Contest singing Waterloo and of course, winning it, I was hooked on Abba. I was ten years old and desperate to be Agnetha (the blond one), even though my voice probably suited the dulcet tones of Anni-Frid much better.

I used my pocket money I had saved to buy their albums and singles, playing them constantly over and over again. My parents must have been heartily fed up with the melodies filtering down into their living room, but to their credit, they never said anything.

I learnt every lyric, every backing vocal to every song, my bedroom was filled with their posters, I read everything I could about them and joined their fan club.

tachance
My favourite Abba poster

I even wrote a story, a musical, one that included all their songs. (Yes, I did it WAY before Mamma Mia, though I admit, mine wasn’t as good!) and was that person singing into the hairbrush, performing at imaginary concerts.

I often wondered about the relationship between the two women, was there a rivalry with who sings what? Was Anni-Frid annoyed at the attention focused on Agnetha’s behind? Was Agnetha jealous of Anni-Frid’s dancing ability?

The band were masters at hitting the market just right, during the early days there was Fernando, SOS and Mamma Mia, in the disco years you had Voulez Vous, Lay All Your Love On Me and obviously, Dancing Queen. Later on, they showed a more mature side with songs like The Winner Takes It All, which was a reflection of Agnetha and Bjorn’s divorce and The Day Before You Came. There has been much discussion about TDBYC, theories have varied from it’s the day before she meets the new love of her life or it’s the day before she commits suicide and is talking from the grave.

Their final song, Under Attack, was filmed in a warehouse and the very last shot is the group walking through the doors, into daylight, presumably a metaphor for the group walking into the sunset of their time together as a group.

Each of the group has moved on to other projects: Agnetha and Frida bringing out solo albums and Benny and Bjorn penning musicals. But the unrivaled success story has been the two films, Mamma Mia and Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again, which include all the hits and some album tracks.

My biggest regret is never seeing them play live and recently there have been rumours they have met up in a studio and recorded some songs together, so maybe the story of Abba hasn’t quite ended yet…

“I was in your arms
Thinking I belonged there
I figured it made sense
Building me a fence
Building me a home
Thinking I’d be strong there
But I was a fool
Playing by the rules.”

Abba, 1980