Song Analysis - The Piper

 In early February, 1980, Bjorn and Benny began working on a demo initially titled Ten Tin Soliders.  It wasn't long before the song was changed to Sherwood, and then Äntligen krig, and then finally, The Piper, which they officially began recording in April.  

Musically, the Piper is unlike any prior ABBA songs.  It has an extremely medieval feel, with flutes and drums, but with the modern touch of Benny's keyboard and synths.  The song features both Agnetha and Frida on joint vocals, singing in unison much like some of their earlier songs where their voices are almost indistinguishable.  Although a COMPLETELY different style of song, it kinda reminds me how in Honey Honey, it almost doesn't sound like two separate voices, just one single voice.

Bjorn has said this song is inspired by the book The Stand by Stephen King.  I don't know what that book is about, but I'm guessing it has something to do with some sort of leader or dictator of sorts, seducing the people to follow his lead.  The song is almost cult-like, with dark and creepy lyrics.

The song begins by telling how people come from all over, the hills, the valleys, the plains, traveling through snow and rain, just to hear the Piper play his music.  And whenever he plays, basically everyone just mindlessly follows.  In the chorus, it compares the blind and mindless following of the Pipers' words to following his music, having been summoned by the tune that the piper plays.  And so the people, his congregation, all dance beneath the moon for him.  They basically do whatever it is they tell him to do.

The third verse, "He gave them a dream he seduced everybody in the land, the fire in his eyes and the fear was a weapon in his hand.  So they let him play, play their minds away," kinda reminds me of people who use their power to instill fear in the people, and makes me think of a lot of Doomsday fearmongers who were trying to convince everyone the world was gonna end in 2012 because everyone is a sinner, etc.  

Honestly, this song is so creepy, and awful, and it's amazing how Bjorn managed to capture that in a song.  Where a lot of ABBA's music tends to sound very feel-good and happy (even when the lyrics themselves are the complete opposite), this song is just entirely dark and moody and scary.  Also the way Agnetha and Frida chant the Latin phrase "Sub luna saltamus" after each chorus, which means "dance under the moon" is also sooooo creepy.

Although Andante, Andante is of completely different context, similar to the Piper, it uses music as a euphemism.  In Andante, Andante, music is used to describe intimacy, whereas the Piper uses it to describe mind-control almost, using music to guide and control you.  Interestingly, the concept of letting music guide you also shows up a year later on the song I Let The Music Speak.  There's no correlation between the song, but very interesting nonetheless.

This song is creepy and dark, but it is honestly such a well-crafted song.  Often times I like to just sit and write with an ABBA album playing from start-to-finish loudly in my headphones, and this song  just sounds so good.  Although there aren't as many harmonies as prior ABBA songs, I think it fits the song perfectly and the created such a beautiful soundscape for this song.  A very, very good song.