Song Analysis - Hey, Hey Helen

Hey, Hey Helen tells the story about a woman who is fresh out of a marriage.  She's a mother with kids, and is honestly still ridden with guilt if divorcing and leaving her ex was a good decision.  Was it really worth it?  The song is pretty much her anxiety and intrusive thoughts, making her doubt everything.  It kinda feels like friends or family are accusing her of only wanting to divorce so she can be called a "Woman of Today," basically invalidating whatever else happened that made Helen want to leave this marriage and belittling her.

"Hey, hey Helen now you live on your own. Hey, hey Helen can you make it alone?" Agnetha and Frida sing in the chorus.  However, the quiet last line of the chorus "yes you can" is like, yes, yes you really can do it, basically proving that all of this is not in vain.  She will be okay.  And the second verse is basically here accepting that yes, it was all worth it. "But you’re right, you had to take a second chance. So you fly to find your freedom."

The song may seem on the surface, belittling Helen a bit, but when you actually delve deeper, you realize it's truly meant to be empowering.  Helen eventually learns to not let judgmental people and comments get to her, and ultimately she's okay and she knows the does the right thing, even when her own anxious thoughts get her down.  

I like this song a lot.  Agnetha and Frida sing together beautifully with that third voice, and the backing vocals, especially during the instrumental, keyboard break or whatever it is you call it where they sing the "Aha, yes you do yes you do", is really nice.  I also love the backing vocals during the chorus, with the "hey hey Helen, oooooooh"s in the background.  And the way Agnetha and Frida sing, "Don't you know what to do," in the last chorus of the song is almost heavenly?  

I also love the instruments and arrangement of this song.  It's a lot more on the rock side with the electric guitars and heavy drums.  And it sounds so good.  It kinda makes me wish ABBA had done more rock songs like this.  I think they would have nailed it.

ABBA would perform this song during their 1975 tour as can be heard during the bootleg Eskilstuna audio.  Hey Hey Helen is the opening track to their entire setlist, and it's so good live.  You can just feel the energy from this performance.  With no backing vocalists during this tour, Bjorn and Benny sing the backing vocals and honestly I really like that rawness with it just being Agnetha, Frida, Benny, and Bjorn, and I kinda prefer that to the backing vocalists during the 1977 and 1979 tours.  Not saying that the backing vocalists from those tours don't sound good - they all did amazing, I just really really like the early sound of the 75 tour more.  And that's just me. 

While we have no visual, moving footage of the 1975 tour, we do have this one performance of Hey, Hey Helen when ABBA were on Don Kirshner's Rock Concert in 1975.  I always wondered why they performed this song of all songs, but it's such a good song, and I like how it sort of gives us a glimpse of what their performance on tour was like, with the simple routine and movements that Agnetha and Frida do.  From this performance alone we can now really imagine what the opening song of ABBA's 1975 tour was like. 

So yeah, the song is great, and empowering, and really fun.

Song Analysis - S.O.S.

A common theme throughout ABBA's catalog is breaking up.  And SOS is no exception.  

A lot of the aforementioned ABBA songs that I have already talked about on this blog, (Dance (While the music still goes on), Disillusion, Hasta Manana, Another Town, Another Train, etc) have all been about break ups, but dare I say, I think SOS has a much more mature sound when compared to those tracks?  Maybe it's Agnetha's vocals that really make it seem more mature than the other tracks.  When you compare her singing style of SOS to say, Disillusion, there's something to her voice in SOS that just sounds older.  Yes this song is also from two years later, so she is a little older, but there is something there.   And of course I'm not trying in anyway to put down her singing in Disillusion, because in Disillusion, you can feel her pain so clearly in her vocals.  There's just something different about SOS and it's beautiful.

Anyways, SOS is a song about a relationship breaking down.  "Where are those happy days?  They seem so hard to find.  I try to reach for you, but you have closed your mind."  The main character's partner is just cutting our main character out, not communicating, not interacting.  A relationship that used to be so good is now dying.  "What happened to our love? It used to be so good." In the chorus, our main character pleads with her partner, explaining how without them, life can't go on.  How is she supposed to even try to go on without them being there?

While I have never been in a relationship like this and subsequently had to deal with a break up like this, the lyrics feels so real, and I'm sure are relatable to a lot of people in similar situations.  Bjorn, Benny, and Stig managed to capture those feelings so clearly in the lyrics.  I don't think they could have worded it any differently.  The song is just perfect.

Agnetha takes the lead on this song, being joined by the other three in the chorus.  I love how you can very clearly hear their different, distinct voices in the chorus yet they blend together so well.  At least for me, it's honestly very hard to hear the main melody in the chorus because all the different layers of vocals and harmonies, but it's so cool.  And then Benny's keyboard solo in the bridge...???? idk I don't speak music terminology - is really good and also manages to capture the sadness of the song in the instruments. 

It's no wonder that SOS went on to become a big hit for ABBA.  It's catchy, the lyrics I think are relatable, and that classic ABBA sound is so prominent and beautiful in the chorus. 

Now, in 1975, when Agnetha was getting ready to release her next solo album, Elva Kvinnor I Ett Hus, it was highly recommended that Agnetha include a Swedish version of SOS on that album to increase interest in the album.  So she did.  With lyrics written by Bjorn, Benny, and Stig, the song is pretty much the same as the English one.  First verse: "Where is the happiness that I once dreamed of? You have moved and are so far from me Where are the feelings that you had, how did it become that way? You are a stranger now, is there any help?"  Chorus: "Say who can answer and who can explain? S.O.S Where is my dear who was so close to me? S.O.S Who are you, as I now, do not recognize Where is he, this man, who was once my friend?"  and second verse: "The great love, where did it go then? How did that melody go, which was so fragile and beautiful? Although we can walk next to each other, you are far from me And my feelings them, do not reach you."

The Swedish version also features presumably the other three singing in the chorus.  I love hearing them all sing in Swedish, and of course that ABBA sound is still quite prominent.  Though, during the "When you're gone, how can I even try to go on" part of the song, in the Swedish version Frida is not really there like she is in the English version, allowing Agnetha to really make this song her own.

Speaking of, I think one of the contributing factors as to why this song is so good, is Agnetha's story-telling abilities.  She somehow always manages to capture the essence and feelings of the lyrics, accurately portraying the emotions that are being conveyed through the words.  (I am not trying to say Frida is not good at this btw - I'm just highlighting Agnetha's storytelling ability at the moment.)  Even to this day, Agnetha is still amazing at telling the story of the song through her emotions.  She manages to make you feel that she herself has personally gone through whatever it is the character of the song is going through.  When listening to Keep An Eye On Dan from ABBA's 2021 album Voyage, Agnetha sings out the lyrics with such emotion, such pain, and you're just taken away by it.   She was even praised from either Bjorn or Benny or even both for her vocals on that song for that exact reason.  Also, surprisingly, Keep An Eye On Dan does have a slight nod to SOS, with the piano intro translated into the end of the song.  I don't quite know the significance of that, but maybe it has to do with Agnetha's emotional vocals being so similar in style to SOS?  (A slight digression, but another good example of this, is when watching the music video for The Winner Takes It All, it looks like she is sooooo sad and heartbroken, especially as the other three interact and mingle without her.  You can read all those emotions on her face, hear it in her voice.  You'd really think she was so sad at this time.  But then when ABBA have released those few second outtakes and bloopers, from the filming of that music video, you can see that it's all just a very convincing act. )

Anyways, with SOS being such a big hit, of course ABBA would perform it a lot, but on TV performances and live in concert.  We have bootleg and official releases of ABBA singing SOS live in their 1975, 1977, and 1979 tour.  And each performance is epic.  Though, a personal highlight for me, is the live in Eskilstuna bootleg audio.  SOS is Agnetha's song, and she shines in it, though in 1975, ABBA had Frida sing the second verse, and she absolutely shines on this verse.  (She also messes up one the lines: "You made me feel alive but something died I fear," instead accidentally singing "I tried to make it out, but something I died I fear," yet she still makes it seem so natural and intentional.)  For some reason I love it when there are recordings of one ABBA member singing a song or parts of a song that in the final result was sang by a different member entirely.  (For example, Agnetha singing an early demo of Rock Me, called Baby, Agnetha singing a part of I Wonder backstage during ABBA the Movie, Bjorn singing a demo of The Winner Takes It All, Bjorn singing an early demo of Like An Angel Passing Through My Room, and even Agnetha taking lead on an early version of Like An Angel Passing Through My Room.)  

Anyways, here is a compilation of some of ABBA's many performances of SOS throughout their career, most of them being from 1975-1976.  Throughout 1975, Agnetha and Frida have a really cute dance routine for SOS, that I'm assuming they'd also do as part of their 1975 tour, but idk because there are no videos.  I like how they even write out the letters SOS as part of their dance routine.  It's cute.  And then in 1976, with the performance on the Sylvester Tanzparty being the last appearance of the dance routine, they kinda just stopped the dance routine entirely, just swaying back and forth instead haha. 

So yeah, those are my thoughts on SOS by ABBA.  Epic song.  Epic vocals.  Epic performances.

Song Analysis - Man In The Middle

 (Okay trying to find a picture of ABBA from this era with the men standing in the middle is apparently very hard but look I found something similar enough.)

I've already shared some of my thought on Man In The Middle on my rant about parodies and false assumptions, but I don't mind talking about it some more.

Man In The Middle is a song about a guy who is very I guess well off, or at least trying to play the part of a wealthy guy.  He flaunts his wealth by driving around in his limousine, drinks champagne while everyone else drinks a beer, he eats rich food like caviar, and he's fifty-years-old but is with a 17-year-old girl.  He lives in a mansion, he has servants, he's a tough boss, he's never bothered by his conscience, and he doesn't mind doing questionable things because he wants to be the man in the middle.

A lot of people dislike this song because they think ABBA are promoting these questionable things and are okay with the man in the middle being this way.  But these things that the guy is doing are not good things.  He's not a good man.  However it is quite clear in the lines "he’s never bothered by his conscience. deals with the devil ’cause he wants to be man in the middle," and "But you see that man made a big mistake even though he’s got all his servants and a mansion beside a lake. And the money too, all that he can spend.  He can buy the most, nearly anything but he can’t buy an honest friend" that these are not good behaviors.  The lyrics don't hide the fact that morally, he's pretty rotten.  I mean, he's an adult with a minor!  That's creepy and gross, on top of all the other things wrong with him.

Similar to what I wrote about Gonna Sing You My Lovesong, it's a just a song about a person.  It's not saying the person in the song is good and perfect, but rather it's a song about humans, and some humans are just scummy.

The song is sang by Bjorn and possibly even Benny.  Specifically at the end of the chorus, when they repeat "in the middle middle middle middle middle" etc, I think that's Benny.  Agnetha and Frida also sing the chorus, with some lovely backing vocals singing along with Bjorn.  The music itself is funky and groovy, and it's pretty fun sonically.

So yeah, those are my thoughts on the song.  It's a good song about a bad guy.  Not in any way promoting the bad behavior displayed in the song.

Song Analysis - So Long

Alright alright alright alright...

In August of 1974, ABBA began recording songs for what would be their next studio album.  So Long, which was ABBA's next single, is a banger.  With heavy guitars and rocking vocals from Agnetha and Frida, the song has quite the epic soundscape.  

The song is about a girl who does not want the attention of this guy, who's clearly very into her and also very rich.  He sends her flowers, shows off his fancy car, ahaha.  He thinks that money is all that's needed to get this girl's attention, but she's like "Nope.  Money's not going to work on me."  She's not like other girls who'd be easily swayed by the sheer amount of money this guy has, and she has no interest in pursuing anything with this guy.  She's putting a full stop to all of this.

"So long, see you honey.  Can’t buy me with your money.  you know it’s not worth trying.  So long, so long, so long."

It's not often, at least not among greatest hits that I'd hear on the radio a lot as a kid, that songs are about women standing up for themselves.  I just have to say, I'm so happy that ABBA have a good variety of songs, with a lot being written from the female perspective, but not as "omg I'm a woman and I let men walk all over me" but are about women standing up for themselves.  

ABBA would perform this song live throughout their 1974-75 tour, as well as during some nights of the 1977 tour. (I'm honestly very confused as to why, assuming I'm remembering correctly, some nights they'd perform So Long and other nights they wouldn't.)  So on top of several EPIC TV performances of the song, we have a decent variety of bootleg audios to enjoy. 

 

Also, no matter what anyone says, I LOVE the dance routine at the end of the song. Agnetha and Frida may not have been professional dancers, and there's this sort of (not intended as a putdown) "clunkiness" to their movement, but for me that just adds to the charm.  I love that they weren't perfectly choreographed, and wouldn't move 100% in sync.  They're always slightly off, doing their own things, and I love that.  Regardless of what I think of tribute bands, I wish that they would keep that in mind when they'd perform as Agnetha and Frida.  The robotic, synchronized movements just bother me so much.  Like, even the choreographer for ABBA Voyage kept that in mind when choreographing the Agnetha and Frida ABBAtars.  Yeah the ABBAtars move a lot more than Agnetha and Frida ever did, but it's closer to their actual movements than not.

Anyways, back to the topic of So Long, the song may have flopped initially, not garnering ABBA much success or popularity, but at this point, this song is epic and amazing and I love it so so so much.

Song Analysis - Hasta Mañana

 Where is the spring and the summer that once was yours and mine?  

ABBA began recording Hasta Mañana in December of 1973.  The song is a very beautiful ballad, telling the story of a relationship that has ended.  With lines such as, "Darling, our love was much too strong to die. we’ll find a way to face a new tomorrow," the main character of the song seems very willing to fight to try and mend things and get back together again, begging for her partner to forgive and forget whatever went wrong.  "Time to forget, send me a letter. Say you forgive, the sooner the better."  She's not willing to just let this relationship die, she truly believes they can make it through.  Until then, she'll be here waiting.

The song is very simple, with Agnetha singing on lead vocals, and the other three members jump in during the chorus.  Agnetha's vocals are so soft and sweet in this song, with such an innocent quality to it.  She uses this style of singing a lot in ABBA's earlier songs, specifically this song Hasta Manana, Disillusion, My Love, My Life, etc.  However, from 1977 onwards, she sings with a different style, and I mean not this not as a put down, but more harsher, crisper vocals.  You can hear the clear difference in her singing styles when comparing the English version of Hasta Mañanato the Spanish version from 1980.  (Honestly both Agnetha and Frida's singing styes changed dramatically during recording sessions from The Album, and it helps to pinpoint which era an ABBA song is from if you're not immediately recognizing which year an ABBA song is from.)

Personally, I kind of prefer Agnetha's more airy vocals of the English version, however I think her later vocals show more of a confidence.  Not delving into my personal thoughts on AI covers, but if you ever needed to sample Agnetha's vocals for like an AI cover or something, I definitely think her later vocals would work better for that.  

The Spanish version of Hasta Mañana's lyrics is pretty much the same as the English version, just translated into Spanish obviously.  "Until tomorrow I will know how to wait for you. I want to be with you. Write to me, and I'll explain it to you. Forgive me, I beg you.  Until tomorrow, tell me, until tomorrow my love."  

Okay, so something that kinda bugs me about the Spanish versions of ABBA's songs that Agnetha and Frida worked on in 1980 for the Gracias Por La Music album is the lack of Bjorn and Benny being present in the recordings.  Part of that classic ABBA sound, which is heard quite clearly in the chorus of the English version of Hasta Mañana is all four members singing together in harmony.  Despite all their voices blending together to create this most beautiful sound, if you listen closely you can tell that Bjorn and Benny are in there, adding a wider soundscape.  In the 1980 version, Bjorn and Benny hardly recorded if they recorded any vocals, and as a result, as beautiful as the Spanish version is, it feels kind of empty.  

Anyways, aside from the two studio versions, we also have a live Bootleg recording from ABBA's concert in Eskilstuna, and Agnetha carries it beautifully, albeit a little shaky at times.  One thing I really love about the live from Eskilstuna bootleg audio is that ABBA didn't have any baking vocalists, so it's just the other three members singing backup and there's this rawness that I really like, especially in the chorus where it's Agnetha singing the lead and Frida harmonizing with her.

And then we only have two TV performances of Hasta Mañana, which you can see side by side here in this video.

Also, back when ABBA were still trying to figure out which song they wanted to enter in 1974's Melodifestivalen, they were initially stumped between Hasta Mañana, your more classic, Eurovision-style slow ballad, or Waterloo, a more up-tempo song that wasn't your usual Eurovision song.  I think ABBA made the right choice by choosing to do something a little more daring, and clearly it proved to be successful.  Not saying Hasta Mañana is in any way worse, because this song is amazing, and I love it.