ABBA: What about [Ken] Livingstone?

SK's new uniform?  From l to r:  Sebastian, Anna, moa and Claes.  Maybe.

Last week, Bjorn Ulvaeus of ABBA (not Benny, the other one, you know, the one with no beard and extra tight trousers) revealed that ABBA’s songs had hidden political messages in the lyrics.

“It was our curse that we were regarded as simple and happy” he said and went on to explain that for example the song “The Visitors” was about the Soviet Union and about freedom.

“These walls have witnessed all the anguish of humiliation
And seen the hope of freedom glow in shining faces
And now they've come to take me
Come to break me
And yet it isn't unexpected
I have been waiting for these visitors” (repeat over 19 times)

We’re very surprised.  We never knew the deeper meanings of ABBA and now we shall proceed to analyse all the songs as we listen to them again (and again) during our working day at the cafe.

Upon reading this article we also did a bit of googling about interpreting ABBA lyrics.  It’s worth doing, even for the excitement of realising what Dancing Queen is really all about. 

Still, a few dubious ones popped up....  Maybe political?

What about Livingstone

What about Livingstone?

What about all those men?

Who have sacrificed their lives to lead the way

Tell me, wasn't it worth the while

Travelling up the Nile

Putting themselves on test

Didn't that help the rest?

Wasn't it worth it then?

What about Livingstone?

Money Money

I work all night, I work all day, to pay the bills I have to pay
Ain't it sad
And still there never seems to be a single penny left for me
That's too bad
In my dreams I have a plan
If I got me a wealthy man
I wouldn't have to work at all, I'd fool around and have a ball

Dum Dum diddle

Dum-dum-diddle, to be your fiddle
To be so near you and not just hear you
Dum-dum-diddle, to be your fiddle
I think then maybe you'd see me, baby
You'd be mine
And we'd be together all the time
Wish I was, dum-dum-diddle, your darling fiddle
But I think you don't know that I exist
I'm the quiet kind, woah-oh

 (read the article in Danish here - if you read Danish, that is... if not, you may enjoy the pictures only sorry.)