The Day Before You Came
ABBA
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Must have left my house at eight, because I always do My train, I'm certain, left the station just when it was due I must have read the morning paper going into town And having gotten through the editorial, no doubt I must have frowned I must have made my desk around a quarter after nine With letters to be read, and heaps of papers waiting to be signed I must have gone to lunch at half past twelve or so The usual place, the usual bunch And still on top of this I'm pretty sure it must have rained The day before you came I must have lit my seventh cigarette at half past two And at the time I never even noticed I was blue I must have kept on dragging through the business of the day Without really knowing anything, I hid a part of me away At five I must have left, there's no exception to the rule A matter of routine, I've done it ever since I finished school The train back home again Undoubtedly I must have read the evening paper then Oh yes, I'm sure my life was well within it's usual frame The day before you came Must have opened my front door at eight o'clock or so And stopped along the way to buy some Chinese food to go I'm sure I had my dinner watching something on TV There's not, I think, a single episode of Dallas that I didn't see I must have gone to bed around a quarter after ten I need a lot of sleep, and so I like to be in bed by then I must have read a while The latest one by Marilyn French or something in that style It's funny, but I had no sense of living without aim The day before you came And turning out the light I must have yawned and cuddled up for yet another night And rattling on the roof I must have heard the sound of rain The day before you came
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Written by: Benny Goran Bror Andersson, Bjoern K Ulvaeus
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
12 facts about this song
Origin of Song"The Day Before You Came" was released by popular Swedish pop band ABBA in 1982. It was the first single from their compilation album "The Singles: The First Ten Years."
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Recording SessionsThe song was one of ABBA's final recordings, featuring in the last recording sessions the band had, before their unofficial split in 1982.
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Songwriters"The Day Before You Came" was written by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, two members of ABBA and known for creating many of ABBA's greatest hits.
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VocalsLead vocals for the song were done by Agnetha Fältskog, while the other member, Anni-Frid Lyngstad, provided backing vocals.
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Song ThemeThe song talks about the mundane routine of everyday life before the arrival of a new lover. The lyrics are filled with observational details highlighting the drudgery and predictability of life without passion.
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Chart PerformanceDespite being one of ABBA’s final singles, "The Day Before You Came" unfortunately failed to achieve significant chart success in some countries including the USA. However, it peaked at number 32 in the UK charts and had more success in European countries such as Belgium and Netherlands where it reached number 1.
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Music VideoThe video was directed by longtime ABBA collaborator Lasse Hallström and was filmed in Stockholm and on the island of Viggsö.
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Song LengthThe original song is over five minutes long, but some radio stations played a shortened version.
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Cover VersionsSince its release, "The Day Before You Came" has been covered by several artists including Blancmange, Tanita Tikaram, and Steven Wilson.
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Critic's viewDespite its lackluster commercial performance, the song is considered by critics and fans alike to be one of ABBA’s best works, praised for its mature songwriting and melancholic tone.
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Awards/NominationsAlthough "The Day Before You Came" did not win any awards upon its release, it was included in the compilation "ABBA Gold: Greatest Hits" which became one of the best-selling albums worldwide.
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Song Meaning"The Day Before You Came" is often seen as a metaphor for the end of ABBA, representing the band members' lives before they chose to part ways.
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Citation
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