Day Before You Came

ABBA

About Day Before You Came

"The Day Before You Came" is a song recorded and released by Swedish pop group ABBA, their second longest (after "Eagle") at almost six minutes in length. It was originally released in 1982 as both a single and a track on the compilation album The Singles: The First Ten Years. Although it was the final ABBA recording until 2018 (over 35 years later), the song released as their final single was "Under Attack", which also featured on the singles compilation album.


Year:
1997
88 
#3

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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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ABBA

ABBA was a Swedish pop group formed in Stockholm in 1972, comprising Agnetha Fältskog, Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus and Anni-Frid Lyngstad. ABBA is an acronym of the first letters of the band members' first names and is sometimes stylized as the registered trademark ᗅᗺᗷᗅ. They became one of the most commercially successful acts in the history of pop music, topping the charts worldwide from 1972 to 1982. They are also known for winning the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest, giving Sweden its first victory in the history of the contest and being the most successful group ever to take part in the contest. more »

14 fans

Written by: Benny Goran Bror Andersson, Bjoern K Ulvaeus

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind


13 facts about this song

Band History
"The Day Before You Came" was the last song recorded by Swedish pop group ABBA before they officially disbanded.
Song Release
The song was released as a single in 1982 from the album "Voulez-Vous" produced under the label Polar Music.
Song Composition
ABBA members Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus wrote the song, while fellow band members Agnetha Fältskog and Anni-Frid Lyngstad provided the vocals.
Song Theme
The song's lyrics revolve around the mundane details of a woman's daily life before she met her significant other.
Song Length
This is one of ABBA's longest recordings, with a running time of 5 minutes and 50 seconds.
Global Success
Despite its departure from ABBA's traditional upbeat melodies, "The Day Before You Came" was a commercial success and charted in the top five in many European countries, including Belgium and Denmark.
Swedish Original
ABBA recorded a Swedish-language version of the song, titled "Den Lidande Fågeln" (The Suffering Bird).
Critical Acclaim
Over the years, the song has received high praise from critics. It was described as the group's most daring and evolved piece of music.
Cover Versions
Numerous artists, including Blancmange in 1984, and Meryl Streep in the film "Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again" in 2018, have covered the song.
Video Filming
The music video for the song was shot at the Råsunda Studios in Solna, Sweden, and ABBA's Benny Andersson has a cameo playing a stationmaster.
Prominent Feature
The day-to-day background sounds, such as trains and rain, have a prominent place in the song, an unusual feature for a pop song.
Limited Live Performances
ABBA only ever performed this song live once.
Pop Culture
The song went on to be used in a variety of TV shows and films, including an episode of the BBC series "Life on Mars" in 2007.

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