Abba - Waterloo

Waterloo was recorded in Dec 1973. Abba chose it over Hasta Manana to be the Swedish entry for Eurovision 1974, as it was a happy uptempo rocking song with rhythm and energy, and all the group sing. Stig Anderson took a demo tape on holiday to the Canary Isles. Stig agonised for a week to find the right title, then produced the original Swedish lyrics in a few hours, constructing a story of Waterloo as a metaphor for a girl surrendering to the love of a suitor. The rest is history, it was the first time Sweden had won Eurovision. The song rapidly became a worldwide hit after this huge success in Brighton in April 1974, reaching no. 1 in England on May 4 1974. This tv performance is from November 1974. Lyrics:
My, my, at Waterloo Napolean did surrender
Oh yeah, and I have met my destiny
In quite a similar way,
The history book on the shelf,
Is always repeating itself,
Waterloo - I was defeated, you won the war
Waterloo - Promise to love you for ever more,
Waterloo - Couldn't escape if I wanted to,
Waterloo - Knowing my fate is to be with you,
Waterloo - Finally facing my Waterloo,
My, my, I tried to hold you back but you were stronger
Oh yeah, and now it seems
My only chance is giving up the fight,
And how could I ever refuse,
I feel like I win when I lose,
Waterloo - I was defeated, you won the war
Waterloo - Promise to love you for ever more,
Waterloo - Couldn't escape if I wanted to,
Waterloo - Knowing my fate is to be with you,
Waterloo - Finally facing my Waterloo,
So how could I ever refuse,
I feel like I win when I lose,
Waterloo - Couldn't escape if I wanted to,
Waterloo - Knowing my fate is to be with you,
Waterloo - Finally facing my Waterloo,
Waterloo - Knowing my fate is to be with you,
Waterloo - Finally facing my Waterloo,
Waterloo - Knowing my fate is to be with you

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Abba

[relaxjustdontdoit]

I had a girlfriend once who looked like one of them, no really, she was the spitting image of the one with the lovely long hair and the beard

[thinkulye]

@animal03181989 simpsons didnt bring me here but isnt this song on the episode where homers mum is there and burns plays a diffrent song and it changes to this because smithers recorded over it??

[is2daytuesday]

Sorry..me, again. Reading some of the other posts, 'Mustang Sally75'; THANK YOU for that post, as I don't feel (quite) as silly for having always believed the words to be "..swing in the wind on the nooooose"..(ha) Even though Napoleon wasn't hung, it made sense to me as a child and hearing Waterloo on the radio. You're a smart Mum, btw.

[is2daytuesday]

Abba was before my time..but appreciating them as I'm (now) able to see and hear all that was Abba..so thank you for posting this. Embarassed to admit I used to think the words were something like "..I swing in the wind on the noose".. (ha) I suppose I was thinking Waterloo..a war..hangings.. (again..!?) Well, NOW I know it's "I feel like I win when I lose", thanks to YouTube and posts like yours!

[mrmarquessa]

you have to like the guitar. just listen to all the music that comes...or doesn't...out of that lone guitar

[TheMustangsally75]

Anthony Bourdain is my Boy friend!!! Keep it on the down-low PLZ!!! HA!!!

[Critter145]

In case anybody was wsondering, this song is playing in the background of the Epidemiology Episode of Community Season II.

[TheMustangsally75]

I was visiting my daughter for my B-Day in DC. When we ordered dessert her boyfriend ordered a Napoleon. I tried to explain the Napoleon Bonepart was what seemed to be an undefeatable general in the French army, & he met his match & death @ Waterloo. That's why when ppl say they've met THEIR Waterloo that was the meaning. Of couse, I'm the mom, so she said i was stupid. I'm used to that. The point was it' was a brief lesson inEuropean History. NE 1 get it?

[dannyquentin]

@thinkulye Correctomundo!!

[monty2k1]

ABBA was among the few European groups that made it big in English music I find their music even better than many of the top English groups Almost all there songs were great It is really sad that the group did not last long otherwise they would made much greater strides in English music I JUST LOVE ABBA !!!

[mrf9991]

They were great......