What's the Most Meaningful Metaphor in ABBA Music

Re: What's the Most Meaningful Metaphor in ABBA Music

WATERL00 - 02.09.2007, 21:16

"Every feeling you're showing - is a boomerang you're throwing"

So much truth about that. The rest of the songs however is rtaher simple - lyric-wise at least.

Re: What's the Most Meaningful Metaphor in ABBA Music

ygdra75 - 02.09.2007, 22:33

O sorry...to quick :oops: Now I confuse things. The topic about the most beautiful word was not brought up by Platobird. But then again, perhaps when I read all your responses Platobird, my opinion will not change and at least this one is a very interesting one... :wink:

Ygdra

Re: What's the Most Meaningful Metaphor in ABBA Music

Lammer - 03.09.2007, 06:49

I like the language in Should I Laugh or Cry:
All I see is a big balloon, halfway up to the moon...
He's wrapped in the warm and safe cocoon of an eternal lie...

Platobird is right; there are so many metaphors, similes, etc. in ABBA songs. The one above is the first that came to mind. Some that don't really "work for me," would include (dare I say?): "humble pie" in When All is Said and Done; "broken a feather" in Chiquitita... but I love the songs nevertheless.

:)

Re: What's the Most Meaningful Metaphor in ABBA Music

Toni - 03.09.2007, 19:00

Very nice topic, Platobird!

"My My, at Waterloo Napoleon did surrender.
Oh yeah, and I have met my destiny in quite a similar way."


"You move like a flame of fire
Your eyes like a flash of lightning.
The answer to all desire.
And IŽm gonna tame you wild thing" ("Watch Out")


and once more my favorite one:

"Our love was a snowbird.
ItŽs flying away.
You tell me itŽs over,
what more can I say.
So dance, while the music still goes on,
itŽs gonna be our last goodbye."


Toni :wink:

Re: What's the Most Meaningful Metaphor in ABBA Music

Anonymous - 04.09.2007, 07:08

Villemo wrote: and also this fragment from Move On

Fragment? That's the entire chorus.

Re: What's the Most Meaningful Metaphor in ABBA Music

restareabear - 04.09.2007, 16:51

Same song as mentioned above, but a different lyric is my favorite:

"Lovers live a little bit longer baby
You and me, we have a chance to live twice"

Good Lord, if lovers only live a little BIT longer,
Just how much "love" is there going on to double the life expectancy?! :eyebrows:

Re: What's the Most Meaningful Metaphor in ABBA Music

drimnagh - 06.09.2007, 18:49

So many but for now I'll go with 'Should I Laugh Or Cry'- the whole lyric.

The metaphors in 'Eagle' float my boat, too. I love the ambiguity.

-J

P.S Along with Astrid it really gets my goat when people dismiss or trivialise ABBA's lyrics; IMO they are amongst some of the most sublime in pop music!!

Re: What's the Most Meaningful Metaphor in ABBA Music

Angeleyes - 06.09.2007, 21:59

The one that comes in my mind is:

We’re like sun and rainy weather
sometimes we’re a hit together
me and I
gloomy moods and inspiration
we’re a funny combination
me and I

:wink:

Re: What's the Most Meaningful Metaphor in ABBA Music

Fire&Ice - 06.09.2007, 22:07

Bonnie wrote:
come to think of it, the rest of the Andante andante lyrics make me blush too. :lol:

:agree:

Re: What's the Most Meaningful Metaphor in ABBA Music

abbagav - 06.09.2007, 22:11

I love topics like this, ones that make you think. Although being as daft as a brush, I sometimes get a bit confused as to whether I've actually understood what's going on but I like this one!!!

My favourite metaphor has to be 'Tiger'. As a child I thought it was simply a song about a tiger terrorising people in a big city - doh! - but as I've grown up, I understand how clever it is using the symbol of a tiger to represent the horrors that one can encounter in a big city - the fear, violence and danger that it present so often in our society on any street corner. Hats off to Bjorn for that one! And a big BOO! to me for being a bit of a div in the first place...!

Some lyrics can be quite clumsy however - it does grate a bit in 'I've been waiting for you' with:

'I, I've been in love before,
I thought I would no more,
Managed to hit the ceiling...'

Not good - ahem...

But on the up side in 'Move On', the symbolism is just fabulous - amazing lyrics from a group where english isn't their mother tongue. Oh how I love that song!

abbagav

Re: What's the Most Meaningful Metaphor in ABBA Music

drimnagh - 07.09.2007, 12:36

BUT 'I Let the Music Speak' HAS to be one of the best!

'Move On' 'floats my boat', too abbagav! :lol:

-J

Re: What's the Most Meaningful Metaphor in ABBA Music

Angeleyes - 07.09.2007, 18:29

drimnagh wrote: BUT 'I Let the Music Speak' HAS to be one of the best!

'Move On' 'floats my boat', too abbagav! :lol:

-J

I agree! :D

Re: What's the Most Meaningful Metaphor in ABBA Music

Fire&Ice - 13.09.2007, 10:13

Probably nobody noticed this lovely metaphor in I have a Dream because the song is so widely unliked, but here it is:

I'll cross the stream

Re: What's the Most Meaningful Metaphor in ABBA Music

drimnagh - 13.09.2007, 13:11

Yes, Matt I agree with you about 'Eagle'- it's almost as if ABBA are describing themselves---

''They speak strangely but I understand,
I have questions and they know everything..''

How fantastic are those lines??!! To speak in a strange tongue and yet to be 'understood' by a select few (that's US, folks) and to have questions.. the answers to which are within your grasp because they ''KNOW EVERYTHING..''

God, it's enough to make me wanna take up yoga (again) and go on a pilgrimage! :lol:

-J

Re: What's the Most Meaningful Metaphor in ABBA Music

platobird - 18.09.2007, 18:46

Bobbysbrother wrote: I really like "....Theres a special love like an eagle flying with a dove..." from Thats Me. Well, a "special love" indeed..
I always wondered if the eagle and the dove were Björn and Agnetha?? The metaphors seem to fit them - although maybe Tiger fits Agnetha better. :shock:

Stig wrote the lyrics for That's Me, so he had a different perspective on ABBA than Björn. :D

There's so many great metaphors in ABBA music - and even some to live by - like those boomerangs. :wink:

Re: What's the Most Meaningful Metaphor in ABBA Music

Clown boy - 18.09.2007, 22:33

Many great songs and metaphors have already been mentioned but i think some of the lines in Soldiers are quite deep:
'Is it true that the beast is waking,
stirring in his restless sleep tonight?'
or
'Cause if the bugler starts to play
we too must dance'

Re: What's the Most Meaningful Metaphor in ABBA Music

Cronus - 20.09.2007, 17:55

Definitely the word "Dance" in Dance(While the Music Still Goes On) is a pretty straightforward, and suggestive, metaphor. Maybe that's why I love listening to it - the song has clever "subversiveness" about it, IMO.

Re: What's the Most Meaningful Metaphor in ABBA Music

Fire&Ice - 22.09.2007, 11:33

Let me see how this works:

'I, I've been in love before,
I thought I'd never be any more?
I managed to hit the ceiling

I thought I would no more manage to hit the ceiling... -- that one is better. :wink:

Re: What's the Most Meaningful Metaphor in ABBA Music

hamlet3 - 28.04.2008, 16:18

That's a fantastic one indeed, I thought at this too.

Re: What's the Most Meaningful Metaphor in ABBA Music

Belinda_sm - 01.05.2008, 21:20

Standing calmly at the crossroads,no desire to run
Theres no hurry any more when all is said and done
WAISAD

Sometimes I wish the I could freeze the picture
And save it from the funny tricks of time
STMF