Should I Laugh or Cry meaning

Re: Should I Laugh or Cry meaning

drimnagh - 01.02.2009, 23:22

I've always taken it to be about a relationship and the woman is at the end of her tether. You know when you are so exasperated with someone you don't know whether to laugh or cry? It's all metaphors. A huge favourite of mine, too. I love everything about it, Frida's vocal in particular.

Re: Should I Laugh or Cry meaning

abbascots - 02.02.2009, 00:13

Also a faveourite of mine too it was my first ever vinyl :D as joe has said i think its a metophor,(wee all have those feelings should i laugh or cry) :wink:

JS

Re: Should I Laugh or Cry meaning

drimnagh - 02.02.2009, 00:38

Also, I interpret the song in my own way to mean a woman whose husband/partner is in denial (not just a river in Egypt :sleep:) and the 'balloon' reference could possibly be because she's about to burst HIS 'bubble' (balloon)... ''It's over for me..get out! And take that dog with you..(and your too-short stripey pyjamas)'' :rotfl:

How deep! :roll: :lol: :wink:

I just LOVE Frida's voice on this..

Joe

Re: Should I Laugh or Cry meaning

Steve - 02.02.2009, 03:47
Re: Should I Laugh or Cry meaning
WhiteCloud39 wrote: I'm absolutely in love with this song, but I can't seem to grasp the meaning of the song. Can anyone help?

-Celine
To me, it's a song about a doomed relationship that reaches that critical point of exasperation: the dreaded point at which one person ceases to respect the other - when angry words that once would cause pain are now only heard as sadly hilarious, with a calloused amusement.

I've been to that point, and it's very like the point of no return in a relationship.

What a great song!

Re: Should I Laugh or Cry meaning

restareabear - 04.02.2009, 21:55

I've always figured it was about her realization that she is no longer in love with him. BUT, the question is, when she wonders if she should laugh or cry, for whom? Him, for being what she now envisions quite pathetic, or herself, for having put up with him and wasting her time?

Re: Should I Laugh or Cry meaning

drimnagh - 05.02.2009, 15:50

I'd say BOTH, restareabear.

Or rather, SHE'LL be laughing when HE'S crying because she kicks him out! :lol:

J

Re: Should I Laugh or Cry meaning

drimnagh - 05.02.2009, 17:19

:oops: I'm no oracle- I simply grabbed the stick and ran with it- it could be about anything at all really.

Perhaps it's her brother and she's wondering whether to buy him some new jim jams for Christmas as the ones he's wearing have become too short.

J

Re: Should I Laugh or Cry meaning

Skywatcher - 04.03.2009, 23:13

Quote: and the 'balloon' reference could possibly be because she's about to burst HIS 'bubble' (balloon)...

How interesting! I always interpreted the "big balloon" as a metaphor for a huge speech bubble developing as he "rambles on". :lol:

Also, I once heard (though I forget in what context) that the song may be about some sort of mental breakdown like schizophrenia. Interesting, indeed, but I still go with the end-of-a-relationship notion.

Re: Should I Laugh or Cry meaning

PFQ - 06.03.2009, 17:22

I love the fact that this lyric was written by a man!
Frida may have joked on that recent interview in Berlin with her and Bjorn that "Bjorn and Benny might have taken out their feminie side" but that's exactly what Mr. Ulvaeus is doing here. He's putting himself in the position of a woman falling out of love with a man who she obviously once idolised and he tells the story beautifully form this point of view.
She no longer takes him seriously-perhaps another man waiting around the corner? You can add all sorts of intrique to it and I'm sure Phylidda Lloyd has got her claws into this one already! (Miaow!)

Bjorn was so good at putting himself into the female role towards the end of ABBA's era. And he always wore mre eyeliner than necessary on stage. Theories anyone?!