ABBA – The Day Before You Came: A Nostalgic Ballad of Love and Transformation
In the realm of pop music, the Swedish quartet ABBA stands as a towering figure, their infectious melodies and heartfelt lyrics capturing the hearts of listeners worldwide.
Among their vast repertoire of hits, “The Day Before You Came” holds a special place, a poignant ballad that chronicles the transformative power of love as experienced through one’s daily routine.
Background
Released in 1982 as the lead single from their compilation album The Singles: The First Ten Years, “The Day Before You Came” marked a turning point in ABBA’s career, showcasing their ability to craft mature and introspective songwriting amidst their upbeat and danceable hits.
The song reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, becoming their eighth and final US number-one single.
The song’s narrative unfolds from the perspective of a woman reminiscing about her life before the arrival of her beloved.
The opening verses paint a picture of a mundane existence, devoid of color and vibrancy. “The day before you came,” she sings, “must have left my house at eight because I always do.”
As the song progresses, the lyrics detail the woman’s monotonous daily routine, from her train commute to her office work and her solitary dinner in front of the television.
The repetition of phrases like “must have” and “no doubt I must have” emphasizes the sense of routine and lack of excitement in her life.
See More: ABBA – The Winner Takes It All
Video
Lyrics
🎵 Let’s sing along with the lyrics! 🎤
Must have left my house at eight, because I always doMy train, I’m certain, left the station just when it was dueI must have read the morning paper going into townAnd having gotten through the editorial, no doubt I must have frownedI must have made my desk around a quarter after nineWith letters to be read, and heaps of papers waiting to be signedI must have gone to lunch at half past twelve or soThe usual place, the usual bunchAnd still on top of this I’m pretty sure it must have rainedThe day before you cameI must have lit my seventh cigarette at half past twoAnd at the time I never even noticed I was blueI must have kept on dragging through the business of the dayWithout really knowing anything, I hid a part of me awayAt five I must have left, there’s no exception to the ruleA matter of routine, I’ve done it ever since I finished schoolThe train back home againUndoubtedly I must have read the evening paper thenOh yes, I’m sure my life was well within it’s usual frameThe day before you cameMust have opened my front door at eight o’clock or soAnd stopped along the way to buy some Chinese food to goI’m sure I had my dinner watching something on TVThere’s not, I think, a single episode of Dallas that I didn’t seeI must have gone to bed around a quarter after tenI need a lot of sleep, and so I like to be in bed by thenI must have read a whileThe latest one by Marilyn French or something in that styleIt’s funny, but I had no sense of living without aimThe day before you cameAnd turning out the lightI must have yawned and cuddled up for yet another nightAnd rattling on the roof I must have heard the sound of rainThe day before you came
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