Recorded on 20th August 1982 this song was
the last recorded by ABBA in a studio before they went their separate ways
and initially went by the working title "Den Lidande Fageln" (The Suffering
Bird).The song is the story
of a girl's life just before meeting her love, although some have thought it
is describing her just before she dies and it is accompanied by a haunting
and solemn melody.It came out
as a single release in October 1982 accompanied by "Cassandra" which was
the featured B-side and a video featuring the Swedish actor Jonas Bergstrom,
filmed on 21st September of that year.Seeing nowhere near the success of previous ABBA
releases it was still a Top 5 hit in several European countries, but only peaked
at No. 32 in the UK and didn't enter the Bilboard chart in the US.It was released on their album The
Singles: The First Ten Years in November of 1982 with just the vocals
of Agnetha Lyngstad and Agnetha Faltskog and a synthesizer, drum machine,
acoustic guitar and snare drum providing the instrumentation.Cover versions that have been
recorded are by Tanita Tikaram and the group Blancmange, who took it to No.
22 in the UK chart and featured it on their album Mange Tout.
Anne Sofie von Otter recordings
Deutsche Grammophon D. G.
477 5901(CD: I Let The Music Speak)
