Summer of ABBA

Lucy has become obsessed with ABBA, to the point where we have to listen to their music or watch their videos pretty much all day. Some people might think this is a terrible thing. I personally feel bad for them.

Each member of our crew has a different favorite, and has a very different reason for that choice. I am currently loving Super Trooper, in particular the way the lyrics capture the loneliness of even the most famous performer and how that loneliness goes away when the performer takes the stage. Henry, who never listens to lyrics, has always been a fan of the a Capella arrangements like the intro to Take a Chance on Me, as well as the synth bridge in Gimme Gimme Gimme. Ollie hop hop hops to Waterloo and loves watching the YouTube video of the 1974 Eurovision competition that introduced this great band to the world. Lucy’s most requested number is Fernando, "the one about the stars." And we all agree on SOS.

Even the songs you have heard thousands of times can reveal more and more each time you listen. For example, did you ever realize that Dancing Queen starts with the chorus?

We learned this morning that ABBA recorded a Spanish language album of their greatest hits. I can’t think of a better study aid for immersion kindergarten in the fall.