ABBA - The Day Before You Came <iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/1Hn !

w"#$%&'re(=0" frameborder="0" a((owfu((screen)</iframe) The Day Before You Came is a song recorded and re(eased by *wedish #o# grou# ABBA+ their second (ongest ,behind -ag(e. at a(most /000 in (ength. 1t was origina((y re(eased in 1232 as both a sing(e+ and a trac4 on the com#i(ation a(bum 5he *ing(es0 5he !irst 5en 6ears. 1t was the fina( 7887 recording9 howe:er+ it was not their fina( song to be re(eased0 the ne;t sing(e was "<nder 7ttac4"+ a(so featured on the a(bum. 8=>rn <(:aeus wrote the (yrics+ which to some degree are inf(uenced by his di:orce from 7gnetha !?(ts4og. He (ater said0 "Even if 90% of the lyrics were fiction there are still feelings in songs like 'Winner Takes It All' and 'Day Before Yo !a"e' they have so"ething fro" that ti"e in the"#. @any years after the song was recorded+ @ichae( 5retow+ 7887As (ongtime sound engineer+ reca((ed 7gnetha #erforming the (ead with dimmed (ights and said that the mood had become sad and e:erybody in the studio 4new that Athis was the endA. n this rumour+ *te#hen -mms of 5he Buardian continues the story by saying "finishing her :oca(s+ our eroine was to remo:e her head#hones and wa(4 so(emn(y out into the day(ight+ ne:er to return". 8enny said that in his o#inion+ "A5he Cay 8efore 6ou DameA is the best (yric that 8=orn has written0 itAs a rea((y good song+ but not a good recording". He com#ared this to "<nder 7ttac4"+ recorded around the same time+ which he described as "a wonderfu( recording+ but not such a good song". Ehi(e reminiscing on the trac4 at an inter:iew for $a""a $ia% the musica(+ 8=>rn said+ "we thought it was a great song"+ but added that they a(so thought it wou(d not wor4 as it was so far remo:ed from their #re:ious materia(. !rida said that there were "#rob(ems o:er how 7gnetha wou(d inter#ret it". 7887 attem#ted many different ways of singing the song+ e:entua((y sett(ing on a "haunted" sty(e. 1n the :ersion that got re(eased+ 7gnetha sang as if she was hurt and :u(nerab(e+ rather than be(ting it out ,which 8=orn im#(ies she did in other ta4es.. !rida said the song was "a :ery different sound to what we had done before"+ and 8=>rn added that they were "ta4ing a chance". !rida said it was a "beautifu( song". 1n res#onse to the inter:iewer commenting on their (oo4ing unha##y in the :ideo c(i#+ !rida said+ "it was an unha##y time of our (i:es Fas we wereG on the :erge of s#(itting u#" and had started ta(4ing about the indi:idua( #ro=ects of each member. *he adds that it was not an easy situation+ arguab(y =ustifying the g(oomy atmos#here as a #ara((e( of their rea( (i:es as a #art of 7887. Music video

5he song was #romoted by a music :ideo c(i# fi(med on 21 *e#tember 1232+ and directed by the team of H=e(( *und:a(( and H=e((IJ4e 7ndersson+ brea4ing 7887As eightIyear directing re(ationshi# with $asse Ha((str>m. 5he :ideo featured 7gnetha f(irting with a stranger on a train+ #(ayed by *wedish actor Konas 8ergstr>m as !?(ts4ogAs (o:e interest. 5he bridge seen in the :ideo c(i# is the Jrstabron bridge+ (ocated in the southern #art of the city. Eithin the conte;t of the music :ideo+ the train on the bridge actua((y goes in wrong direction. 1n the c(i#+ 7gnetha waits at 5umba station for the train and ends u# in the city. Howe:er+ in rea(ity the train seen on the bridge goes from the city to 5umba. 5he #arts of the :ideo featuring a(( the members of 7887 were fi(med at the Dhina 5heatre in *toc4ho(m+ nearby the Lo(ar @usic offices (ocated in 8erMe(ii Lar4. 5here were se:era( #hoto sessions done during fi(ming at the theatre. ne of them+ 4nown as "the green session"+ was ta4en in theatreAs foyer. Dhristo#her Latric4+ in ABBA& 'et The $ sic ()eak+ says the fina( se"uence in the music :ideo+ in which "the train Fwhere the narrator meets her (o:erG shunts off into ob(i:ion+ (ea:ing in its wa4e a b(ea4 and deserted rai(way station"+ is a fitting meta#hor for 7887+ ha:ing reached the end of their creati:e #artnershi#. The lyrics0 @ust ha:e (eft my house at eight+ because 1 a(ways do @y train+ 1Am certain+ (eft the station =ust when it was due 1 must ha:e read the morning #a#er going into town 7nd ha:ing gotten through the editoria(+ no doubt 1 must ha:e frowned 1 must ha:e made my des4 around a "uarter after nine Eith (etters to be read+ and hea#s of #a#ers waiting to be signed 1 must ha:e gone to (unch at ha(f #ast twe(:e or so 5he usua( #(ace+ the usua( bunch 7nd sti(( on to# of this 1Am #retty sure it must ha:e rained 5he day before you came 1 must ha:e (it my se:enth cigarette at ha(f #ast two 7nd at the time 1 ne:er e:en noticed 1 was b(ue 1 must ha:e 4e#t on dragging through the business of the day Eithout rea((y 4nowing anything+ 1 hid a #art of me away 7t fi:e 1 must ha:e (eft+ thereAs no e;ce#tion to the ru(e 7 matter of routine+ 1A:e done it e:er since 1 finished schoo( 5he train bac4 home again <ndoubted(y 1 must ha:e read the e:ening #a#er then h yes+ 1Am sure my (ife was we(( within itAs usua( frame 5he day before you came @ust ha:e o#ened my front door at eight oAc(oc4 or so 7nd sto##ed a(ong the way to buy some chinese food to go 1Am sure 1 had my dinner watching something on t: 5hereAs not+ 1 thin4+ a sing(e e#isode of da((as that 1 didnAt see 1 must ha:e gone to bed around a "uarter after ten

1 need a (ot of s(ee#+ and so 1 (i4e to be in bed by then 1 must ha:e read a whi(e 5he (atest one by mari(yn french or something in that sty(e 1tAs funny+ but 1 had no sense of (i:ing without aim 5he day before you came 7nd turning out the (ight 1 must ha:e yawned and cudd(ed u# for yet another night 7nd ratt(ing on the roof 1 must ha:e heard the sound of rain 5he day before you came