6812. ABBA - Fernando

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From: Greatest Hits; Year: 1975 (1976); Genre: Pop/Rock
Yet another case of a song playing in my head.... I cannot count the amount of times I have heard this track; my Dad owned everyone of ABBA's records and for the most part played them all the way through. For some reason this track in particular is one that just catches your attention even more that usual from the Swedish superstars.
Originally Benny and Bjorn along with their manager Stig Anderson wrote this one for Anni-Frid's solo album in '75 and later recorded it as a single for the band as well; the original was sung in Swedish and the entire story/lyrics were different as well.
With the Swedish version the titular Fernando, (whose name was taken from a bartender at one of the band's favourite clubs in Stockholm), is being consoled after the loss of a love.
In the English version Bjorn wrote the lyrics in the form of two old veterans of the Mexican Revolution reminiscing about their tour of duty as freedom fighters many years later. This heavy subject adds a great deal of emotional weight to an otherwise pop-oriented song. For me personally I really like the music in the verses with the flute, snare drums, and string accompaniment, which really adds an exotic flavour to the story. While the chorus, as always with ABBA, blasts off into major chords as a proven musical hook, I find it a smidge of a detractor, but not that much.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
My song pick 7 years ago today: Zapp - Funky Bounce

My song pick 8 years ago today: Joy Division - Love Will Tear Us Apart

My song pick 9 years ago today: The Verve - Weeping Willow

My song pick 10 years ago today: Boston - The Journey/It's Easy

My song pick 11 years ago today: Carmen - Shady Lady

My song pick 12 years ago today: Nightwish - Nymphomaniac Fantasia

My song pick 13 years ago today: The Rolling Stones - Gimme Shelter

My song pick 14 years ago today: The Who - My Wife

My song pick 15 years ago today: Red Hot Chili Peppers - Under the Bridge

My song pick 16 years ago today: Queen - These Are The Days Of Our Lives

My song pick 17 years ago today: Megadeth - À Tout le Monde

My song pick 18 years ago today: Booker T & The MGs - Green Onions
 
 

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