About the song
Ah, ABBA. The name conjures up images of shimmering costumes, catchy melodies, and a sound that defined an era. But beyond the infectious pop hooks, ABBA also possessed a remarkable ability to capture the bittersweet nuances of love and loss. “The Day Before You Came,” released in 1982, is a prime example of this.
This song wasn’t part of a grand album rollout. It emerged from a period of introspection for the band. After the success of “The Visitors,” the members took a break to focus on their families and explore individual projects. When they reconvened, the initial goal was a new album. Yet, the creative spark wasn’t quite there. Recording sessions yielded some promising ideas, but ultimately fell short.
However, true to their creative spirit, ABBA didn’t give up. With studio time booked and a deadline looming, they decided to improvise. Benny Andersson, one of ABBA’s songwriters, brought a simple melodic fragment to the table. This seemingly small seed blossomed into a full song within hours. Originally titled “The Suffering Bird,” it would ultimately find its voice as “The Day Before You Came.”
What makes this song so captivating is the contrast between its deceptively simple lyrics and the melancholic melody. Björn Ulvaeus, the other half of ABBA’s songwriting duo, took inspiration from the melody’s structure – its relentless repetition. He imagined a woman narrating the ordinary events of her day, events so mundane that they could have happened any time. Yet, through the music, we sense a hollowness, a longing for something missing. It’s the realization that these routine activities were once filled with a vibrancy they no longer possess.
“The Day Before You Came” doesn’t explicitly state the source of this sadness. We don’t hear a dramatic break-up or a passionate declaration of loss. Instead, the song paints a more subtle picture – a portrait of a life before and after a life-altering encounter. It’s a testament to the power of suggestion, and Bjorn’s masterful lyricism, that allows us to fill in the blanks, to imagine the passionate love that brought color to this woman’s world and the emptiness that followed its departure.
So, the next time you hear “The Day Before You Came,” let it transport you not just to the dance floor, but also to the bittersweet realm of love and loss, a place where even the most ordinary moments can hold profound meaning.
Video
Lyrics
Must have left my house at eight, because I always do
My train, I’m certain, left the station just when it was due
I must have read the morning paper going into town
And having gotten through the editorial, no doubt I must have frowned
I must have made my desk around a quarter after nine
With letters to be read, and heaps of papers waiting to be signed
I must have gone to lunch at half past twelve or so
The usual place, the usual bunch
And still on top of this I’m pretty sure it must have rained
The day before you came
I must have lit my seventh cigarette at half past two
And at the time I never even noticed I was blue
I must have kept on dragging through the business of the day
Without really knowing anything, I hid a part of me away
At five I must have left, there’s no exception to the rule
A matter of routine, I’ve done it ever since I finished school
The train back home again
Undoubtedly I must have read the evening paper then
Oh yes, I’m sure my life was well within it’s usual frame
The day before you came
Must have opened my front door at eight o’clock or so
And stopped along the way to buy some Chinese food to go
I’m sure I had my dinner watching something on TV
There’s not, I think, a single episode of Dallas that I didn’t see
I must have gone to bed around a quarter after ten
I need a lot of sleep, and so I like to be in bed by then
I must have read a while
The latest one by Marilyn French or something in that style
It’s funny, but I had no sense of living without aim
The day before you came
And turning out the light
I must have yawned and cuddled up for yet another night
And rattling on the roof I must have heard the sound of rain
The day before you came