Article about Waterloo Song from ABBA

    Abba Pop Band 

             

       Waterloo Winner Song        

            

Eurovision Song Contest 1974

      Napoleon Bonaparte, Emperor of the French

Battle of Waterloo

Waterloo town, Belgium

Waterloo
Original lyrics in English 

My, my, at Waterloo Napoleon did surrender.
Oh yeah, and I have met my destiny in quite a similar way.
The history book on the shelf
is always repeating itself:

Waterloo - I was defeated, you won the war.
Waterloo - Promise to love you forever more
Waterloo - Couldn't escape if I wanted to.

Waterloo - Knowing my fate is to be with you.
Waterloo - Finally facing my Waterloo.

My, my, I tried to hold you back but you were stronger.
Oh yeah, and now it seems my only chance is giving up the fight.
And how could I ever refuse,
I feel like I win when I lose.

Waterloo - I was defeated, you won the war.
Waterloo - Promise to love you forever more.
Waterloo - Couldn't escape if I wanted to.

Waterloo - Knowing my fate is to be with you.
Waterloo - Finally facing my Waterloo.

So how could I ever refuse,
I feel like I win when I lose.

Waterloo - Couldn't escape if I wanted to.

Waterloo - Knowing my fate is to be with you.
Waterloo - Finally facing my Waterloo.

Waterloo
Lyrics in Catalan

Allà, a Waterloo Napoleó es va rendir.

Oh si, i jo vaig conèixer el meu destí d’una manera molt similar.

El llibre d’història al prestatge

sempre s’està repetint:

Waterloo- Jo vaig ser derrotada, tu vas guanyar la guerra.

Waterloo- Et prometo que t’estimaré per sempre més.

Waterloo- No em podria escapar ni si volgués.

Waterloo-  Sabent que el meu destí és estar amb tu.

Waterloo- Finalment m’enfronto al meu Waterloo.

Allà, vaig intentar retenir-te però tu eres més fort.

Oh si, i ara sembla que la meva única oportunitat és deixar de lluitar.

I com el puc rebutjar,

si sento que guanyo quan estic perdent.

Waterloo- Jo vaig ser derrotada, tu vas guanyar la guerra.

Waterloo- Et prometo que t’estimaré per sempre més.

Waterloo- No em podria escapar ni si volgués.

Waterloo-  Sabent que el meu destí és estar amb tu.

Waterloo- Finalment m’enfronto al meu Waterloo.

I com el puc rebutjar,

si sento que guanyo quan estic perdent.

Waterloo- No em podria escapar ni si volgués.

Waterloo-  Sabent que el meu destí és estar amb tu.

Waterloo- Finalment m’enfronto al meu Waterloo.

Waterloo   (Phonetics)

My, my, at Waterloo Napoleon did

/maɪ/, /maɪ/, /ət/ /,wɔːtə’lu:/ /nə’pəʊljən/ /dɪd/

surrender.

/sə’rɛndə/. 

Oh yeah, and I have met my destiny in

/əʊ/ /jeə/, /ənd/ /aɪ/ /həv/ /mɛt/ /maɪ/ /’dɛstɪni/ /ɪn/

quite a similar way.

/kwaɪt/ /ə/ /’sɪmɪlə/ /weɪ/.

The history book on the shelf

/ðə/ /’hɪstəri/ /bʊk/ /ɒn/ /ðə/ /ʃɛlf/

  is always repeating itself:

/ɪz/ /’ɔːlweɪz/ /rɪˈpi:tɪŋ/ /ɪt’sɛlf/:

Waterloo - I was defeated, you won the war.

/,wɔːtə’lu:/ - /aɪ/ /wəz/ /dɪˈfi:tɪd/, /jʊ/ /wʌn/ /ðə/ /wɔː/.

Waterloo - Promise to love you forever more

/,wɔːtə?lu:/ - /’prɒmɪs/ /tə/ /lʌv/ /jʊ/ /fə’rɛvə/ /mɔː/

  Waterloo - Couldn't escape if I wanted to.

/,wɔːtə’lu:/ - /’kʊdnt/ /ɪs’keɪp/ /ɪf/ /aɪ/ /’wɒntɪd/ /tʊ/.

Waterloo - Knowing my fate is to be with you.

/,wɔːtə’lu:/ - /’nəʊɪŋ/ /maɪ/ /feɪt/ /is/ /tə/ /bi/ /wɪð/ /ju:/

  Waterloo - Finally facing my Waterloo.

/,wɔːtə’lu:/ - /’faɪnəli/ /’feɪsɪŋ/ /maɪ/ /,wɔːtə’lu:/.

My, my, I tried to hold you back but you

/maɪ/, /maɪ/, /aɪ/ /traɪd/ /tə/ /həʊld/ /jʊ/ /bæk/ /bət/ /jʊ/

were stronger.

/wə/ /’strɒŋgə/.

Oh yeah, and now it seems my only chance

/əʊ/ /jeə/, /ənd/ /naʊ/ /ɪt/ /si:mz/ /maɪ/ /’əʊnli/ /ʧɑːns/

 is giving up the fight.

/ɪz/ /’gɪvɪŋ/ /ʌp/ /ðə/ /faɪt/.

And how could I ever refuse,

/ənd/ /haʊ/ /kəd/ /aɪ/ /’ɛvə/ /,ri:’fju:z/,

I feel like I win when I lose.

/aɪ/ /fi:l/ /laɪk/ /aɪ/ /wɪn/ /wɛn/ /aɪ/ /lu:z/.

Waterloo - I was defeated, you won the war.

/,wɔːtə’lu:/ - /aɪ/ /wəz/ /dɪˈfi:tɪd/, /jʊ/ /wʌn/ /ðə/ /wɔː/.

Waterloo - Promise to love you forever more.

/,wɔːtə?lu:/ - /’prɒmɪs/ /tə/ /lʌv/ /jʊ/ /fə’rɛvə/ /mɔː/

Waterloo - Couldn't escape if I wanted to.

/,wɔːtə’lu:/ - /’kʊdnt/ /ɪs’keɪp/ /ɪf/ /aɪ/ /’wɒntɪd/ /tʊ/.

Waterloo - Knowing my fate is to be with you.

/,wɔːtə’lu:/ - /’nəʊɪŋ/ /maɪ/ /feɪt/ /is/ /tə/ /bi/ /wɪð/ /ju:/.

Waterloo - Finally facing my Waterloo.

/,wɔːtə’lu:/ - /’faɪnəli/ /’feɪsɪŋ/ /maɪ/ /,wɔːtə’lu:/.

 
So how could I ever refuse,

/səʊ/ /haʊ/ /kəd/ /aɪ/ /’ɛvə/ /,ri:’fju:z/,

I feel like I win when I lose.

/aɪ/ /fi:l/ /laɪk/ /aɪ/ /wɪn/ /wɛn/ /aɪ/ /lu:z/.

Waterloo - Couldn't escape if I wanted to.

/,wɔːtə’lu:/ - /’kʊdnt/ /ɪs’keɪp/ /ɪf/ /aɪ/ /’wɒntɪd/ /tʊ/.

Waterloo - Knowing my fate is to be with you.

/,wɔːtə’lu:/ - /’nəʊɪŋ/ /maɪ/ /feɪt/ /is/ /tə/ /bi/ /wɪð/ /ju:/

Waterloo - Finally facing my Waterloo. 

/,wɔːtə’lu:/ - /’faɪnəli/ /’feɪsɪŋ/ /maɪ/ /,wɔːtə’lu:/.

Song facts

• Waterloo is the place where Napoleon Bonaparte met his defeat at an epic battle in 1815. This song uses the battle as a metaphor for a woman who gives in and falls in love with a man - he's her "Waterloo."
• Originally recorded in Swedish, it was ABBA's Swedish version that won the Eurovision Song Contest in 1974, giving the band a huge career boost.
• This was one of many ABBA hits used in the 1994 movie Muriel's Wedding.
• Even though this song constantly repeats the name of the battle that spelt the end of Napoleon's empire, the French, like the rest of Europe, were more than happy to buy this song in large quantities. The single spent 12 weeks on the French charts, peaking at #3. In Belgium, where the Battle of Waterloo took place, this song spent five weeks at #1.
• This song also reached #1 in Belgium, Finland, Ireland, Norway, South Africa, Switzerland and West Germany.
• ABBA not only recorded this song in their native Swedish and then in English but they also recorded a version in French for the French markets and one in German for the German markets. There is also a version in both French and Swedish that is an overdubbing of both the Swedish and French versions.

     Artist facts for ABBA

• The girls attained fame in Sweden as solo singers; Björn was in The Hootenanny Singers and Benny was with the Hep Stars, who were known as the "Swedish Beatles." In 1972, Björn and Benny released the single "People Need Love," which featured Agnetha and Anni-Frid on backup vocals. This single was credited to "Björn & Benny, Agnetha & Anni-Frid," and was included on ABBA's debut album Ring Ring.
• When the band formed, Benny and Anni-Frid were a couple, as were Björn and Agnetha. The band name is their initials as an acronym.
• Quickly popular in Europe, ABBA became more famous when "Waterloo" won the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest. The Eurovision stigma held them back for a year, but they followed with a remarkable run of 18 consecutive Top 10 UK singles (8 at #1), and 8 #1 albums.
• They formed the Polar Music Company, which houses a recording studio that is still in use today. Led Zeppelin, Genesis, and The Backstreet Boys have all recorded there.
• The group faded after the couples divorced (Björn and Agnetha 1979; Benny and Anni-Frid '81). The members then took on various solo projects: Phil Collins produced Frida's 1982 solo album Something's Going On 1982. Agnetha released Can't Shake Loose in 1983, and the boys collaborated with Tim Rice on the musical Chess, which was recorded in London 1984 and staged 1986. Benny and Björn did the songwriting for the group. They were known for writing catchy songs that got right to the chorus.
• Anni-Frid's second husband died of cancer in November 1999, 2 years after her daughter Lisse-Lot, together with Ragnar Frediksson died in a car accident in the US.
• A national fish-canning company in Sweden had the name ABBA, but they allowed the band to use it.
• When ABBA was active, only the Volvo car company made more money in Sweden.
• ABBA-mania returned with the opening of the 2008 film Mamma Mia!, which was based on the group's songs. This pushed ABBA's Gold album to #1 on the UK album chart over, a position it held 16 years earlier.
• After Chess, Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus wrote a musical in Swedish called Kristina from Duvemåla. In Sweden it is considered by many as one of the greatest musicals ever - a very serious musical with 39 songs and hardly any of them Pop. It is based on Wilhelm Moberg's Utvandrarna (The emigrants) about Swedish emigrants going to America in the 19th century. It premiered in Sweden in 1995. They conquered America even though they hardly ever played there - their only North American tour lasted just 18 dates in 1979.
• Many bands write a bunch of songs and gradually whittle down the ones they want to release, but ABBA would write only about 12 songs a year, and just about every one was released. Their approach was to write a small number of songs and then focus attention on those.
• Frida is a mezzo soprano and Agnetha sings in a high soprano, which helped create a nice contrast in their vocal sound.
• Anni-Frid's father was a German soldier in Hitler's army. When they invaded Norway, he met Synni Lyngstad, who relocated to Sweden when Anni-Frid was an infant, and died of kidney failure when Anni was 2. Anni-Frid's father was presumed dead, but he turned up in 1977 when he was reunited with his daughter. These children of German soldiers were derided as "Tyskerbarnas" by many Norwegians. There were an estimated 12,000 children in this group, and many suffered human rights abuses for many years.

The general meaning of the song

• Waterloo was the battle that finally defeated Napoleon; it is used as a metaphor for a battle that ends a string of success. When someone "meets their Waterloo" it means that they have finally been defeated. The song is about how the Singer lost the battle against falling in love.