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Post by shoshin on Feb 10, 2017 0:45:41 GMT
Samuel Johnson once returned a review copy of a book to its author with the comment: 'Your manuscript is both good and original, but the part that is good is not original, and the part that is original is not good'. I wonder what he would have made of Bjorn's lyrics? There are a few original gems to be sure (eg. Slipping Through My Fingers), and there are a few Dum Dum Diddles. But there are also songs whose story or sentiments can be found in earlier works by other artists. Of course, this may well be because the themes are universal. But just for fun let's try to find some songs whose lyrics bring to mind a certain ABBA song, then try to name that ABBA song.
An example to kick off the thread. Which ABBA song echoes these lyrics from a 1968 Gary Puckett & The Union Gap hit:
Young girl, get out of my mind
My love for you is way out of line
Better run, girl
You're much too young, girl
With all the charms of a woman
You've kept the secret of your youth
You led me to believe
You're old enough
To give me Love
And now it hurts to know the truth
Beneath your perfume and make-up
You're just a baby in disguise
And though you know
That it's wrong to be
Alone with me
That come on look is in your eyes
So hurry home to your Mama
I'm sure she wonders where you are
Get out of here
Before I have the time
To change my mind
'Cause I'm afraid we'll go too far
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Post by shoshin on Feb 10, 2017 0:54:20 GMT
Here's a much more obscure one, I think. But whenever I hear Del Shannon's Hats Off To Larry (1961), its lyrics somehow bring an ABBA song to mind. Can you guess which one?
Once I had a pretty girl
Her name it doesn't matter
She went away with another guy
Now he won't even look at her
Hats off to Larry
He broke your heart
Just like you broke mine
When you said we must part
He told you lies,
Now it's your turn to cry-cry-cry
Now that Larry's said goodbye to you
I know this may sound strange
I want you back, I think you'll change
But there's one more thing I got to say
Hats off to Larry
It may sound cruel
But you laughed at me
When you said we were through
You told me lies,
Now its your turn to cry-cry-cry
Now that Larry's said goodbye to you
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Post by Deleted on Feb 10, 2017 16:24:11 GMT
Here's a much more obscure one, I think. But whenever I hear Del Shannon's Hats Off To Larry (1961), its lyrics somehow bring an ABBA song to mind. Can you guess which one? I'm guessing "The King Has Lost His Crown", the song that Frida seems to be alone in the world in liking! Another one on the same theme is Sinatra's "Goody Goody", which I once played gleefully many times in a row. |
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Post by shoshin on Feb 10, 2017 23:16:48 GMT
... Hats Off To Larry (1961), its lyrics somehow bring an ABBA song to mind. Can you guess which one? I'm guessing "The King Has Lost His Crown", the song that Frida seems to be alone in the world in liking!... Good call, yes  I like TKHLHC as a piece of music; it's just that it broke the ABBA rule of trying to make all songs potential singles (as did LLALL). Is the Gary Puckett one too obvious to bother with? Any others? |
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Post by shoshin on Feb 10, 2017 23:27:17 GMT
A very easy one from Fiddler On The Roof (1964) If I were a rich man,
Yubby dibby dibby dibby dibby dibby dibby dum.
All day long I'd biddy biddy bum.
If I were a wealthy man.
I wouldn't have to work hard.
Ya ha deedle deedle, bubba bubba deedle deedle dum.
If I were a biddy biddy rich,
Idle-diddle-daidle-daidle man.
I'd build a big tall house with rooms by the dozen,
Right in the middle of the town..
etc. |
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Post by shoshin on Feb 10, 2017 23:40:57 GMT
Ooh this might be even more obscure than Hats Off To Larry, but Jensj2 got that one easily enough so here goes.
There Are Worse Things I Could Do from Grease (1971)
There are worse things I could do
Than go with a boy or two
Even though the neighborhood
Thinks I'm trashy and no good
I suppose it could be true
But there are worse things I could do
I could flirt with all the guys
Smile at them and bat my eyes
Press against them when we dance
Make them think they stand a chance
Then refuse to see it through
That's a thing I'd never do
I could stay home every night
Wait around for Mr Right
Take cold showers every day
And throw my life away
On a dream that won't come true
I could hurt someone like me
Out of spite or jealousy
I don't steal and I don't lie
But I can feel and I can cry
A fact I'll bet you never knew
But to cry in front of you
That's the worst thing I could do
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Post by Zeebee on Feb 13, 2017 21:45:37 GMT
Is the Gary Puckett one too obvious to bother with? Maybe so. Does Your Mother Know. There is also the song Come Back When You Grow Up, by Bobby Vee. The chorus of that song: Come back when you grow up, girl You're still living in a paper-doll world Living ain't easy, loving's twice as tough Come back, baby, when you grow up And the last line of one verse is "I want you to get your very first heartbreak somewhere else along the line" |
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Post by abbafan456 on Feb 14, 2017 17:13:34 GMT
A very easy one from Fiddler On The Roof (1964) If I were a rich man,
Yubby dibby dibby dibby dibby dibby dibby dum.
All day long I'd biddy biddy bum.
If I were a wealthy man.
I wouldn't have to work hard.
Ya ha deedle deedle, bubba bubba deedle deedle dum.
If I were a biddy biddy rich,
Idle-diddle-daidle-daidle man.
I'd build a big tall house with rooms by the dozen,
Right in the middle of the town..
etc. Money Money Money? |
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Post by Zeebee on Feb 16, 2017 21:44:41 GMT
I quoted a line from the song Come Back When You Grow Up slightly incorrectly. The line is actually "I'd rather you get your very first heartbreak somewhere else along the line".
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Post by shoshin on Feb 17, 2017 22:52:42 GMT
Doesn't There Are Worse Things I Could Do remind anyone of an ABBA lyric? A girl who thinks that she is not the shy and innocent type who Mr. Right would want to settle down with, yet underneath the brash exterior her feelings can be hurt like anyone else's ?
Any more examples of ABBAlike lyrical predecessors?
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Post by Deleted on Feb 21, 2017 23:23:38 GMT
^^^
That's Me?
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Post by Liebezeit on Mar 26, 2017 15:55:56 GMT
Here's an Isley Brothers classic.. Twist and Shout, but only in a portion.
One ABBA song is at least similar to this and you've got to answer the title! :-)
You know you twist your little girl (Twist, little girl)
You know you twist so fine (Twist so fine)
Come on and twist a little closer, now (Twist a little closer)
And let me know that you're mine (Let me know you're mine)
Hint: 'read the lyrics backwards'
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Post by Deleted on Apr 6, 2017 1:42:45 GMT
Hint: one of my sentimental favorites! One of Swedish Kris Kristofferson's masterpieces...
Don't look so sad, I know it's over.
But life goes on, and this old world will keep on turning.
Let's just be glad we had some time to spend together.
There's no need to watch the bridges that we're burning.
Lay your head upon my pillow.
Hold your warm and tender body close to mine.
Hear the whisper of the raindrops,
Blowin' soft against the window,
And make believe you love me one more time,
For the good times.
I'll get along; you'll find another,
And I'll be here if you should find you ever need me.
Don't say a word about tomorrow or forever,
There'll be time enough for sadness when you leave me.
Lay your head upon my pillow.
Hold your warm and tender body close to mine.
Hear the whisper of the raindrops,
Blowin' soft against the window,
And make believe you love me one more time,
For the good times.
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