♫ Dancing Queen ♫ (Redux)

Posted on by under Bits 'n Pieces, History, music

The last time I played this one was just about two years ago, August 2020.  I noted in my intro that time that it was just another night with gunfire here in da hood and the cops showing up post haste, and me out in my bare feet yelling at whomever was shooting to “shut the f*** up!”  Ahhhhh … some things never change!  Anyway, I was planning a different song for tonight, but at the last minute I switched gears (it’s a woman’s prerogative to change her mind, they say) and decided on this one, for I wanted something to bring a smile, to get our toes tapping!

I was in the mood for something upbeat tonight, so I hope you are too.

Dancing Queen is a Europop song by the Swedish group ABBA (wait … they’re Swedish?  I never knew that!  Is that why they write one of the ‘B’s backward?) and was written by Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus and Stig Anderson.  Released in 1976, it became a #1 hit in a number of countries, including both the UK and the U.S.  The genre is considered to be ‘Europop’, a version of American disco, and lyrically is about a visit to the discotheque, but approaches the subject from the joy of dancing itself.

The song has some claim to fame as it was televised on Swedish TV during an all-star gala staged by Kjerstin Dellert at the Royal Swedish Opera in honour of King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden and his bride-to-be, Silvia Sommerlath, who were married the next day.  Then in 1993, in honour of Queen Silvia’s 50th birthday, Anni-Frid Lyngstad was asked to perform “Dancing Queen” on stage, repeating ABBA’s 1976 performance of the song at the pre-wedding gala.

Dancing Queen
ABBA

Ooh
You can dance
You can jive
Having the time of your life
Ooh, see that girl
Watch that scene
Dig in the dancing queen

Friday night and the lights are low
Looking out for a place to go
Where they play the right music
Getting in the swing
You come to look for a king
Anybody could be that guy
Night is young and the music’s high
With a bit of rock music
Everything is fine
You’re in the mood for a dance
And when you get the chance

You are the dancing queen
Young and sweet
Only seventeen
Dancing queen
Feel the beat from the tambourine, oh yeah
You can dance
You can jive
Having the time of your life
Ooh, see that girl
Watch that scene
Dig in the dancing queen

You’re a teaser, you turn ’em on
Leave ’em burning and then you’re gone
Looking out for another
Anyone will do
You’re in the mood for a dance
And when you get the chance

You are the dancing queen
Young and sweet
Only seventeen
Dancing queen
Feel the beat from the tambourine, oh yeah
You can dance
You can jive
Having the time of your life
Ooh, see that girl
Watch that scene
Dig in the dancing queen
Dig in the dancing queen

Songwriters: Benny Goran Bror Andersson / Bjoern K. Ulvaeus / Stig Anderson
Dancing Queen lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group

60 thoughts on “♫ Dancing Queen ♫ (Redux)”

  2. Pingback: ♫ Dancing Queen ♫ (Redux) – MobsterTiger

  3. ABBA. I just so like ABBA.
    Amongst the self-indulgent morass of much of the prog-rock, the throw-away trash of most disco, the sheer con of glam rock and the posing or band-wagon jumping of a lot of punk there stood ABBA head and shoulders above the rest producing good old honest happy (and also thoughtful) pop music shorn of pretentions.
    It was said at one stage they were Sweden’s number exporter outstripping even Volvo car manufacturers; I’m not sure if that is so, but it’s a nice story.
    Thanks Jill

    Liked by 2 people

  4. Motown? What’s that?

    Nah, just a kidding. I’m not particularly fond of the Motown sound although occasionally an artist + song combo does draw my attention. I wouldn’t say Motown was particularly popular here, but I’m sure it had/has a small but loyal fan base on these shores.

    I suspect (but don’t quote me) that the Dunedin soundwas/is as popular, if not more so here than the Motown sound and one that appealed more to me.

    Liked by 1 person

    • That makes sense, given that the Dunedin sound originated in New Zealand, and also since there isn’t a large Black population there as there is here, so perhaps Dixieland Jazz and Motown weren’t as prolific there. Thanks for the info about Dunedin sound, for I had never heard of it … you’ve broadened my horizons!

      Liked by 1 person

      • NZ classifies its population by ethnicity, not race, so comparisons with the US are difficult. 64% of the population are Pākehā (NZ born NZers of European decent). “Blacks” would be included in the very broad ethnic grouping of Middle Eastern/Latin American/African, which in total accounts for only 1.5% of the population. So yes there’s not a large number of them here. On the other hand, Māori make up 17% of the population, and they have their own traditional musical styles as well as having adopted and adapted some genres found in North America and Western Europe.

        Liked by 1 person

        • Ahhhh … I didn’t realize that, but had looked up what percentage of NZ was black and got something like 0.3%. Here, it’s odd … we also classify by ethnicity … Asian, Hispanic, etc., until it comes to Black people, then it’s just “Black”. Isn’t it a shame that there even have to be classifications? Why can’t we just call everyone ‘human’ and treat them all the same? If we must judge, judge based on actions rather than some superficial difference like skin colour or gender or eye colour! Sigh.

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  5. For some reason, ABBA proved very popular in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand, and I confess I was a fan back in the 70s and 80s. I’m not exactly a fan of disco, but I prefer ABBA’s disco tracks over other artists. For myself I prefer their songs that tug on the heartstrings such as I Have A Dream, One Of Us, Slipping Through My Fingers, Cassandra, and When All Is Said And Done.

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  6. Pingback: ♫ Mony, Mony ♫ | Filosofa's Word

  9. ABBA is timeless and we listen to their music in the car from time to time.

    Did you know they released their first new album in 40 years in 2021 and they went on tour this Spring to sold out shows? The love for this band is still alive all these decades later.

    Liked by 1 person

  12. Ahhh…’76, the year I graduated high school. I loved Abba then but at that time preferred the slower numbers like Fernando and The Winner Takes it All. Then along came Mama Mia.That movie revived an interest in the songs of the Swedish band. Makes me wanna dance. Fer sure..😉

    Liked by 2 people

  13. Not sure where you got the lyrics, or if they came from the songwriters, but it makes more sense if “Dig in the dancing queen” was actually “Digging the dancing queen.” Just sayin’.
    A happy tune, but not one of my favourites.
    For a dance tune I will stick with Tommy James and the Shondells: https://youtu.be/UUjMb0xcTLc
    I could never stay seated when this song came on, even if I didn’t have a dance partner…

    Liked by 2 people

  14. “(wait … they’re Swedish? I never knew that! Is that why they write one of the ‘B’s backward?)”

    So, what do you think where 4 people with very Swedish sounding names and kitschy taste in music would come from? Also, no, the backwards B is a design choice to get the mirror effect. Swedes are otherwise using the standard latin alphabet, almost like real people.

    One more tiny tidbit of info for ya: Silvia Sommerlath is German and was a volunteer hostess at the 1972 summer olympics in Germany/München, where she caught the eye of the Swedish king. And the rest is history.

    Liked by 2 people

  15. “(wait … they’re Swedish? I never knew that! Is that why they write one of the ‘B’s backward?)”

    What did you think 4 people with Swedish names would come from? And no, Swedes use the normal latin alphabet, like real people. The backwards B is just for the mirror effect.

    And one more tidbit of info for you: Silvia Sommerlath is German and was one of many many volunteer hostesses during the 1972 Olympic games in Germany/Munich. That’s where she was “discovered” by the king of Sweden.

    Liked by 1 person

  17. Pingback: ♫ Dancing Queen ♫ (Redux) — Filosofa’s Word | Ned Hamson's Second Line View of the News

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