many born in the late ’80s or early ’90s have tragically not been schooled in the songs of ’70s swedish pop supergroup abba. so since it’s flashback friday, i’ve got an important bit of queer aural education for the young ones.
casual fans tend to love the time-tested classics — “waterloo,” “mamma mia,” “dancing queen.” i enjoy these old favorites on occasion, but in my opinion nothing beats the quirky, unadulterated cheese of lesser known hits like “fernando.” launched as the follow-up to “mamma mia” in 1976, the single peaked at no. 13 in the u.s. and even topped the charts in several other countries.
the song’s absurd charm lies in its random theme: two old soldiers reminiscing about a war presumably fought in mexico. a choice lyric: “do you still recall the fateful night we crossed the rio grande / i can see it in your eyes how proud you were to fight for freedom in this land.”
in the clip i posted below, the serious expressions on the faces of singers anna-frid and agnetha are icing on the cake. while it’s all achingly amusing, “fernando” is actually ridiculously catchy. even if you don’t like it, i promise you’ll be singing it long afterwards.
vinny | 25-Aug-07 at 4:19 am | Permalink
I admit it, I love ABBA and Fernando. Can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen MAMMA MIA on Broadway. Thanks.