Introduction

“Waterloo” by ABBA is a euphoric pop anthem that catapulted the Swedish group to international fame and secured their place in music history. Released in 1974, the song won the Eurovision Song Contest for Sweden, marking a pivotal moment in ABBA’s career and launching them onto the global stage. Join us as we explore the infectious energy and undeniable charm of “Waterloo,” celebrating its enduring legacy as one of ABBA’s most iconic hits.

Did You Know?

  • “Waterloo” was written by Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus, and Stig Anderson, the members of ABBA, and became the group’s first international hit.
  • The song’s upbeat tempo, catchy melody, and flamboyant Eurovision performance captivated audiences and earned it the top prize in the prestigious song contest.
  • “Waterloo” reached No. 1 on the charts in several countries, including the UK and Germany, and paved the way for ABBA’s global success.
  • The song’s triumphant spirit and infectious chorus make it a perennial favorite, with its legacy continuing to thrive through covers, tributes, and adaptations in popular culture.

Video

Lyrics: Waterloo

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 itselfWaterloo – I was defeated, you won the war
Waterloo – promise to love you for ever 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 for ever 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 – knowing my fate is to be with you
Waterloo – finally facing my Waterloo
Waterloo – knowing my fate is to be with you

 

You Missed

“I CAN’T JUST LEAVE HER WITHOUT TELLING HER HOW IT IS,” RAY PRICE WHISPERED TO HIS ENGINEER IN THE STUDIO DARKNESS. He didn’t care about the chart positions or the industry accolades that had defined his career since the fifties. He needed the technology to capture a sincerity he had spent decades hiding behind the polish of the Ray Price Sound, ensuring the silence of his house wouldn’t be absolute. Ray Price and Janie Phillips shared a life defined by the rhythmic hum of the honky-tonk circuit and the quiet machinery of the music business. By 2012, however, the terminal weight of pancreatic cancer began to dictate the pace of their days. While the chemotherapy drained the vitality from his frame, Ray insisted on returning to the microphone. He chose a collection of love songs that felt like a long-overdue confession, building them out in a Nashville studio while keeping the project shielded from the one person who had been his professional and personal anchor for decades. Janie was kept at a distance, unaware that the distance was intentional. Ray was crafting a final, hidden correspondence. Each session at the microphone required a monumental effort, a man straining against his own biology to ensure the pitch remained true and the phrasing stayed sharp. He finished the work in October 2013, exhausted but satisfied, calling the record the finest thing he had ever managed to capture. He died in December, before the world ever heard a note. When the record eventually surfaced, Janie found herself standing in the spotlight she had spent forty-three years avoiding. She stepped into the radio stations and the silence of their home, carrying the voice of a man who had finally learned how to say what mattered most once he was no longer there to speak it himself.