SO Y'ALL SAID THIS IS ABBA'S BEST STORYTELLING SONG.. | TCC REACTS TO ABBA - The Day Before You Came

[@rickricardo5326]

Agnetha delivers again a masterpiece. But let’s not forget Frida delivering the haunting opera voice.

[@GavinPartridge]

Nice reaction. My take has always been that it's a song about loss. Whilst on the surface it seems to be am upbeat song about a woman describing her mundane life up to " the day before you came" - The continuous dark undertones suggest she's actually lamenting the loss of the partner who "saved" her from the mundane life she'd been living - And would probably go back to after his departure. Whether that happened through the relationship ending or maybe even his death, is for the listener to think about. There is also a strong sense of "finality" in this song. When they "turn out the lights" on the rest of the band leading Agnetha alone of the stage there is a real sense that this is Abba's goodbye... It was one of their final recorded songs until Voyage in 2022...

[@mickeefreeman2898]

A real gamble that did not pay off for ABBA at the time...but over the years..people started too realise how ..beautiful this story of a song was ! .x.

[@jeffstevens4262]

Incredibly, this wasn't one of their better known songs, but like so many other great hits, it's a perfect example of the songwriting genius of Benny & Bjorn. 🙋‍♂

[@NasaBalli]

A real MASTERPIECE! What a rythm, what a music! What a story!

[@eddieboy4667]

The more you listen to it, the more you hear. Magic stuff.

[@neosapienz7885]

The operatic voice is Frida.

[@mikevale3620]

The song is a masterpiece, especially after a few listens. The reference to watching 'Dallas' on TV went right over Tyler and his companions heads.

[@flugsven]

And Fridas voice hovering above it all at the end.. Beautiful.

[@Lisa-M]

@Lex I know that it's her 🥰 I think they don't show her much because the video tells a story and this story is between Agnetha and this man. Also Benny and Björn are not showed much in it. If the people would watch the video of their performance in Germany they would see that it's Frida singing the opera parts.

[@mickeefreeman2898]

No chorus. Just a straight story telling anthem....awesome...genius....megga ! .

[@erikskifte8862]

SO EMOTIONAL AND BEAUTIFUL TRACK. THE MOST UNDERRATED ABBA SONG EVER. AGNETHA LOOKS STUNNING IN THE VIDEO 😘

[@thehoogard]

Not only best story-telling song, one of their absolute best imo. Top3 for sure.

[@igaluitchannel6644]

in the 80s, no one around the world missed an episode of Dallas - with J.R. Ewing.

[@thehoogard]

This song is haunting. It keeps building and building, yet never really arriving. There's something absolutely melancholic about it that just speaks to my swedish psyche.

[@thehoogard]

Both the song and the lyrics hint at something coming. The lyrics might suggest something positive, like a new love, but that's belied by the haunting tone. What is it really that's coming?

[@GetBackJoe1969]

ABBA’s album the VISITORS was so different from their usual. Many casual fans tuned out. But they were just ahead of their time with this album. They were on to the new music but people did not want to see them change.

[@MarioDruet]

The day before you came was not on The Visitors.

[@praapje]

@@MarioDruet No, but on later issues it often was included as a bonus track. For me it´s probably the best Abba song.

[@Dave5843-d9m]

I love the dark undertones of the Cold War (at its peak on 1981). Most people played music or poor quality players. Sound on TV and radio was not much better. Much of the musical subtlety got lost.

[@praapje]

@@Dave5843-d9m Actually many find vinyl to be of better quality than digital.

[@paulecrosby2006]

A breathtakingly beautiful haunting Masterpiece ♥

[@clannad99germany70]

That was a brilliant song, no fun, no jokes, a serious, full of trouble and issues. Such a unique sad sound and mood in that song, perfect storytelling in a song !

[@alexioverdo5225]

Super Trouper/Fernado huge No1 hits-Move On/That's me,big fan faves all a must on your list.Hugs.

[@robertdinmore1971]

This was the last song ABBA recorded from their original stint as a band 72-82. it is reported that Agnetha sang it with the lights turned off and under performed it on purpose. The video was the 1st video not to be directed by their usual director Lasse. It has been voted the 3rd best ABBA SONG BY FANS IN THE UK on 2 separate occasions behind 1) The Winner Takes It All and 2) Dancing Queen

[@redhenry]

It was just Benny and Agnetha in the studio in the end. He had suggested she didn’t sing it as best she could to add to the Idea of this common, unassuming woman’s dreary life.

[@stevebrown661]

Yup, certainly a haunting and mysterious feel to this lovely track. The narrative style of the vocals making Agnetha's swedish accent more marked, which I feel adds beautifully to the atmosphere. I had to chuckle at 1:40 Tyler when you gave out an involuntary grunt as Agnetha smiled and smouldered at the camera, followed closely by a knowing glance across at you from Marissa😄 Nice reaction

[@melbro62]

Well it was AGNETHA of course, only she could put the emotion into a "story" song.

[@dimman6666]

Masterpiece ❤

[@marcodebrabander5751]

One of their best unusual songs in my opinion. Like to play it loud and disappear in it completely

[@languageatworkinh.r.-b.kip8043]

I have been waiting *forever* for you two to do this one! It's one my all-time ABBA favourites!

[@christine3043]

This video appears to be based on the Marilyn French (she’s mentioned in this song) book entitled The Bleeding Heart. It’s about two lovers meeting on the train. Agnetha sang this in a darkened studio. She was to try to sound as ordinary as possible but when you have a voice like that, it’s difficult. She still sounds fabulous. I absolutely love this song and video.

[@noelleggett5368]

It’s not the sequel to the Visitors. This song was recorded and released as a single several months after the Visitors album was released. Then ABBA downed tools… they didn’t release another song for 40 years. This is a haunting song, no chorus… the singer musing about how ordinary and forgettable her life was until she found love. It’s almost the opposite of a standard love song. … and you’re right… almost all of ABBA’s videos just feature the band members. ‘Super Trouper’ and ‘Happy New Year’ from the Super Trouper album are set at a New Years Eve party (sort of) with other actors. The video clip for ‘When I Kissed the Teacher’ - one of my favourite ever ABBA songs - is set in a classroom with the four band members as students with another actor as the ‘teacher’. You’ll love that catchy number!

[@holgerschink1341]

Masterpiece.

[@christinahansen9952]

This is Agnetha's last song and the historie goes on that she sang with dimmed light and went out the backdoor afterwards..

[@Zentrix-24]

Love this tune, have not heard in a long time. Great production. They always have high end sound, etc.

[@Codex7777]

My favourite Abba song! An absolute masterpiece, in every respect! :) I think the part you may have missed is, she's singing to someone that's no longer there...

[@traudesuppan]

Is there a hint in the lyrics that the lover is not there anymore or due to the video?

[@VideosSmokin]

This song and "under attack" were the final two recorded In 1982.

[@DanielVega-gc3du]

Great song and great reaction. The one with no chorus. Hauntingly beautiful and more mature ABBA, sadly near the end of the groups time together while they were still younger. If only they’d kept going, would have loved to have seen what they could have done during the rest of the 80’s and beyond. Next up…have you done Lay all your love on me, one of us, the name of the game, or thankyou for the music?

[@riaanbehr7976]

This gem garnered a huge following. Please react to Move on. My fave Abba song. Benny does vocals on the first verse. A tropical and melancholy vibe 👌❤️

[@Lisa-M]

It's Björn, not Benny in Move On.

[@riaanbehr7976]

@@Lisa-M yes. I see now I typed Benny and not Bjorn 😳 how I adore that song. Such a pity it's not more well known

[@Lisa-M]

@@riaanbehr7976 😄 Yes, I love this song, too. So bad that it's not included at ABBA Gold or More ABBA Gold. 😞

[@riaanbehr7976]

@@Lisa-M I agree. It deserved WAY more love and attention. The Spanish version is on the Spanish Abba Gold album called Oro. So beautiful!

[@Lisa-M]

@@riaanbehr7976 Yes, I have ABBA Oro. The Spanish version is good, too but I prefer the English one. 🙂

[@edned5504]

This is a grower for sure. It wasn't a hit in the UK in the 1980s but it is a favourite among fans. The song might be about how ordinary life was 'the day before you came' or it might be about how safe life was 'the day before you came'. Is the relationship a happy one? I suspect not. The day before he came, life was predictable. Now, life is dangerous. Or perhaps worse. Perhaps she is dead and singing from beyond the grave. I felt that this could be a prequel to the song on Voyage 'I can be that woman'. Perhaps he wore her down so much that she turned to drink. I don't know, but it's beautifully dark and the music rises as the song progresses building a sense of despair and danger as it does. I can tell from your reactions that you're undecided about the meaning of this song. This means that 'you get it'. If you listen to it once or twice and think you understand it, then you don't. Good work M and T.

[@RushilJuglall]

Well this was ABBA's last song 🎵 with under attack for at least 39 years until last year when they released I still have faith in you and don't shut me down

[@paulecrosby2006]

"The day before you came" is number 6 in the top one hundred records of all time in pop history.

[@ElanGeorge]

Love your obvious love of abba!! In reference to your question about the video containing others and when was it. It was their last single release after having taken 2 years off, released in 1982. Anna were the first to ever do music videos as they were so often travelling & it was a way to keep them in peoples homes but by the 80’s the concept of story telling videos had hit and Abba kept up with this.

[@darkiee69]

The latest on by Marilyn French at the time would've been "The bleeding heart". It fits the song.

[@lisacrane3143]

A small mini masterpiece that was ahead of its time

[@NasaBalli]

Yes indeed, ahead of its time!

[@nickmailer1598]

Bjorn and others have hinted that the "you" in the Day Before You Came is ominous, as the tone of the song suggests. He has hinted that they "you" might be death itself - either hers, or that she has killed the other protagonist - and as such, reflecting on her mundane, workaday life is actually a yearning back to it.

[@AzoreanZionist]

👍😉 Benny Andersson included this on his "Piano" CD 🎹. Some people consider this, ABBA's "saddest" song.

[@gaminghydraulics6358]

You should take a look at ABBA's Super Trouper or Summer Night City

[@toby9999]

I love summer night city... especially the live Wembley performance but the others were also great.

[@Flatwoodsdad]

Thanks for the ABBA. couple of years back Benny Andersson released a CD "Piano". It's just him doing favorites alone on piano as he had originally wrote them. The music to this one is even more haunting on that. All the music on this one is Benny on synth by the way.

[@tuijakarttunen9164]

That piano version is gorgeous.

[@mikesmithson6805]

Very haunting song, after they shot this vid, ABBA is over. Some theories among fans that this song is about a murder

[@donny1960]

Great Reaction. This song poses a lot of questions. I have two takes on it. If you just listen to the music, no video, it could be an upbeat song. The lyrics state that she was in a "rut" of her own making ..."The Day Before You Came". So he came ...........happy ending. The music in this song is not so "happy" , more the Scandinavian Melancholy that ABBA is known for. So the video takes that route. She met someone to help her live life more fully. But he had to leave. Either way, A great song.

[@niclas.olsson]

He came...not very happy ending. She was possibly murded by him. Now she sings from the heavens. Remanising how mondane but ordinary, good life she was leading.

[@donny1960]

@@niclas.olsson Or we could be all dead listening to things to either reward us for living a good life or punishing us for not. There are endless possibilities in all things. But to me the most simple and logical possibility is the best.

[@reasonrestored9116]

Who says he left!?

[@donny1960]

@@reasonrestored9116 In the video, Agnetha took "him" with a suitcase to somewhere and had a very evident "goodbye" scene. The song went on with her alone. He never came back in the video. The last scene of the video is Agnetha looking down the platform, where she was seeing "him" running for train throughout the whole video, seeing an empty platform. So the video says he left.

[@PerryCJamesUK]

A couple of additional references that may have gone over the heads of anybody not around in the latter part of the 20th Century - Dallas The biggest US soap opera of the early 80s, recording the highest ratings on record at that time - a Oil family and there turbulent love life, extra marital affairs, alcoholism, murder - the biggest and most famous story was "Who shot JR?". Marilyn French - Radical feminist writer of titles like "The Women's Room" and "A History of Women In The World" books basically questioning a woman's place in the world. An interesting quotation that seems to fit with the woman in the song is "loneliness is not a longing for company, it is a longing for kind. And kind means people who can see you who you are, and that means they have enough intelligence and sensitivity and patience to do that."

[@lisacrane3143]

Somehow I knew u were not gonna give the same reaction as u have done in the past. It’s one of abba’s fans clear favourites and maybe us oldies see this song in a different light to you youngsters 😉

[@swifty8503]

dont think its anything to do with age, maybe just some people find the song more intense and serious than others

[@lisacrane3143]

@German Morawski no it’s not !

[@lisacrane3143]

@German Morawski ur clearly listening to another song

[@michaelbain399]

There was a rumor back then that Agnetha was going to join the cats of the TV show Dallas. Some think that this song's reference to the TV show Dallas was a nod to that.

[@paulgoffin8054]

Was apparently written to be the theme for a movie that was never made - she was directed to underperform as she's the character in the movie, not the lead of ABBA.

[@glenonoko4918]

the mention in the lyrics of Marilyn French is a reference to a novel she wrote called "The Bleeding Heart" which is about two strangers who meet on a train and develop a relationship which goes sour.

[@dreasbn]

Listen to Benny’s 2018 piano version and you get more of the musical essence of the song if afterwards you go back to the abba recording. Their last recording back in the day before their 39 year hiatus..

[@ingvarjensen1088]

That was really the second last single (October 1982) before their break - the last one being "Under Attack" in December 1982. Million miles away from their early happy-go-lucky style, right?

[@alainbrunetti9012]

Thanks so much for reacting to the Day before you came ! Incrédible song, incrédible interpretetion ! Not as easily like à abba classical hit, but for me the best song ever Heard

[@RushilJuglall]

Hoping to see more ABBA reactions soon

[@mervinmannas7671]

I agree with Joe below the song without the video and with the video create to different senarios. She is plodiing through her life one day much like another then BAM she meets him and nothing is ever the same again. But With the video you wonder has his arrival, the steamy love affair and then after turning her world upside down and leaves does she want to go back to that old humdrum life or would it be a blessing because or the chaos he caused. Also at the end of the video she looks along the platform and he's not there or he's running and you see the train depart. Also has the question, what if he'd missed that train as the end possibly suggests and her life had remained that way. Many, my self included think this is the finest song they ever wrote and i could not stop playing it when it came out, drove my flat share guy nuts, lol. Yes it was the first time a band member interacted with an actor for a video. In Knowing Me Knowing You it was them selves but by this time both couples had divorced. Agnetha had acted before in her youth on stage. Her version of 'I Don't Know How To Love Him' from Jesus Christ Superstar in Swedish is beautiful and haunting.

[@eduardooscar309]

it's not the first time it's "When I kissed the teacher" (Agnetha with the teacher)

[@kir250305]

Give this song another try to listen so that you can sync with the story!

[@Tom_McMurtry]

A lot of people like the dramatic nature of this song, from it's sweeping orchestral synth type arrangement with haunting vocals to it's synyster suspenseful undertone that implies something bad is about to happen to really uproot this persons mundane uneventful life. Suggesting that a planned mundane life is perhaps better in someways than whatever surprisingly different thing is going to happen next. Speculation abounds from murder to just tragedies of other kinds that make life post the day this person came more unpleasant. It's a darker listen. I personally enjoy many of their other songs more, despite the obviously brilliant craft put into this one and intriguing thought process that it invokes.Under Attack for example is also a very dark song by ABBA, but the vibrancy of its energy is uplifting at the same time, and it was quite an electronic innovation for the time period that inspired a lot out of that genre or adjacent genres in the future. Also yes this was later on - the day before you came was one of the last to come out. And under attack was the last music video of theirs to ever see the light of day as the 4 of them vanished into the light... or so we thought until their 2021 remergence.

[@jonathanpoole5316]

The recognition that everything is a distraction from the void once the void is suddenly filled. Musically melancholy, with a sense of yearning very badly for someone, the music imbues a sense of absolute hopelessness in the face of forces beyond individual control. Add to that she's probably Northern hemisphere low on vitamin D (lack of sunlight) and she might even have SAD you get the picture it's a great bit of really expressive writing and Abba have a knack for emoting this hopeless dark Swedish winter zeitgeist they found the button and really don't let up on this one.

[@lenaengell8528]

Listen to the rytm, the music. Mysterious, an epic song again!

[@rromancunard]

Thanks for share Marissa and Tyler. 🙏🏻

[@mattigolx2532]

Love this song! I recommend for the next reaction one of these songs - If It Wasn´t for the Nights (From Japan TV-show), Lay All Your Love On Me or Super Trouper

[@FeastFastForLife]

This was one of their last recordings, early 80's music videos were more elaborate then.

[@mickeefreeman2898]

Haunting.

[@redhenry]

ABBA’s story telling peak just might be Cassandra. Slightly obscure track, late in their (original) catalogue, but incredibly intricate.

[@Markus-uq6gc]

As I interpret it, "The day before you came" is a very sad song. It's about loneliness and emptiness, and the longing for something else. Every day is a "day before you come".

[@furrykoala1666]

In the video, at the very end, I saw a black cat run across the train tracks in front of the train. Don't know if this was intentional, but it just adds to the mysteriousness of the story. ABBA at their peak - the best time to call it quits.

[@furrykoala1666]

I watched it in HD on a 4K screen, did anyone else see it? - spooky

[@kir250305]

Was waiting for this so much!!!! Thank you!

[@RalphWigg1]

This was their swan song. their final masterpiece!

[@jeffreyweitzman6463]

Seeing as you both have done this one which is from 1981 and so from the remaining couple of years into the 80's they were active before their split in 82, what about going to the other end of their illustrious Abba years and reacting to either Honey Honey (1974), or Ring Ring (1973). Both are iconic tracks not just cause of the usual Abba signature harmonies but also and why you must ensure you see the actual visual video rather than a lyric version, that you couldn't get a more 70's and also 70's Glam Rock vibe from their great costumes they are wearing in both performances. Also something additionally for your enjoyment, it is another couple of their songs where in part Bjorn and Benny take a part in vocals. Ring Ring KZbin has the official video, Honey Honey though don't see an official video there is one marked superb quality and yeah you would both have a musical and visual treat.

[@jimhoppe8317]

I also heard about the "YOU" referring to death. Listen to the song again with that in mind and it is quite chilling. And the haunting music becomes even more powerful.

[@terrykemp1876]

Super Trouper next. Some super pop goodness!

[@dav7444]

Love it

[@jay_ooh]

Alot of people don't realize it, but at the end of the song...during the instrumental part, there is a high vocal singing...and that's actually Frida doing those notes (originally Frida had studied opera before getting into jazz band material and then eventually ABBA). Another amazing video to check out is ABBA on the Olivia Newton-John special,...they're on there with her and Andy Gibb. All of them perform together and WOW, talk about amazing talent...that stage was full of it, I particularly like the live version of "Take A Chance On Me" it's actually live, so many times it was just sung to a backing track but this one sounds and is really live....

[@catschorus4684]

What's really interesting is that presumably the person has now entered her life but she sounds so depressed. There are many theories about the songs meaning. Benny stated that it was just a women reciting the monotonous routines of her life. The sound is a result of Agnetha singing as a character rather than as she would as a singer in her own voice. Benny and Bjorn were really moving towards writing musicals at this point and I think that kind of storytelling can be heard in the structure of the song here.

[@michaelm3943]

In 1982 Abba started work on their 9th studio album, they recorded 4 songs new songs but decided that they couldn't quite get back on form as a foursome after a long break unfortunately Benny had by then cheated on Frida and found a new girlfriend and Agnetha said it had become quite tense in the studio. So the Album never got made, they added this song and another called Under Attack to a collection CD called ABBA the singles the first 10 years. We all new it was the end tbh, this was their last single, well this one and another called and Under Attack neither made an impression on the UK Charts, 10 years at the top had come to an end, However this song has got to one of their best to date, The did ask Agnetha not to sing as well as she could for this song, CAN YOU BELIVE THAT.....

[@supastah68]

Best song ever

[@peterjohnhiggs4809]

Lovers, Live a Little Longer is also a great storytelling song - a little tongue in cheek but one of their funkiest songs.

[@karlturner9038]

Their post-Visitors songs are truly interesting, pity that the next album has never been completed afterwards. And I still recommend for the future reactions "I Am The City" and "Should I Laugh or cry" :)

[@noelleggett5368]

The opposite of The Day Before You Came is ABBA’s very early hit: Honey, Honey (aka “The Day After You Came”!)

[@Richard-darixdax]

This is my favourite Abba song

[@shine01120]

Have a listen to I Am The City. The last song they fully completed in the 80's but was never released as a single.

[@alexioverdo5225]

Actually IATC was recorded early to mid summer '82 but TDBYC late summer '82 and that was the very last time they recorded together as a band,to vanish into 4 decades of hiatus till VOYAGE.

[@bernardstrilli9098]

The last song she sing with the group 😰😰😰

[@andrewallen1083]

Their best song and album

[@viktorthefirst]

My theory has always been that the reason why this song is sad, because the woman goes through a break-up/divorce and realizes how her previously dull and simple life will be back again... Anyway, this was one of their last song and video clip from 1982 before their recent comeback.

[@petegtorcan]

My favourite AꓭBA song. Period.

[@mickeefreeman2898]

The day...and under attack the last 2 videos were the only videos not done by lasse halstrom....🌈💚🥳🎈

[@Tom_McMurtry]

You guys need to find their song mamma mia for another taste of their earlier music videos (and it's one of their most popular songs along with fernando) - and also just another vibrant fun song of energy. Fernando is also another great story telling song of theirs from earlier on, but also with a lot of warm energy - kinda the opposite of this one.

[@Clavinovaman]

Outstanding song. Not a single song on their new album comes close to this quality.

[@teromattila72]

So?

[@Clavinovaman]

@@teromattila72 Of all the potential answers, that must stand as the most futile. "So?" is the simple minds answer for everything.

[@joeking5310]

This song is so deep that on first listen it's very difficult to understand what is happening. I've been watching this over and over for years, and only just found out what is implied by the ending. The clue is in the.......well you just have to do a lot of investigating to find out. A total masterpiece.

[@HankD13]

A woman living life so monotonous and boring she can't actually (I must) remember doing those routine things, ever since leaving school... the day before a friend/lover came. So good - no more monotony. But more sadly, once over it seems, she just slips back in the monotonous routine, since it is spoken in past tense and recognising, she had had no idea she had been living without aim. Set to that monotonous repeated beat (seems simple, but actually very subtly complex) - absolute genius.

[@tommyhughes2264]

This song is a classic.

[@roderickwilliams-young]

This was the first of 2 videos that were not made by the team who made all of their previous ones and the song was the last ever song they recorded for nearly 40 years. Apparently they all recorded their parts separately as both couples had divorced and were going in different directions. A masterpiece in so many ways.

[@MarioDruet]

Which team? It was Lasse Halstrom who produced the Abba clips, not a team! The only exceptions are On and on and on, Chiquitita, Under attack and The day before you came

[@roderickwilliams-young]

@@MarioDruet I think you will find he had help so in essence had a team. If you look at behind the scenes of the Super Trouper video documentary you can see he has help!

[@joseluissosalinares]

masterpiece song

[@josue-joshuacordova3847]

My favorite ABBA song.

[@mickeefreeman2898]

Simple but effective...

[@mikesmithson6805]

Listen to Meryl Streeps version of this song.. From the Mamma Mia movie sequel, also worth a listen

[@aquiestamos3567]

eu acho interessante, porque ela diz que essa rotina toda acontecia, mas que se modificou de um dia para o outro.

[@Рыжаялиса-о2ю]

Try to listen to "That's me", "Tiger", "One of us"

[@sumonjamal1653]

Bjorn admitted that some of Abba's best work came late in their career, but it wasn't appreciated at the time cos in the early 80's w/ Abba not touring, the group's sales declined until the last singles came out around 1983...

[@toby9999]

ABBA music died off abruptly in my country around 1980. Radio stations just stopped playing their music in favour of new wave, rock synth, post punk and rock etc. Around the same time disco died.

[@sumonjamal1653]

@@toby9999 That usually happens around a new decade... In 1990/'91, the 80's rock bands were no longer getting airplay on radio or MTV.

[@aidemaidem7328]

Its time for thank you for the music

[@FeastFastForLife]

The story is saying how her life was a routine, before her loved one came. So the music is monotonous, purposely.

[@GetBackJoe1969]

Hi Marrisa!

[@michaelhansen2691]

If you guys want to really hear the true quality of Agnethas voice - go react to 'my love my life'...