Dancing Queen: Best Song Ever?

I'm sure many of you are looking at the Daily Item today with a very quizzical look. Nothing in my prior posts has ever indicated that I liked the Sweedish group Abba. Perhaps it was there if you looked hard enough. I don't know.

Anyway...I post a picture of this group with guitar chords to what could arguably be Abba's best song. I would like to point out a couple aspects of why this song, "Dancing Queen" was such a commercial success back in the day and why it is still a somewhat fresh song today.

1. Chords Structure. This song has a couple of "hooks." Hooks are those unique things about a song that cause you to stop and listen. "Hooks" resonate deeply with a persons being. This song has 2 chord change "hooks." The first one for me is right after the first line when the chord changes from a C Sharp to an F Sharp minor seventh. That's the first "hook." You barely have time to recover from that hook when another one follows it immediately. The following line changes from a B seventh - E Flat to a D. oooooooo! Let me say that again...oooooooo! That is musical euphoria my friends. If that chord change doesn't bring goose bumps over your entire body then you are broken. Other famous songs have been written with similar chords structure like Layla (Acoustic version) by Eric Clapton and More Than A Feeling by Boston.
2. Vocal harmony. Great scott! These ladies can pound at a harmony. Truly gifted singers, Anni-Frid Lyngstad and Agnetha Faltskoq were the heart and soul of this group and singers like no others. Very similar to Cass Elliot with the Mama's and Papa's. The only difference here being that Abba had two great singers!
3. Lastly, the outfits. I'm not saying that if you wear these outfits you'll be famous, great singers (look at the Brady Bunch) but hey, this group had it going on with the hip look of the late 70's. The guys had that Disco Stud look and the girls were very pretty.

So as a gift to you from "The Daily Item" I present Abba!

Enjoy

Watch and listen here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zRKdjFHdjw

Abba - Dancing Queen


intro: A D/A A D/A A D/A A(maj9) E/G# D/F# A/E


verse 1:

E              C#
You can dance, you can jive
F#m7                    B7/Eb
having the time of your life.
    D              Bm7
Oh, see that girl, watch that scene,
            A              D/A         A(maj9) D/A D/A  A(maj9) D/A D/A
Diggin' the dancing queen.


A                                       D/A
Friday night and the lights are low.
A                                F#m7
Looking out for a place to go.
E                         Esus4
Where they play the right music
E              Esus4
Getting in the swing.
                E    F#m         E  F#m
You've  come to look for a king.


A                     D/A
Anybody could be that guy.
A                              F#m7
Night is young and the music's high.
E                  Esus4
With a bit of rock music
E             Esus4
Everything is fine,
              E    F#m            E F#m
You're in the mood for a dance.
                     Bm7     E
And when you get the chance...



chorus:

            A              D/A                   A             D/A
You are the dancing queen, young and sweet, only seventeen.
A              D                      Amaj9 A    
Dancing queen, feel the beat from the tam - bourine.
E/G# D/F# A
Oh      yeah.
E              C#7
You can dance, you can jive
F#m7                    B7/Eb
having the time of your life.
    D              Bm7
Oh, see that girl, watch that scene,
            A             D/A A(maj9) D/A A(maj9) D/A D/A A(maj9) D/A D/A
Diggin' the dancing queen.



Verse 2:

A                       D/A
You're a tease, you turn 'em on.
A                                 F#m7
Leave 'em burning and then you're gone
E                Esus4   E           Esus4
Looking out for another, Anyone will do,
              E    F#m            E F#m
You're in the mood for a dance.
                     Bm7     E
And when you get the chance



chorus + repeat of last two chords