The Piper (song)

"The Piper" is a 1980 track off the Super Trouper album by Swedish pop group ABBA. The song is loosely based on the famous story of The Pied Piper of Hamelin. It is regarded by some ABBA fans as being very different from the more mainstream songs they had recorded until this time. In particular, the dark lyrics dealing with the seduction by fascistic leaders and a somewhat medieval sound (drums, flute, choral) are not seen in their earlier songs.[1] It is also the only ABBA song where a part of the refrain is in Latin. The song has gained a small cult following among ABBA fans.

ABBA: Uncensored on the road explains the song "was also the flip side of the Super Trouper single".[2]

From Abba to Mamma Mia!: The Official Book explains "After a two-week break in March for the concluding tour of Japan, by the end of April ABBA had completed the songs "Andante, Andante", "On And On And On", "Happy New Year", "Elaine" and "The Piper"."

See also

• "Me and I" (An ABBA song from the same album)
• The Pied Piper of Hamelin

References

1. Palm, Carl Magnus (2001). Bright Lights, Dark Shadows: The Real Story of Abba. Omnibus Press. ISBN 978-0711983892. Other lyrical subjects new to ABBA included that of fascist threats, as introduced on the medieval-sounding 'The Piper'. The words were inspired by one of the main characters in Stephen King's 1978 novel The Stand, a charismatic leader in the Adolf Hitler mould. "The lyrics deal with the fear that there will come a time when people will want such a leader again, "Björn explained".
2. Tobler, John (2012-01-01). Abba - Uncensored on the Record. Coda Books Limited. ISBN 9781908538239.