Fernando (song)

"Fernando"
Song

"Fernando" is the Swedish band ABBA's first non-album single. The song appeared on the 1975 ABBA release Greatest Hits in some countries, and it was included on Arrival in Australia and New Zealand.

The song

"Fernando" was originally not an ABBA song but written for ABBA member Anni-Frid Lyngstad. It appeared in 1975 on her Swedish solo album Frida ensam. The song was written by Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Stig Anderson. The song carried the working title "Tango" and preparations for recording began in August 1975.

Swedish language version

The Swedish language version is about a man named Fernando, and his former girlfriend who left him. The song was very successful in Scandinavia (it topped the Swedish hitlist Svensktoppen for ten weeks) so ABBA decided to re-record the song in English, so ABBA's version of the song can be regarded as a cover version.

English language version

The lyrics present a vision of nostalgia for presumably two soldiers reminiscing in old age about some unspecified war of liberation or national defense they participated in during their younger days.

While the composers claim that they did not mean to reference any specific war or period, the reference to the Rio Grande seems to tie the setting to Mexico – possibly in the time of the Mexican Revolution – or possibly Texas. Alternatively, it has been speculated that this song refers to the role of the International Brigade volunteers in the Spanish Civil War (though the former is most likely).

Fernando's B-side was entitled "Hey Hey Helen" and in some countries "Tropical Loveland" was chosen instead of "Hey, Hey Helen".

Chart Success

"Fernando" became one of ABBA's biggest hits ever. It topped the charts all over Europe, occupying the top spot on West German chart for seven weeks, the British chart for four weeks, and on the French and Belgian charts for three weeks. The single had even more success in Australia and New Zealand, countries strongly affected by "Abba-mania" in the mid-1970s, and where it topped the charts for fourteen weeks and nine weeks, respectively. "Fernando" also reached No.1 in Austria, Republic of Ireland, Mexico, South Africa, Switzerland and the Netherlands. It became a number two hit in Zimbabwe (then known as Rhodesia), Norway and Sweden, while reaching number three in Spain and number six in Italy. In the United States, "Fernando" made it to No.10 on Cashbox Top 100 singles chart and to No. 13 on Billboard Hot 100, and reached No. 1 on Billboard Adult Contemporary chart, the first of two Number One AC hits for ABBA on a Billboard chart (the second being "The Winner Takes It All"). The single also topped the RPM magazine Adult Contemporary chart in Canada. The song remains an airplay staple on North American radio stations specializing in the MOR, adult standards and easy listening formats.

At present (2007), "Fernando" still holds the joint-record for the most weeks spent at number one in Australia (shared with "Hey Jude" by The Beatles) [1].

Cover versions

• Already in 1976 Swedish singer Lena Andersson recorded a German language version of this song. She had also signed to the Polar-Label so she could use the original backing-track.
• The Swedish singer Lotta Engberg has recorded a cover version of the Swedish language version of the song.
• Refer also List of artists who have covered ABBA songs

Trivia

• The pre-school music specialists The Wiggles make an allusion to this song, perhaps as a joke for parents, in "Wiggly Safari". One of the members hears drums in the distance, turns to his Spanish friend Fernando, and asks, "Can you hear the drums, Fernando?".
• Fernando is also the name of the son of the fictional character Alan Partridge, a noted ABBA fan.