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As a child, I remember listening to a particular mix tape incessantly on a Walkman. I don’t recall exactly where it came from, but it’s a bit scary to realize that several of its songs have found their way onto my “perfect song” playlist in iTunes. As a result, I tend to agree with the theory that our musical tastes solidify early in life and don’t really waver much after about age 20.

Knowing Me, Knowing You is from the Swedish superstar group ABBA. It begins with some ringing, open guitar chords soon joined a pseudo-disco beat reminiscent of Dancing Queen but with a more serious feel. The lyrics sung by Agnetha and Frida quickly paint a picture of sadness and a jilted lover, with “goodbye” as the last word of the verse.

After a precious, expertly placed pause, the chorus arrives, decorated with knowing “ahas.” The male voices of Bjorn and Benny provide a grounding counter melody and contrast with the female voices. There is some sweet syncopation on “breaking up is never easy I know”: the struggle against the beat gives musical life to the words “never easy”.

After the chorus, there is a special treat I’ve always admired, a ringing, harmonized guitar line that rises as the bass sinks. It’s a melodic metaphor as I’ve at times thought of the two guitar lines as Agnetha and Frida and the bass line as the Bjorn and Benny, going their separate ways. The two halves of ABBA were each married couples who eventually divorced.

With a chorus this strong, there is no reason for a third verse nor a bridge. The melodic treat appears again at song’s close, repeating until fade out.

It’s the same old story of lovers getting together and breaking up, over and over again. In an almost too-perfect way, this one song seems to sum up ABBA not only what they were capable of as a group but as personas: two couples that had a beautiful, productive period together which eventually ended. Knowing Me, Knowing You presents a resigned acceptance of separation that only comes through experience and maturity, which is why I give it a perfect, five star rating.

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