Bjorn Ulvaeus of ABBA wrote this song at a time when the relationships within the group were strained, and his lyric reflects that. He was married to ABBA singer Agnetha Fältskog; his bandmates Benny Andersson and Anni-Frid Lyngstad were also married. Agnetha and Anni-Frid handle the lead vocals, singing about walking though an empty house in the aftermath of a split. Both couples ended up getting divorced a few years later, with Bjorn and Agnetha parting ways in 1980, and Benny and Anni-Frid calling it quits a few years later. Said Ulvaeus: "I think I wrote 'Knowing Me Knowing You' before the divorce. In many ways, Agnetha and my divorce was an amicable one, we just grew apart and decided let's split up. Benny and Frida's was a little more difficult. It was not a happy time but still very creative."
"Knowing Me, Knowing You" has that signature ABBA pop sound with an undeniable chorus, but it tackles some serious subject matter (divorce), which they didn't do very often to this point. The song was released as a single from their fourth album, Arrival, and went to #1 in the UK and a few other territories, including Ireland and Mexico. The global smash from the album was "Dancing Queen," their only American #1.
After Bjorn Ulvaeus and Agnetha Fältskog separated, Bjorn wrote another divorce song, "The Winner Takes It All," which became a big hit for the group in 1980. That song isn't entirely about their split, but it was still a little awkward for Agnetha, who had to sing a divorce song written by her ex-husband.
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