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"The Piper" is a track from the 1980 album Super Trouper, by Swedish pop group ABBA. The song is loosely based on the famous story of The Pied Piper of Hamelin, but lyricist Björn Ulvaeus cites the novel The Stand by Stephen King as a source of inspiration. 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. It is also the only ABBA song where a part of the refrain is in Latin, and has gained a small cult following among ABBA fans.

ABBA: Uncensored on the Road explains that the song was also the flip-side of the single "Super Trouper"; while From ABBA to Mamma Mia!: The Official Book adds: 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. ^ Stroude, Will (July 16, 2018). "The 10 best ABBA songs not to make the 'Mamma Mia!' films". Attitude. Retrieved December 8, 2024. ...a piece of music that is equal parts early 80s synth pop realness, haunting offbeat medieval calypso...
2. ABBA The Complete Recording Sessions ( PDFDrive ).
3. 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 mould of Adolf Hitler. 'The lyrics deal with the fear that there will come a time when people will want such a leader again', Björn Ulvaeus explained.
4. Tobler, John (2012-01-01). Abba - Uncensored on the Record. Coda Books Limited. ISBN 9781908538239.
5. Hanser, Anders; Palm, Carl Magnus (2000). From Abba to Mamma Mia!. London: Virgin Publishing. p. 85. ISBN 1-85227-864-1.

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