Does Your Mother Know

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"Does Your Mother Know" is a song by the Swedish recording group ABBA, recorded for their sixth studio album Voulez-Vous (1979). It was taken as the second single from the record on 27 April 1979 via Polar Music; in North America, the song was released as the lead single in place of "Chiquitita". "Does Your Mother Know" is notable as the only major ABBA single and one of the group's few songs overall to not feature lead vocals by either Agnetha Fältskog or Anni-Frid Lyngstad, with Björn Ulvaeus performs the lead vocals instead. Fältskog and Lyngstad providing backing vocals.[1] The song's B-side was "Kisses of Fire". For the writing, Ulvaeus was inspired by a young fan he met, and who which he turned away from due to her age.[2]

A success for the group, "Does Your Mother Know" reached number one on the music charts in Belgium, and reached the top ten in eight other countries. Its North American chart performance was moderate, reaching numbers 12 and 19 on the Canadian RPM Top Singles and US Billboard Hot 100 charts. Ulvaeus later said that the track would have been a bigger hit if Fältskog or Lyngstad sang the lead vocals instead.[3] In 2019, the single was re-released as a vinyl picture disc.[4]

Composition and recording

With lyrics described by ABBA biographer Carl Magnus Palm as "a daring tribute to cross-generational flirting in big city night clubs",Template:Sfnp the track was recorded in February–March 1979 (initially under the working title "I Can Do It") and released as a single in April of that year.Template:Sfnp The distinctive guitar riff was taken from the recording of an unfinished song in August 1975.Template:Sfnp The middle section ("Take it easy...") was adapted from a track called "Dream World".[5] This was recorded in September–October 1978,Template:Sfnp but not released until it was included on a 2010 deluxe edition of the Voulez-Vous album.[6]

"Does Your Mother Know" was composed by Benny Anderson and Ulvaeus at the beginning of 1979 on a songwriting trip to the Bahamas, rather than on the Swedish island of Template:Ill in the Stockholm Archipelago, where much of their music had previously been written. The inspiration for the lyrics came from a newspaper article, whilst the title was a phrase Ulvaeus had seen in a book or magazine.[7] In a 2018 video interview with The Economist, Ulvaeus said that, in today's day and age, he would be more hesitant on writing the track in light of events like the MeToo movement.[2] The demo featured his guide vocal and it was decided to keep this during the recording process.[1] An early, rockier version of song (with a longer introduction) was performed partially live for the BBC TV special, Abba in Switzerland,[8] recorded in Leysin on 16 February and broadcast across Europe in April 1979.[9][10] The instrumental introduction on the released version featured a sound Anderson had created on an expensive Yamaha GX-1 analogue synthesizer, somewhat similar in its operation to the Minimoog.[7][11] The drumming style was influenced by Carmine Appice, whom Ola Brunkert had seen perform with Rod Stewart at a concert in Leicester, while ABBA were in the United Kingdom doing some TV promotional work.[12]

Critical reception

Critics were mostly favorable to the song. In a contemporary review, Billboard felt the song sounds like those from the musical Grease, saying that "the sweet, airy vocals contrast effectively with the rocking instrumentation."[13] Cash Box said that it is a "rocking departure for the group, although the overall sound is still Europop."[14] Record World said that "this buoyant pop-rocker is destined to become a classic."[15] Cliff White from Smash Hits wrote a favorable review saying, "When it comes to pure, no-nonsense pop music performed with flair and no hint of condescension, Abba generally pull it off better than most. This time [...] they've excelled themselves with a lively rocker that I'll be happy to hear on my tranny any time over the next couple of months."[16] However, the Los Angeles Times was less liking of the song, with reviewer Robert Hilburn referring disparagingly to the song (and ABBA's output in general) as "cream puff" music.Template:Efn[17] Retrospectively, AllMusic reviewer Donald A. Guarisco said of the song that "ABBA's recording balances the song's rock elements with dance music touches to create an intriguing dance/rock hybrid" and that its "macho feel is enhanced by a rockabilly-styled melody that flowers into a swinging chorus".[18]

Some critics have rated "Does Your Mother Know" as one of ABBA's best songs. In 2018, Rob Sheffield ranked "Does Your Mother Know" 11th in a list of ABBA's top 25 songs published by Rolling Stone.[19] In 2021, Total Guitar rated it the group's fourth best guitar song, after "Waterloo", "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)" and "SOS".[20] It was placed 18th in a 2024 BBC Radio 2 poll to find listeners' favourite ABBA song.[21]

Commercial reception

"Does Your Mother Know" was another sizeable ABBA hit, hitting No. 1 in Belgium and reaching the top 5 in Great Britain, Ireland, the Netherlands and Finland. It was also a top 10 hit in Australia, Canada, West Germany, Rhodesia and Switzerland. As of September 2021, it is ABBA's 14th-biggest song in the UK, including both pure sales and digital streams.[22]

Music video

The video for the song was shot by Lasse Hallström, and like that for "Voulez-Vous", featured ABBA performing to a dancing audience as if in a discotheque.Template:Sfnp

Usage in media

The song featured prominently in the 2003 film Johnny English, starring Rowan Atkinson.[23] "Does Your Mother Know" is featured in the jukebox musical Mamma Mia! and its 2008 film adaptation. In this version the gender roles were reversed, so that the lead vocal involved an older woman singing about a younger male's attempt to seduce her. American rock group R.E.M. covered the original song live,Template:Sfnp whilst British band Oasis used a variant of the opening guitar riff on their 2002 track "The Hindu Times".[24]

Personnel

Taken from the Voulez-Vous album.[25]

Charts

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Certifications and sales

ABBA version

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Mamma Mia! version

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Notes

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References

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  21. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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  24. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  25. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  26. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  27. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".
  28. ↑ "Script error: No such module "WLink".&titel=Script error: No such module "WLink".&cat=s ABBA – Does Your Mother Know" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
  29. ↑ "Script error: No such module "WLink".&titel=Script error: No such module "WLink".&cat=s ABBA – Does Your Mother Know" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
  30. ↑ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 2956." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved May 14, 2025.
  31. ↑ "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 2948." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved May 14, 2025.
  32. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  33. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  34. ↑ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Does Your Mother Know". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
  35. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  36. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 22, 1979" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
  37. ↑ "Script error: No such module "WLink".&titel=Script error: No such module "WLink".&cat=s ABBA – Does Your Mother Know" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
  38. ↑ "Script error: No such module "WLink".&titel=Script error: No such module "WLink".&cat=s ABBA – Does Your Mother Know". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
  39. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  40. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  41. ↑ "Script error: No such module "WLink".&titel=Script error: No such module "WLink".&cat=s ABBA – Does Your Mother Know". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
  42. ↑ Template:Digits/7501/ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
  43. ↑ Script error: No such module "WLink"./chart-history/HSI "ABBA Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
  44. ↑ Script error: No such module "WLink"./chart-history/ASI "ABBA Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
  45. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  46. ↑ Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".
  47. ↑ Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".
  48. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – ABBA – Does Your Mother Know" Template:In lang. GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
  49. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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Sources

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External links

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