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"Fernando"
Single by ABBA from the album Arrival (Australian and New Zealand release)
Released	April 12, 1976 March 27, 1976 September 4, 1976
Format	7" Single
Genre	Pop/Europop
Length	4:12
Writer	Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, Stig Anderson
Producer	Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson
Certification	N/A
ABBA singles chronology
"Mamma Mia" (1975) "Fernando" (1976) "Rock Me" (1976)

"Fernando" is Swedish pop group ABBA's first non-album single. Lead vocal was sung by Anni-Frid Lyngstad. The song appeared on the 1976 ABBA release Greatest Hits in some countries, and it was also included on the Arrival album in Australia and New Zealand. "Fernando" is also featured on the multi-million selling ABBA Gold: Greatest Hits compilation.

Contents 1 History 1.1 Swedish language version 1.2 English language version 2 Reception 3 Chart positions 4 Cover versions 5 Appearances in other media etc. 6 External links

"Fernando" was not originally an ABBA song but was written for ABBA member Anni-Frid Lyngstad. It appeared on her No.1 Swedish solo album, 1975's 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.

The Swedish language version's lyrics were written by ABBA's manager Stig Anderson and differs substantially from the preceding English language one. In the original the narrator tries to console the heartbroken Fernando, who has lost his great love. "The sorrow can be hard to bear, but the fact that friends let us down is something we all have to cope with." The bittersweet chorus goes "Long live love, our best friend, Fernando. Raise your glass and propose a toast to it, to love, Fernando. Play the melody and a sing a song of happiness. Long live love, Fernando".

The English version, with re-written lyrics by Ulvaeus, 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. Their reference to "the fateful night we crossed the Rio Grande" would appear to tie the setting to Mexico, specifically Pancho Villa's cross border raid on Columbus, New Mexico in the time of the Mexican Revolution. Though unlikely, some have been speculated that this song refers to the role of the International Brigade volunteers in the Spanish Civil War. The composers claim that they did not mean to refer to any specific war or period.

Fernando's B-side was entitled "Hey Hey Helen", although in some countries "Tropical Loveland" was used instead.

After the huge success Frida had scored in Scandinavia with the Swedish version of "Fernando", the group decided to go for a re-recording in English. It was a wise step, as "Fernando" became one of ABBA's best selling singles ever, topping the charts in twelve countries worldwide: West Germany, the UK, Ireland, France, Belgium, Austria, Switzerland, the Netherlands, South Africa, Mexico, New Zealand and Australia, where "ABBA-mania" had reached epic proportions. It remained at No.1 for 14 weeks (and stayed in the Australian charts for 40 weeks), making "Fernando" one of the best-selling singles of all time in Australia. "Fernando" also reached the Top 3 in ABBA's native Sweden (although Frida's Swedish version was No.1 in Sweden for 10 weeks), Norway, Zimbabwe (then Rhodesia), Canada and Spain. When Frida´s Nr 1 position in Sweden is included, "Fernando" was actually Nr 1 in 13 countries, equal to "Dancing Queen".

"Fernando" peaked at No.13 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, making it (at the time) ABBA's highest charting American single after "Waterloo". However, "Fernando" did reach the top spot on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart, the first of two chart-topping AC hits for ABBA on this chart (the second being "The Winner Takes It All"). The song remains an airplay staple on North American radio stations specializing in the MOR, adult standards and easy listening formats.

"Fernando" was also chosen as the "Best Studio Recording of 1975", ABBA's first international prize.

Chart (1976)	Position (Weeks on top)
Australian ARIA Singles Chart	1 (14)
Austrian Singles Chart	1 (8)
Belgian Singles Chart	1 (3)
Dutch Singles Chart	1 (3)
French Singles Chart	1 (3)
German Singles Chart	1 (7)
Irish Singles Chart	1 (6)
Mexican Singles Chart	1 (5)
New Zealand Singles Chart	1 (9)
South African Singles Chart	1
Swiss Singles Chart	1 (11)
UK Singles Chart	1 (4)
Canadian Singles Chart	2
Norwegian Singles Chart	2
Swedish Singles Chart	2
Zimbabwean Singles Chart	2
Spanish Singles Chart	3
Italian Singles Chart	6
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	13

• In 1976, Swedish singer Lena Andersson recorded a German language version of this song. Andersson was also signed to the Polar label so she could use the original backing track.
• A Swedish country band called Nashville Train (which included some of ABBA's own backing band members) also covered the song in the 1970s on their album ABBA Our Way.
• The Swedish singer Lotta Engberg has recorded a cover version of the Swedish language version of the song.
• The famous Swedish dance band Vikingarna has also recorded a cover version of the Swedish language version of the song.
• American actress/singer Audrey Landers (of Dallas fame) recorded a cover of the song.
• U.S. indie music artist Pamela McNeill included a rendition of the song on her Tribute To ABBA album.
• British dance tribute group Abbacadabra released a cover and several remixes of the song through Almighty Records in the late 1990s.
• Danish pop duo The Olsen Brothers recorded a cover of this song.
• German Eurodance group E-Rotic covered the song on their album Thank You For The Music.
• An electronica version by Bug Funny Foundation is included on the compilation The Electronic Tribute To ABBA.
• The 2004 album ABBAMania 2 featured a cover by British TV actress Jane Danson.
• The song has been performed live in English as a duet by Swedish singers Helen Sjöholm and Karin Glenmark.
• Only a few lines of the song are sung briefly by the character of Donna in the Mamma Mia! musical.

• The Dutch soccer player Fernando Ricksen was named after this tune by his mother.
• 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.
• "Fernando" was used in an episode of the sitcom Malcolm in the Middle. The episode featured Bea Arthur playing a babysitter in charge of taking care of Dewey while the rest of the family is away. The relationship between the two starts off rocky, but slowly improves. It culminates with a classic scene of the two dancing to "Fernando" passionately, with Bea Arthur's character eventually passing.
• "Fernando" was also used in "That Disco Episode", a Season 1 episode of That '70s Show. Hyde dances with Donna to the song at the disco. Then Eric Forman starts singing a verse from the song to Donna, and they start dancing to it.
• "Fernando" was also used in the trailer for Spike Lee's 1999 movie Summer of Sam. The movie itself also featured a few other ABBA songs, most notably "Dancing Queen".

• "Fernando" music video with lyrics

Preceded by "Save Your Kisses for Me" by Brotherhood of Man

UK number one single May 8, 1976

Succeeded by "No Charge" by J.J Barrie

v • d • e ABBA
Agnetha Fältskog • Björn Ulvaeus • Benny Andersson • Anni-Frid Lyngstad
Studio albums	Ring Ring • Waterloo • ABBA • Arrival • The Album • Voulez-Vous • Super Trouper • The Visitors
Compilations	Greatest Hits • Greatest Hits Vol. 2 • Gracias Por La Música • The Singles: The First Ten Years • ABBA Gold: Greatest Hits • More ABBA Gold: More ABBA Hits • ABBA Oro: Grandes Éxitos • Thank You for the Music • The Definitive Collection • The Complete Studio Recordings • Number Ones
Hit singles	"People Need Love" • "He Is Your Brother" • "Ring Ring" • "Love Isn't Easy (But It Sure Is Hard Enough)" • "Waterloo" • "Honey, Honey" • "So Long" • "I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do" • "SOS" • "Mamma Mia" • "Fernando" • "Dancing Queen" • "Money, Money, Money" • "Knowing Me, Knowing You" • "The Name of the Game" • "Take a Chance on Me" • "Eagle" • "Summer Night City" • "Chiquitita" • "Does Your Mother Know" • "Voulez-Vous" • "Angeleyes" • "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)" • "I Have a Dream" • "The Winner Takes It All" • "On and On and On" • "Super Trouper" • "Lay All Your Love on Me" • "One of Us" • "When All is Said and Done" • "Head over Heels" • "The Day Before You Came" • "Under Attack" • "Thank You for the Music"
Related articles	Discography • Unreleased songs • Eurovision Song Contest 1974 • Mamma Mia! • Congratulations • Music of Sweden • Stig Andersson