The Day Before You Came Lyrics
[Verse 1: Agnetha]
I must have left my house at eight because I always do
My train, I'm certain, left the station just when it was due
I must have read the morning paper going into town
And having gotten through the editorial no doubt I must have frowned
I must have made my desk around a quarter after nine
With letters to be read and heaps of papers waiting to be signed
I must have gone to lunch
At half past twelve or so, the usual place, the usual bunch
And still on top of this I'm pretty sure it must have rained
The day before you came
[Verse 2: Agnetha]
I must have lit my seventh cigarette at half past two
And at the time I never even noticed I was blue
I must have kept on dragging through the business of the day
Without really knowing anything I hid a part of me away
At five I must have left, there's no exception to the rule
A matter of routine, I've done it ever since I finished school
The train back home again
Undoubtedly I must have read the evening paper then
Oh yes, I'm sure my life was well within its usual frame
The day before you came
[Vocalisations: Frida]
I must have left my house at eight because I always do
My train, I'm certain, left the station just when it was due
I must have read the morning paper going into town
And having gotten through the editorial no doubt I must have frowned
I must have made my desk around a quarter after nine
With letters to be read and heaps of papers waiting to be signed
I must have gone to lunch
At half past twelve or so, the usual place, the usual bunch
And still on top of this I'm pretty sure it must have rained
The day before you came
[Verse 2: Agnetha]
I must have lit my seventh cigarette at half past two
And at the time I never even noticed I was blue
I must have kept on dragging through the business of the day
Without really knowing anything I hid a part of me away
At five I must have left, there's no exception to the rule
A matter of routine, I've done it ever since I finished school
The train back home again
Undoubtedly I must have read the evening paper then
Oh yes, I'm sure my life was well within its usual frame
The day before you came
[Vocalisations: Frida]
[Verse 3: Agnetha]
I must have opened my front door at eight o'clock or so
And stopped along the way to buy some Chinese food to go
I'm sure I had my dinner watching something on TV
There's not, I think, a single episode of "Dallas" that I didn't see
I must have gone to bed around a quarter after ten
I need a lot of sleep and so I like to be in bed by then
I must have read a while
The latest one by Marilyn French, or something in that style
It's funny, but I had no sense of living without aim
The day before you came
[Outro: Agnetha]
And turning out the light
I must have yawned and cuddled up for yet another night
And rattling on the roof I must have heard the sound of rain
The day before you came
[Vocalisations: Frida]
I must have opened my front door at eight o'clock or so
And stopped along the way to buy some Chinese food to go
I'm sure I had my dinner watching something on TV
There's not, I think, a single episode of "Dallas" that I didn't see
I must have gone to bed around a quarter after ten
I need a lot of sleep and so I like to be in bed by then
I must have read a while
The latest one by Marilyn French, or something in that style
It's funny, but I had no sense of living without aim
The day before you came
[Outro: Agnetha]
And turning out the light
I must have yawned and cuddled up for yet another night
And rattling on the roof I must have heard the sound of rain
The day before you came
[Vocalisations: Frida]
About
Genius Annotation
The song describes in minute detail the day before the big romantic meeting of the narrator’s life. The beauty of describing in such minute detail the banal details leaves the implication that the next day was so extraordinary – yet the listener is invited to fill in the blanks as to quite why this might be.
Q&A
Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning
- 5.Ring Ring
- 6.Waterloo
- 7.Hasta Mañana
- 8.Honey, Honey
- 10.So Long
- 13.S.O.S.
- 14.Mamma Mia
- 15.Fernando
- 16.Dancing Queen
- 17.That’s Me
- 20.Crazy World
- 21.My Love, My Life
- 23.Happy Hawaii
- 26.Eagle
- 30.Chiquitita
- 31.Lovelight
- 33.Voulez-Vous
- 34.Angeleyes
- 36.I Have a Dream
- 38.Elaine
- 39.Super Trouper
- 41.On and On and On
- 42.Our Last Summer
- 44.The Visitors
- 45.One of Us
- 47.Head Over Heels
- 50.The Day Before You Came
- 51.Cassandra
- 52.Under Attack
- 54.Dream World
- 56.Hej gamle man!
- 57.Merry-Go-Round
- 58.Santa Rosa
- 61.You Owe Me One
Credits
Producers
Writers
Phonographic Copyright ℗
Copyright ©
Remastering Engineer
Vocals
Publisher
Drums
Synthesizer
Keyboards
Guitar
Background Vocals
Percussion
Arranger
Assistant Remastering Engineer
Engineer
Recorded At
Polar Music Studios, Stockholm, Sweden
Released on
October 18, 1982
Songs That Sample The Day Before You Came
Songs That Interpolate The Day Before You Came
The Day Before You Came Covers
The Day Before You Came by Amberian Dawn, De dag voordat jij kwam by Ruurd Woltring, The Day Before You Came by Blancmange, The Day Before You Came by Anne Sofie von Otter, The Day Before You Came by Cast Of "Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again" (Ft. Meryl Streep), The Day Before You Came by Tanita Tikaram & The Day Before You Came by Steven Wilson
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