When All Is Said and Done (song)
Encyclopedia
"When All Is Said and Done" is the name of a song recorded in 1981 by Swedish
pop group ABBA
. It is featured on the group's final studio album, The Visitors
, and was released as a single in the United States
on December 31, 1981 on Atlantic 3889. It debuted on the Billboard pop singles chart on January 9, 1982 and peaked at #27. The lead vocals were sung by Anni-Frid Lyngstad
. The flip-side of the single was "Should I Laugh Or Cry".
", which explored the split between band members Björn Ulvaeus
and Agnetha Fältskog
, "When All Is Said and Done" detailed the divorce between Anni-Frid Lyngstad
and Benny Andersson
.
Written during a time of emotional turmoil, Ulvaeus has admitted that the recent divorce between Benny and Frida was at the back of his mind during the songwriting process for this song. Björn sought approval from Benny and Frida before the group began working with the song. When recording began in March 1981, only one month had passed since their separation.
"When All Is Said and Done" saw Frida giving words and emotions detailing all of her sorrow & pain, not only for herself, but for all of those who had been through a separation. The backing track the group had first recorded was completely changed after Frida had laid down her powerful and emotional vocals. As Frida herself later recalled: "All my sadness was captured in that song."
ABBA recorded a Spanish version of "When All Is Said and Done", "No Hay A Quien Culpar", which was released as a single in Mexico and several other South American countries. The Spanish title written by Buddy and Mary McCluskey translates as "No One Is to Blame". The track was also slightly remixed, for example leaving out the double-tracked snare drum of the original English version and adding new synth overdubs, giving the song a warmer feeling than the original version. In Mexico it reached the #29 chart position.
' as the first single from The Visitors
; the US instead opted for "When All Is Said And Done".
"When All Is Said and Done" was a modest success in the United States
, peaking at No.27 on the Billboard Hot 100
, becoming ABBA
's final Top 40 hit in that market. On Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart, the song reached No.10 and was the group's eighth & last Top 10 hit. On Billboard's Dance/Disco chart, the song peaked at No.7. It debuted on the U.S. charts on December 31, 1981.
When All is Said and Done was also released in Australia, coupled with Soldiers, another song from The Visitors. It peaked at number 81.
of the ABBA musical Mamma Mia!
, performed by Sam Carmichael (as played by Pierce Brosnan
), with one line - "slightly worn but dignified, and not too old for sex" - also sung by Meryl Streep
. The song is substantially different from the original release, not only in that it has been reworked into a ballad but also that a new second verse was written by Björn Ulvaeus specifically for the movie soundtrack and added to the song's original lyrics as recorded by ABBA;
"It's been there in my dreams,
the scene I see unfold
Two at last, flesh and blood, to cherish and to hold
Careless fools will suffer, yes, I know and I confess:
Once I lost my way when something good had just begun
Lesson learned - it's history - when all is said and done"
In the context of the movie the lyrics also take on an entirely different meaning, as opposed to the original which describes a couple going their separate ways it portrays two lovers finding their way back to each other and rekindling their romance. "When All Is Said And Done" is also the only song present in the film that was not included in the original stage version.
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
pop group ABBA
ABBA
ABBA was a Swedish pop group formed in Stockholm in 1970 which consisted of Anni-Frid Lyngstad, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Agnetha Fältskog...
. It is featured on the group's final studio album, The Visitors
The Visitors (ABBA album)
The Visitors is the eighth and final studio album by Swedish pop group ABBA, released on November 30, 1981.With The Visitors, ABBA took several steps away from the "lighter" pop music they had recorded previously and the album is often regarded as a more complex and mature effort...
, and was released as a single in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
on December 31, 1981 on Atlantic 3889. It debuted on the Billboard pop singles chart on January 9, 1982 and peaked at #27. The lead vocals were sung by Anni-Frid Lyngstad
Anni-Frid Lyngstad
Anni-Frid Prinzessin Reuss von Plauen , is a Norwegian-born Swedish pop singer...
. The flip-side of the single was "Should I Laugh Or Cry".
The song
ABBA consisted of two married couples who later divorced. Similar to the group's 1980 track, "The Winner Takes It AllThe Winner Takes It All
"The Winner Takes It All" is a song recorded by Swedish pop group ABBA. Released as the first single from the group's Super Trouper album on July 21, 1980, it is a ballad in the key of F-sharp major, reflecting the end of a romance...
", which explored the split between band members Björn Ulvaeus
Björn Ulvaeus
Björn Kristian Ulvaeus is a Swedish songwriter, composer, musician, writer, producer, a former member of the Swedish musical group ABBA , and co-composer of the musicals Chess, Kristina från Duvemåla, and Mamma Mia!...
and Agnetha Fältskog
Agnetha Fältskog
Agnetha Åse Fältskog is a Swedish recording artist. She achieved success in Sweden after the release of her début album Agnetha Fältskog in 1968, and reached international stardom as a member of the pop group ABBA, which to date has sold over 375 million records worldwide, making it the fourth...
, "When All Is Said and Done" detailed the divorce between Anni-Frid Lyngstad
Anni-Frid Lyngstad
Anni-Frid Prinzessin Reuss von Plauen , is a Norwegian-born Swedish pop singer...
and Benny Andersson
Benny Andersson
Göran Bror "Benny" Andersson is a Swedish musician, composer, a former member of the Swedish musical group ABBA , and co-composer of the musicals Chess, Kristina från Duvemåla, and Mamma Mia!...
.
Written during a time of emotional turmoil, Ulvaeus has admitted that the recent divorce between Benny and Frida was at the back of his mind during the songwriting process for this song. Björn sought approval from Benny and Frida before the group began working with the song. When recording began in March 1981, only one month had passed since their separation.
"When All Is Said and Done" saw Frida giving words and emotions detailing all of her sorrow & pain, not only for herself, but for all of those who had been through a separation. The backing track the group had first recorded was completely changed after Frida had laid down her powerful and emotional vocals. As Frida herself later recalled: "All my sadness was captured in that song."
ABBA recorded a Spanish version of "When All Is Said and Done", "No Hay A Quien Culpar", which was released as a single in Mexico and several other South American countries. The Spanish title written by Buddy and Mary McCluskey translates as "No One Is to Blame". The track was also slightly remixed, for example leaving out the double-tracked snare drum of the original English version and adding new synth overdubs, giving the song a warmer feeling than the original version. In Mexico it reached the #29 chart position.
Reception
Not every territory wanted to release 'One of UsOne of Us (ABBA song)
"One of Us" from 1981 was the first single from Swedish pop group ABBA's final studio album The Visitors, their eighth for Polar, and their seventh for Epic and Atlantic...
' as the first single from The Visitors
The Visitors (ABBA album)
The Visitors is the eighth and final studio album by Swedish pop group ABBA, released on November 30, 1981.With The Visitors, ABBA took several steps away from the "lighter" pop music they had recorded previously and the album is often regarded as a more complex and mature effort...
; the US instead opted for "When All Is Said And Done".
"When All Is Said and Done" was a modest success in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, peaking at No.27 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
, becoming ABBA
ABBA
ABBA was a Swedish pop group formed in Stockholm in 1970 which consisted of Anni-Frid Lyngstad, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Agnetha Fältskog...
's final Top 40 hit in that market. On Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart, the song reached No.10 and was the group's eighth & last Top 10 hit. On Billboard's Dance/Disco chart, the song peaked at No.7. It debuted on the U.S. charts on December 31, 1981.
When All is Said and Done was also released in Australia, coupled with Soldiers, another song from The Visitors. It peaked at number 81.
'Mamma Mia!'
"When All Is Said and Done" was included in 2008 film versionMamma Mia! (film)
Mamma Mia! is a 2008 musical/romantic comedy film adapted from the 1999 West End/2001 Broadway musical of the same name, based on the songs of successful pop group ABBA, with additional music composed by ABBA member Benny Andersson...
of the ABBA musical Mamma Mia!
Mamma Mia!
Mamma Mia! is a stage musical written by British playwright Catherine Johnson, based on the songs of ABBA, composed by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, former members of the band. Although the title of the musical is taken from the group's 1975 chart-topper "Mamma Mia", the plot is fictional, not...
, performed by Sam Carmichael (as played by Pierce Brosnan
Pierce Brosnan
Pierce Brendan Brosnan, OBE is an Irish actor, film producer and environmentalist. After leaving school at 16, Brosnan began training in commercial illustration, but trained at the Drama Centre in London for three years...
), with one line - "slightly worn but dignified, and not too old for sex" - also sung by Meryl Streep
Meryl Streep
Mary Louise "Meryl" Streep is an American actress who has worked in theatre, television and film.Streep made her professional stage debut in 1971's The Playboy of Seville, before her screen debut in the television movie The Deadliest Season in 1977. In that same year, she made her film debut with...
. The song is substantially different from the original release, not only in that it has been reworked into a ballad but also that a new second verse was written by Björn Ulvaeus specifically for the movie soundtrack and added to the song's original lyrics as recorded by ABBA;
"It's been there in my dreams,
the scene I see unfold
Two at last, flesh and blood, to cherish and to hold
Careless fools will suffer, yes, I know and I confess:
Once I lost my way when something good had just begun
Lesson learned - it's history - when all is said and done"
In the context of the movie the lyrics also take on an entirely different meaning, as opposed to the original which describes a couple going their separate ways it portrays two lovers finding their way back to each other and rekindling their romance. "When All Is Said And Done" is also the only song present in the film that was not included in the original stage version.
Cover versions
- British singer Hazell DeanHazell DeanHazell Dean is a British dance-pop singer, who achieved her biggest success in the 1980s as a leading Hi-NRG artist. She is best known for the top ten hits "Searchin' ", "Whatever I Do " and "Who's Leaving Who"...
recorded a dance-oriented cover of "When All Is Said & Done" for her 1996 album The Winner Takes It All: Hazell Dean Sings Abba.
- A soft vocal cover version of the song can be found on the ABBA tribute album Funky ABBA by Swedish musician Nils Landgren. This version features Benny AnderssonBenny AnderssonGöran Bror "Benny" Andersson is a Swedish musician, composer, a former member of the Swedish musical group ABBA , and co-composer of the musicals Chess, Kristina från Duvemåla, and Mamma Mia!...
on piano and vocals by Swedish jazz singer Viktoria TolstoyViktoria TolstoyLouise Viktoria Tolstoy is a Swedish jazz singer. She is the daughter of Erik Kjellberg, and the great-great-granddaughter of writer Leo Tolstoy.- Discography :...
.
- Power Generation Project covered the song on the ABBA Super Hits album.
- Swedish opera singer Anne Sofie von Otter covered the song on her 2006 ABBA tribute album I Let The Music Speak.
- A euro-tranceEuro-tranceThe term Euro-trance describes all "trance"-like European imports into the American dance music market, especially those recorded in Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium.-Dream house:...
version by DJ Ensamble (a.k.a. Popcore) was featured on the 2006 tribute album Trancing Queen by DJ Ensamble. It is also included on the compilation V.A. Remixland Summer 2007.
- The Idea of NorthThe Idea of NorthThe Idea of North are an Australian a cappella vocal ensemble, founded in Canberra in 1993. The group's name is taken from radio broadcasts of pianist Glenn Gould....
performed an a cappellaA cappellaA cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...
version of this song on their Live at the Powerhouse CD and DVD (2007)