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

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 it's usual frame
The day before you came

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

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


Lyrics submitted by SallyDammerung

Day Before You Came Lyrics as written by Bjoern K Ulvaeus Benny Goran Bror Andersson

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

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The Day Before You Came song meanings
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2 Comments

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  • +1
    General Comment

    This is a great version of the song by Abba. The lyrics have been slightly changed.

    Instead of Abba's: "I must have read a while; the latest one by Marilyn French or something in that style" It's "Or maybe I read a while, The latest one by Declan Gunn or something in that style."

    And Abba goes: "There's not, I think, a single episode of Dallas that I didn't see" whereas it's here: "There cannot be a sitcom or a game show that I've never seen."

    The song describes a before-after-setting, but you only learn the before: an aimless, empty life, that is not even aware of its problems. But I'm not really sure, if the change will ever happen.

    Blaubeerwaldon August 24, 2008   Link
  • +1
    My Interpretation

    This version of the song is a suicide note about a person who was alone and didn't realize what he was missing; then fell in love and lost it.

    The entire song is sung like a letter being written, describing a normal day for this person. Throughout all the verses, you can see the singer referencing the past in how his life was so dull and monotonous "the day before you came". There are however, a few lyrics that show he is also writing in present tense and those are

    "I never even noticed I was blue." "I must have shut a part of me away." "I sleep so much these days"

    All of these lines are associated with depression. They mention reading "The latest one by Declan Gunn or something in that style." Declan Gunn is a fictional author in the book I, Lucifer. In I, Lucifer, Declan Gunn is a depressed, suicidal alcoholic who's outlook on life is rather bleak and sad. Something of that style to Gunns' writing would be equally depressing and dark.

    "It's funny, but I had no sense of living without aim, The day before you came."

    This is a powerful verse that describes a person who once had their life in complete order, however unknowingly and ignorant they were to love. Only to be shown the potential behind what could have been and to have it ripped away at the same time.

    Fuckthisfuckyouon May 16, 2014   Link

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