The Revolutionary Meaning Behind ABBA’s Freedom-Fighting “Fernando”

If, in 1605, Miguel de Cervantes had the pop sensibilities of Sweden’s ABBA, Don Quixote might have spent the past 400 years being sung at every iteration of a stadium or karaoke bar on the planet. “Fernando” is one of the most successful songs ever written. ABBA’s songwriting and performance are so powerful, and Fernando’s character is so lovable, that the song seems to exist outside of age and time.

Don Quixote was ubiquitous enough to inspire the establishment of a new adjective. Some works are bigger than the medium, and ABBA released quite a few songs that fit this description. “Fernando” may be at the top of the list.

Why is it that some songs reach a place of transcendence like this? Songs like “Yesterday,” “Like a Rolling Stone,” or “Smells Like Teen Spirit” are more than just commercially successful hits. They touch the soul of what it means to be human. And the very heart of that soul is freedom. “Fernando” is a celebration of the fight for liberty. Think of the feeling of being freed from restraint. It’s an exultation that millions of people from different countries and time periods share. A shared thirst for freedom, that’s the sound of “Fernando.”

ABBA’s composition and performance of “Fernando” is the sound of exultation. It’s one of the great moments in pop music history.

The Meaning Behind the Song

The song tells the story of two veteran freedom fighters from the Mexican Revolution looking back on their time fighting for independence. “Fernando” opens with a scene depicting the moment the two revolutionaries enter the battle. As the sound of war draws close, Fernando’s bravery helps the pair of rebels overcome the fear of dying.

I’m not ashamed to say
The roar of guns and cannons almost made me cry

A vivid portrait of bright stars against the sound of cannons and gunfire has the two revolutionaries
confirming to each other that the cause for freedom is just. They enter the fight without regret. Looking
back, they would do it all over again.

There was something in the air that night
The stars were bright, Fernando
They were shining there for you and me
For liberty, Fernando

Now in old age, Fernando is asked if he can still hear the sound of drums. Though the fight was long
ago, his comrade recalls the look of pride in Fernando’s eyes.

Do you still recall the fateful night we crossed the Rio Grande?
I can see it in your eyes how proud you were to fight for freedom in this land

Writers of the Song

“Fernando” was written by ABBA members Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus. Ulvaeus said the song came to him while lying under the stars on a summer night. He envisioned two revolutionaries, wounded and elderly, reminiscing about their fight for independence.

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Facts About the Song

ABBA’s Frida released “Fernando” on her 1975 solo album, Ensam. A year later ABBA re-recorded “Fernando” and included their version on their 1976 greatest hits album. It went on to become one of the biggest-selling singles in history, and has the rare distinction of selling more than 10 million physical copies.

The original version of “Fernando” was written in the Swedish language by ABBA’s manager, Stig Anderson. In this version, Fernando has lost the love of his life and his comrade tries to console him. A Spanish version appears on ABBA’s album Gracias Por La Música, which was released in Spain and Latin America.

“Fernando” was a No. 1 single in 13 countries and peaked at No. 13 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. “Fernando” became the first of two ABBA songs to reach No. 1 on Billboard’s Adult Contemporary chart; it was joined by “The Winner Takes It All” in 1980.

The song opens with fife and drum, and it doesn’t matter what language you speak—we know what this sound represents. The intro music matches the anticipation of the freedom fighters in the opening verse of “Fernando.”

I could hear the distant drums
And sounds of bugle calls were coming from afar

Impact of the Song

“Fernando” was a worldwide hit and has been translated into multiple languages while reaching No. 1 in 13 countries. There’s a storybook quality to the song and its protagonist. In the 17th century, Miguel de Cervantes wrote Don Quixote, the first modern novel, and while Quixote and Fernando are very different characters with different stories, they similarly transcend language and time.

Conclusion

“Fernando” is an ageless story of bravery and freedom. Whether one is celebrating freedom or in the midst of fighting for it, a song like this remains both a celebration and a battle cry that’s bigger than language, border, or time period.

“Fernando” celebrates the fight for liberty, and like all great stories, reminds us of an essential truth: freedom is not a guarantee. Someone has to fight for it. We don’t have to live in Mexico or be a revolutionary to see ourselves in Fernando. He’s a mythical hero we can see in ourselves and our own culture.

Photo by: Universal Archive/Universal Images Group via Getty Images