Tivedshambo

Filmed: Thursday 16 January 1986

Location: Benny's attic studio, Stockholm, Sweden

Broadcast: Saturday 18 January 1986

Release status: Unreleased

Duration: 2:38

Shown in: Sweden

Additional information

ABBA reformed for first time since "the end" in 1982 to perform Tivedshambo for Stig Anderson's appearance on Här är ditt liv (This Is Your Life). The song was one of Stig's first ever compositions in 1947.

Görel Hanser was standing next to the camera (out of shot) holding up the lyrics for them.

Apparently Frida's good friend Daniel Balavoine had been killed in a helicopter crash 36 hours previously in the African desert (along with Paris Dakar race organizer Thierry Sabine) which might explain her sad and pale appearance as the news would have been very fresh and shocking.

Frida arrived just a few hours before filming and apparently left just one hour after the taping. Before this performance, Frida and Agnetha hadn't met for two years.

This was the very last performance by the ABBA members together that has been shown to the public (and labelled as such - "an ABBA appearance".  It would be another 30 years before they spontaneously stood together at the opening of Mamma Mia! The Party in Stockholm in January 2016, and then in June 2016 stood on stage together at the Benny and Björn 50th anniversary party (although that was a private event)).

Release information:
This clip was available on the SVT open archive but has since been removed.

Translation (and explanation) of what Björn says at the start of the song:

"Stikkan, ever since I heard these lines written by you, I've realized you're a genius.

"Hör hur det skvalar ur din högtalar" ("Listen how it (the music) streams out of your loudspeaker").
[It rhymes in Swedish but the word "högtalar" isn't correctly spelled. It should be "högtalare" but it's assumed Stig wrote "högtalar" to make it rhyme with "skvalar".]

But we won't sing that now, instead (we'll sing) an immortal hambo."

 

 

Tivedshambo

Vi skriver lördagskväll
och tivedsflickan säll
har vandrat ut från mörka skogen
åt alla hörn och håll
det gått som en paroll:
Pa lördag är det dans på logen
och med en tacksam smäll
att det är lördagskväll
slår kolaren igen sin koja
för när som det är dans
i trakten någonstans
då vill han vara med och skoja

Där vi i skog och dal 
sällan skådar kvinnlig fägring
där uti kojan sval
hambo låter som en hägring
men nu vi chansen har
att få minnen med tillbaka
bra att ha vid långa gråa dar
som tröst för det vi får försaka

Hör raska klackar slår
när tivedshambo går.
Har Fridas Verner blivit galen
här sprätter tivedsbor
i hambodansens klor,
och Verner jagar landsfiskalen
jag blir det gräl och kin
så avgörs det med kniv
för här är rena Vilda Västern
till vardag och till fest
är rapesnuset bäst.
Kom hit så bär vi bort orkestern

Kvinnor, vin och sång,
vi slåss på samma gång
och river sönder våra kläder
och har man inga kvar
man går med rumpan bar
och tror på fortsatt vackert väder
vi kastar inte pil,
vi har en annan stil
som mera lutar åt det vilda
jag har väl ändå rätt
att slåss på min biljett
när dom ger ögonkast åt Hilda

Då kan det hända att
tivedsblodet svallar över
då åker rock och hatt
utifall ni stryk behöver
Vana vid släp och slip
kojarliv och tivedskogar
står vårt mod och våran fasta lit
till styrkan och till våra knogar

Hör raska klackar slår
när tivedshambo går.
Har Fridas Verner blivit galen
här sprätter tivedsbor
i hambodansens klor,
och Verner jagar landsfiskalen
jag blir det gräl och kiv
så avgörs det med kniv
för här är rena Vilda Västern
till vardag och till fest
är rapesnuset bäst.
Kom hit så bär vi bort orkestern

© Copyright 1947 Nils-Georgs Musikförlag AB (Ehrling Förlagen)



Tived's Hambo

It's Saturday night
and the blissful girl from Tived
has walked out of the dark forest
And everywhere people say:
This Saturday there's a barn-dance
The charcoal-burner shuts the door of his hut
with a grateful bang
since it's Saturday night
Because when there's dancing
somewhere in the area
He wants to be there and have fun

Throughout the forest and valley
we rarely see female beauty
And inside the cool hut
hambo is like an illusion
But now we have the opportunity
to create some memories to bring back home
They're good to have when you get old
as a comfort for things we then have to go without

You hear shoe heels dance quickly
when the Tivedshambo plays
Has Frida's Verner gone crazy?
People from Tived dance
in the clutches of the hambo dance
And Verner chases the district police superintendent
Yes, if there's a quarrel
it's settled with a knife
because this is like the Wild West
The Rappe snuff is best
for everyday use as well as for festivities
Come over here and let's carry away the orchestra

Women, wine and singing
We fight at the same time
and rip apart our clothes
And if you don't have any clothes left,
you'll have to walk around with bare buttocks
and hope for continued good weather
We don't throw darts
We have a different style
Something that's more reckless
Isn't it still my right to fight
when they flirt with Hilda?

Then it may happen
that the Tived blood starts to boil
Then coat and hat will start flying
if it's a beating you need
We're used to hard work,
life in huts and the woods of Tived
We rely on our strength and knuckles
to give us courage and confidence

You hear shoe heels dance quickly
when the Tivedshambo plays
Has Frida's Verner gone crazy?
People from Tived dance
in the clutches of the hambo dance
And Verner chases the district police superintendent
Yes, if there's a quarrel
it's settled with a knife
because this is like the Wild West
The Rappe snuff is best
for everyday use as well as for festivities
Come over here and let's carry away the orchestra


Thanks to Claes Davidsson for the translation.

 

Thanks to Claes Davidsson, Ian Cole, Jun Seo, Ken Griffin, Erik Liebstaedter and Jozsef.  Extra thanks to Pascale Ranson c/o ABBAMAIL (no longer online) for extra information on Daniel Balavoine.  Some information from Bright Lights, Dark Shadows by Carl Magnus Palm.
YouTube link c/o Stephen Layton

 



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