"Dum Dum Diddle" is a song by

ABBA ABBA ( ) were a Swedish pop group formed in Stockholm in 1972 by Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad. They are one of the most popular and successful musical groups of all time, and are one of the List ...

, released on their 1976 album ''

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''. In 1977, it was released as a promo single in

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on the

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label.

Production

When asked how ABBA made "such a ridiculous and quite banal song s Dum Dum Diddlecome alive," Björn Again founder Rod Leissle said, "I think ABBA had a special quality about them. They could put ridiculous lyrics into a song, and because they were fundamentally great songwriters they could make it work. A line like 'Dum Dum Diddle, to be your fiddle' doesn't really make a great deal of sense, but it still works because it's something you can sing along to and enjoy".

Composition

"Dum Dum Diddle" is a folk-inspired pop song, featuring acoustic guitar from

Lasse Wellander Lars-Ove "Lasse" Wellander (18 June 1952 – 7 April 2023) was a Swedish guitarist, best known for his association with ABBA. (Titles of print and online versions differ). He first recorded with the group's backing band in 1974, and played on ...

in the verses. Lead vocals are shared by

Agnetha Fältskog Agneta Åse "Agnetha" Fältskog (; born 5 April 1950) is a Swedish singer, songwriter, and a former member of the pop group ABBA. She first achieved success in Sweden with the release of her 1968 Agnetha Fältskog (album), self-titled debut alb ...

and

Anni-Frid Lyngstad Anni-Frid Synni Lyngstad (born 15 November 1945), also known simply as Frida, is a Swedish singer who is best known as one of the founding members and lead singers of the pop band ABBA. Courtesy titles ''Principality of Reuss-Gera, Princess Re ...

. The song has a fiddle-style refrain (simulated by a synthesiser), which serves as its hook. It contains a "stream of strong melodies and instrumentation".

Synopsis

The song is about a woman who quietly longs for the affections of a sad, lonely man who derives his only pleasure from constantly playing and practicing on his violin. ''

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'' described it as "a song about a woman who feels sexually threatened by her partner's violin".

Critical reception

''Abba's Abba Gold'' suggests that ABBA criticised the song, but adds that the writers of the book like it. ''Abba - Uncensored on the Record'' said the "unfortunately titled song ... seemed like a reversion to Eurovision-style thinking". ''The complete New Zealand music charts, 1966-2006'' describes the song as "rather silly but fun". ''Bright Lights Dark Shadows: The Real Story of Abba'' implied that Eagle was more lyrically ambitious than "the 'dum dum diddles' of ABBA's earlier work". ''

The Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper in the U.S. and the larges ...

'' described the song as "cheery nonsense". ''The Scotsman'' implied that "Dum Dum Diddle" was a bad song by saying: "LIFE – to quote Toni Collette in ''Muriel's Wedding'' – can be 'as good as an Abba song' but the clunky transfer of ''Mamma Mia!'' from stage to screen proves that it can be just as awful as 'Dum Dum Diddle' too."

References

{{Authority control 1976 singles 1976 songs ABBA songs Atlantic Records singles Epic Records singles Polar Music singles Songs written by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus