"Tiger" is a song by the Swedish

pop Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop! (British group), a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Album ...

band

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 ...

. The song was released on the 1976 album ''Arrival''.

History

"Tiger" is written from the perspective of a threatening entity warning the listener of the dangers of the city: "People who fear me never come near me, I am the tiger". The exact meaning behind "Tiger" is debated, although most speculators agree "tiger" is used as a

metaphor A metaphor is a figure of speech that, for rhetorical effect, directly refers to one thing by mentioning another. It may provide, or obscure, clarity or identify hidden similarities between two different ideas. Metaphors are usually meant to cr ...

for dangerous aspects of city life. Some hypothesize the tiger represents a stalker or

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, while others believe the tiger symbolizes the harmful nature of

illicit drugs The prohibition of drugs through sumptuary legislation or religious law is a common means of attempting to prevent the recreational use of certain intoxicating substances. An area has a prohibition of drugs when its government uses the for ...

. The vocals for the song were sung 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 ...

Performance

In the 1977 concert tours, the song was preceded by "the sound of helicopters booming over the speakers". ABBA also performed the song in the film '' ABBA: The Movie''.

Music video

The music video for "Tiger" features all four members of ABBA dressed in denim clothing riding in a

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at nighttime. It was aired on the "ABBA-Dabba-Dooo!" TV special.

Critical reception

''Bright lights, dark shadows: the real story of Abba'' described the song as "rocky".

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

described the song as "gripping".

References

1976 songs ABBA songs Songs written by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus {{1970s-pop-song-stub