"The Winner Takes It All" was something of a deviation from ABBA's pre (More)
"The Winner Takes It All" was something of a deviation from ABBA's previous singles. Earlier ABBA songs focussing on break-ups and relationship problems (such as "Mamma Mia" and "Knowing Me, Knowing You"), tended to have a very happy and upbeat quality to the music. "The Winner Takes It All", however, was a more sorrowful and poignant song, very much unlike anything that ABBA had done before. The lyrics are one of ABBA's most dramatic and are said to accurately describe the heartbreak and pain of a marriage that has ended. The song consists of several subdued sections in the verse, contrasted with a hugely dramatic build-up to the powerful chorus. (Less)