"Slipping Through My Fingers" is a song written by Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson and recorded by Swedish pop group ABBA, with lead vocals by Agnetha Fältskog. It was released on their 1981 album The Visitors.[2] The song is about a mother's regret at how quickly her daughter is growing up, and the lack of time they have spent together, as the girl goes to school.
| "Slipping Through My Fingers" | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Promotional single by ABBA | |
| from the album The Visitors | |
| Released | June 1981 |
| Studio | Polar Music |
| Genre | Pop[1] |
| Length | 3:51 |
| Label |
|
| Songwriter(s) | |
| Producer(s) |
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| Alternative cover | |
 Se Me Está Escapando, Argentina | |
| Audio | |
| "Slipping Through My Fingers" on YouTube | |
The inspiration for the song was Ulvaeus' and Fältskog's daughter, Linda Ulvaeus, who was seven at the time the song was written.
The song was released as a single only in Japan, where it was a red vinyl promo single for The Coca-Cola Company with nothing on the B-side except a printed picture of the group. An album with the same name and a similar-looking cover was also released in Japan.
Certifications
edit| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom (BPI)[3] | Silver | 200,000‡ |
|
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
Spanish version
edit"Se Me Está Escapando" is the Spanish Language version of "Slipping Through My Fingers", with lyrics by Buddy and Mary McCluskey. The song was released as a single in Spanish-speaking countries in 1982 and also included on the South American versions of the album The Visitors. The track was first released on CD in 1994 as part of the Polydor US compilation Más ABBA Oro, and in 1999 included on the expanded re-release of ABBA Oro: Grandes Éxitos.
Cover versions
edit- The song is used in the ABBA songs-based musical Mamma Mia!, as well as the 2008 movie adaptation. This version was certified Silver by BPI in 2021.[4]
- American stage musical singer Wendy Coates recorded a cover of the song for her 2001 album Journeys.
- English singer/songwriter Declan McKenna released a stripped-down cover of the song in 2023.[5]
References
edit- ^ Rowe, Felix (October 31, 2024). "Classic Album: Abba - The Visitors". Classic Pop. Retrieved December 22, 2024.
- ^ "The Visitors". Swedish mediadatabse. 1981. Retrieved 19 March 2017.
- ^ "British single certifications – ABBA – Slipping Through My Fingers". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
- ^ "British certifications – Original Cast Recording – Slipping Through My Fingers". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 25 December 2021.
- ^ Aubrey, Elizabeth (2023-12-15). "Declan McKenna shares studio cover of ABBA's 'Slipping Through My Fingers'". NME. Retrieved 2023-12-15.