About The Song
Released in 1976 on their iconic album Arrival, this track stands out for a few reasons. Firstly, it’s the only song on the album with Björn Ulvaeus taking the lead vocals, offering a different vocal texture from the usual ABBA sound. Secondly, the musical style itself is a delightful departure. “Why Did It Have To Be Me?” embraces a playful mix of genres, blending elements of blues, jazz, and pop with a touch of rock and roll thrown in for good measure. It’s a far cry from the disco anthems that dominated the airwaves at the time, and perhaps that’s what makes it so enduring.
But what truly sets “Why Did It Have To Be Me?” apart is its lyrical content. Unlike some of ABBA’s more exuberant tracks, this song tackles a theme that’s universally relatable, especially for those of us with a few decades under our belts: heartbreak. The lyrics paint a picture of someone left feeling bewildered and hurt by the end of a love affair. The speaker asks the poignant question, “Why Did It Have To Be Me?”, a question that echoes through the ages, a sentiment we’ve all likely muttered under our breath at some point.
“Why Did It Have To Be Me?” isn’t a song about wallowing in self-pity, though. It’s a song about acknowledging the pain and then, perhaps, starting to move on. There’s a touch of humor woven into the lyrics too, a playful resignation in the face of misfortune. It’s a quality that resonates particularly with those of us who’ve learned to laugh at life’s little (and sometimes not-so-little) ironies.
So, if you’re feeling a touch nostalgic, or perhaps nursing a broken heart yourself, put on ABBA’s “Why Did It Have To Be Me?”. Let the music transport you back to a simpler time, and take comfort in the knowledge that you’re not alone. After all, haven’t we all, at some point, wondered why love had to leave us feeling so darn blue?