☝️ Key Points
- The song is about the emotional turbulence and regret that can arise after a breakup.
- The singer talks about missed opportunities and the feeling of being held back by their partner, which led to the separation.
- After the breakup, the singer feels lonely and misses their ex-partner.
- The song showcases the complex nature of relationships and breakups, and how decisions that seem right in one moment can be regretted later.
Interpretation
The song 'One of Us' by
ABBA is about the emotional turbulence and regret that can occur after a breakup. The singer talks about missed opportunities and the feeling of being held back by their partner, which led to the decision to separate ('They passed me by, all of those great romances... And so I dealt you the blow, One of us had to go'). However, after the separation, the singer realizes that they feel lonely and miss their ex-partner, as reflected in the lyrics 'One of us is crying, One of us is lying in her lonely bed, Staring at the ceiling, Wishing she was somewhere else instead'. The song showcases the complex nature of relationships and breakups, and how decisions that seem right in one moment can be regretted later.