“Just a Notion” by ABBA

As pointed out in the trivia section, the lyrics of ABBA’s “Just a Notion” are a few decades old. And resultantly they are very much reminiscent of the days of ABBA old, with the wording being very, let’s say inoffensive and family friendly. In other words, it doesn’t even feel at all like a 2020s love song put out by a major artist.

And even though there isn’t any raunchy or even overtly-romantic lingo, is it easy to deduce that this is indeed a love song. And basically, what it centers on is the vocalist playfully letting the addressee know that she understands or ‘just has a notion’ that this person is very much attracted to her.

So it’s like she’s hoping that he actually musters up the courage to step to her. And the way she envisions it is that if they do hook up, which by the way isn’t a given, that they’ll be “dancing through the night” and spend the evening happily ever after.

So conclusively, it can be said that the vocalist is very much looking forward to eventually dating the addressee. And that seems more or less inevitable at this point. She already has like the perfect evening for them planned out. And the implication, even though the lyrics don’t really go there, is that this infatuation turned courtship will eventually lead, at least in the mind of the singer, to a more lasting romance.

Björn Ulvaeus talks about “Just a Notion”

ABBA’s Björn Ulvaeus has referred to “Just a Notion” as a “ridiculously happy song”. And he hopes it will bring happiness to people in “these dark times”.

Facts about “Just a Notion”

2021 is the year the legendary ABBA’s comeback, after nearly a solid 40 years hiatus, became complete with the issuance of their album Voyage via Universal Records and Polar Music. And “Just a Notion” was released as the second single from that project on 22 October 2021.

As implied above, at the release of this track the four members of ABBA – Benny, Agnetha, Frida and Björn – are undeniably aged. 

Björn, at 76, is the oldest member of the crew, with Agnetha, currently being 71 years old, the youngest. Therefore, as pointed out in our earlier analysis of “I Still Have Faith in You“, one of the first singles from Voyage, the music they’re dropping in the here and now relies heavily on nostalgia, such as holographic or digitized images of themselves from when they were younger. 

And relatedly, this song we’re covering today was actually recorded back in 1978. But for whatever reason it didn’t make any of the albums they actually came out with at the time. But to note, the current release of the tune has been instrumentally embellished, though the original vocals retained.

This song was written and produced by the aforementioned Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus. The pair have been regular composition partners for decades. They both served such roles back in ABBA’s heyday.

The “Voyage” Album

Two lead singles, “I Still Have Faith in You” and “Don’t Shut Me Down“, were issued from Voyage simultaneously. And whereas they may not rank amongst ABBA’s greatest songs, both of these tracks, especially the latter, proved to be international hits. And it has also been noted that ABBA’s upcoming Voyage tour will consist of a live band, but the vocals are from back in the day.