"I Wonder (Departure)" is a song by

ABBA ABBA ( , , formerly named Björn & Benny, Agnetha & Anni-Frid or Björn & Benny, Agnetha & Frida) are a Swedish supergroup formed in Stockholm in 1972 by Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad. The group's ...

, released on their 1977 album '' ABBA: The Album''. It was originally part of the ABBA-produced mini-musical '' The Girl with the Golden Hair'', which they performed at the end of each of their 1977 concert tours.

Usage in ''Mamma Mia!'' film

In a hypothetical sequel to '' Mamma Mia!'' put together by the British newspaper, ''

The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a national British daily broadsheet newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed across the United Kingdom and internationally. It was fo ...

'', the song is sung at a point in the musical where Sophie "dreams of cutting loose rom Skyand heading abroad". In the film ''

Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again ''Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again'' is a 2018 British-American jukebox musical romantic comedy film written and directed by Ol Parker, from a story by Parker, Catherine Johnson, and Richard Curtis. It is the sequel to the 2008 film '' Mamma Mia!'', ...

'', the song is performed by Young Donna (played by

Lily James Lily Chloe Ninette Thomson (born 5 April 1989), better known by her stage name Lily James, is an English actress. She studied acting at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London and began her career in the British television series ''Ju ...

) on the

soundtrack album A soundtrack album is any album that incorporates music directly recorded from the soundtrack of a particular feature film or television show. The first such album to be commercially released was Walt Disney's ''Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs'' ...

; however, the performance (early in the film prior to Donna leaving her friends) was deleted. The performance was included as an extra on the DVD release.

Synopsis

The song is about whether the narrator should leave behind everything she knows in order to pursue something greater. The book ''ABBA: Let The Music Speak'' argues that the song parallels Frida's own life story, in regard to the "momentous decision she took in her early 20s to leave her young family in pursuit of singing stardom".

Release

A live recording of the song served as the flip side to the

single Single may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Single (music), a song release Songs * "Single" (Natasha Bedingfield song), 2004 * "Single" (New Kids on the Block and Ne-Yo song), 2008 * "Single" (William Wei song), 2016 * "Single", by ...

" The Name of the Game", recorded during the Australian leg of the tour.

Composition

The lead vocal of the song is

Frida ''Frida'' is a 2002 American biographical drama film directed by Julie Taymor which depicts the professional and private life of the surrealist Mexican artist Frida Kahlo. Starring Salma Hayek in an Academy Award–nominated portrayal as Kahl ...

. ''The Chicago Tribune'' notes that Frida stutters the line "I wonder ... it scares me". The song has a string arrangement that is laced with the harp, French horn, and oboe.

Critical reception

''ABBA: Let the Music Speak'' says that Frida provides the song with "maximum emotional leverage", making it "the most intimate personal portrait" out of the three mini-musical tracks to be featured on ''ABBA: The Album''. It adds that the song would "translate beautifully to the stage" and become a tearjerker. It goes on to mention that her internal conflict is handled well, concluding that "from wistful reflection to strident defiance and back again, Frida's performance...is up there with the greats of the genre".

References

{{Authority control 1970s ballads 1977 singles 1977 songs ABBA songs Polar Music singles Pop ballads Songs written by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus