"Should I Laugh or Cry" is a song by Swedish pop group

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 as the

B-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph records and cassettes; these terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or record compan ...

to the 1981 singles "

One of Us 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit (measurement), unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment ...

" and " When All Is Said and Done" for the album '' The Visitors''. Lead vocals were handled by

Anni-Frid Lyngstad Princess Anni-Frid Synni Reuss, Countess of Plauen (born Anni-Frid Synni Lyngstad on 15 November 1945), also known by her nickname "Frida", is a Norwegian-born Swedish singer, songwriter and environmentalist, who is best known as one of the foun ...

. It first appeared on the 1983 compilation album '' Thank You for the Music''.

Synopsis

''ABBA - Uncensored on the Record'' says "Should I Laugh or Cry" is "a rather bitter song" about the end of a relationship. ''ABBA: Let the Music Speak'' explains it as "reflect nga failing relationship's preemptive strikes of anger and contemplation". The narrator is the "emotionally afflicted party", both "volatile and pitiless" in the verses yet "tender and forgiving" in the choruses. There is a sense that this is the last time the narrator will put up with this situation.

Composition

The chorus harmonies are "intricate" and "close-knit". Agnetha's "dreamy echo vocal" adds a sense of sadness to Frida's "fiery sentiments". The song has "deep percusive strikes" and also a "defiant electric glissando" in the verses, and a "lilting acoustic" in the chorus.

Release

While originally recorded on 4 September 1981 during sessions for the album '' The Visitors'', "Should I Laugh or Cry" was ultimately not included. However, the song is included on '' Thank You for the Music'' (1983) and as a bonus track on remastered reissues of ''The Visitors''.

References

{{ABBA songs ABBA songs 1981 songs