"Tiger" is a song by the Swedish pop band

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 ...

. The song was released on the 1976 album ''Arrival''.

History

"Tiger" is written from the perspective of a threatening entity warning the listener of the dangers of the city: "People who fear me never come near me, I am the tiger". The exact meaning behind "Tiger" is debated, although most speculators agree "tiger" is used as a

metaphor A metaphor is a figure of speech that, for rhetorical effect, directly refers to one thing by mentioning another. It may provide (or obscure) clarity or identify hidden similarities between two different ideas. Metaphors are often compared wi ...

for dangerous aspects of city life. Some hypothesize the tiger represents a stalker or

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, while others believe the tiger symbolizes the harmful nature of

illicit drugs The prohibition of drugs through sumptuary legislation or religious law is a common means of attempting to prevent the recreational use of certain intoxicating substances. While some drugs are illegal to possess, many governments regulate t ...

. The vocals for the song were sung by

Agnetha Fältskog Agneta Åse Fältskog (born 5 April 1950), known as Agnetha Fältskog (), is a Swedish singer, songwriter, and musician. She first achieved success in Sweden with the release of her 1968 self-titled debut album. She later achieved internatio ...

and

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 ...

Performance

In the 1977 concert tours, the song was preceded by "the sound of helicopters booming over the speakers". ABBA also performed the song in the film ABBA: The Movie. At the ABBA tribute band concert ''Live Music of Abba by the Arrival from Sweden'', "Tiger" was the show opener.

Music video

The music video for "Tiger" features all four members of ABBA dressed in denim clothing riding in a

Chevy Chevrolet ( ), colloquially referred to as Chevy and formally the Chevrolet Motor Division of General Motors Company, is an American automobile division of the American manufacturer General Motors (GM). Louis Chevrolet (1878–1941) and oust ...

at nighttime. It was aired on the "ABBA-Dabba-Dooo!" TV special.

Critical reception

''Bright lights, dark shadows: the real story of Abba'' described the song as "rocky".

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...

described the song as "gripping".

References

1976 songs ABBA songs Songs written by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus {{1970s-pop-song-stub