THESE ARE THE SONGS OF MY LIFE!

No. 6 - MAN by Agnetha Fältskog
For those tired of reading about my incurable romanticism, read no further. Now, I said the group itself was excluded from my Top of the Pops list, but I said nothing about either lead singers' solo recordings. "Man," composed by Agnetha herself, and the album Wrap Your Arms Around Me, first entered my life in June '83, co-incidentally the same month my Granda died. "Man," although released as the B-side to her Top 20 Canadian hit "Can't Shake Loose," is sublime. Most Agnetha fans go with "Maybe It Was Magic" or 2004's plaintive "Sometimes When I'm Dreaming" as the definitive Agnetha solo track (both of these are strong favourites of mine), but each time I hear "Man" it's as if a tidal wave of pure bliss is washing over me. The mesmerising ABBA-esque beat, the chord progression and the achingly gorgeous vocals from the Queen of Heartbreak as she sings about being swept away by her adoring Prince Charming are enough to melt even the most cynical heart. Why else do you think this is my favourite song from all of Frida & Agnetha's post-ABBA English-language solo albums? You will notice, I hope, that I have chosen a happy photo to convey the song's meaning. This is done deliberately to counter the public perception of Agnetha: she is usually seen as damaged, lonely and reclusive. You wouldn't guess it from the persona she presents in this song though: she has found her nirvana, and seems to be overflowing with joy, as anyone who had found their soulmate might be. In this song, she has found "the one", at last:

You are beside me, I'm part of you now
Love of my life, this moment
Was made for us somehow
Where did you come from?
And how did it start?
Was it a star from heaven
That brightened up my heart?

That light keeps shining on me
Since you walked into my life
You're here and now I can see
Whatever it takes
Take care of me
Man don't make me cry
Don't let it die...