Can you hear the drums Fernando?
I remember long ago another starry night like this
In the firelight Fernando
You were humming to yourself and softly strumming your guitar
I could hear the distant drums
And sounds of bugle calls were coming from afar

They were closer now Fernando
Every hour every minute seemed to last eternally
I was so afraid Fernando
We were young and full of life and none of us prepared to die
And I'm not ashamed to say
The roar of guns and cannons almost made me cry

There was something in the air that night
The stars were bright, Fernando
They were shining there for you and me
For liberty, Fernando
Though I never thought that we could lose
There's no regret
If I had to do the same again
I would, my friend, Fernando
If I had to do the same again
I would, my friend, Fernando

Now we're old and grey Fernando
And since many years I haven't seen a rifle in your hand
Can you hear the drums Fernando?
Do you still recall the frightful night we crossed the Rio Grande?
I can see it in your eyes
How proud you were to fight for freedom in this land

(Repeat x2)
There was something in the air that night
The stars were bright, Fernando
They were shining there for you and me
For liberty, Fernando
Though I never thought that we could lose
There's no regret
If I had to do the same again
I would, my friend, Fernando

Yes, if I had to do the same again
I would, my friend, Fernando...



Lyrics submitted by Demau Senae

Track duration: 04:13

"Fernando" as written by Stig Anderson, Benny Goran Bror Andersson, Bjoern K. Ulvaeus, Buddy Mccluskey, Mary Mccluskey

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, EMI Music Publishing

Lyrics powered by LyricFind


Fernando song meanings
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20 Comments

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  • 0
    General Comment:Irregardless of the war it refers to. I always thought the song was about someone recalling a former flame(possibly their spouse) being involved in a war(possibly a civil war or a war in their own country), and the person recalling how brave that person was, or a person remembering a friend from a war(like a fellow soldier) who was braver than the singer was in facing the "buggles and drums in the distant"(the opposing army). Just my interpretation though.
    Flagged aaliyah4everon October 17, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Check this site dmwv.org/mexwar/history/…
    Flag Rhortoon August 27, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:THE SONG RECALLS THE MEXICAN - TEXAS WAR. RIO GRANDE IS THE ACTUAL BORDER USA - MEXICO. tHE TEXANS DEFEATED THE MEXICAN ARMY IN A TURNBACK STRIKE. THE MEXICAN COULDN´T RECOVER FROM THIS STRIKE AND LEAVED THE TEXANS IN 1836 AS A REBEL TERRITORY THAT LATER BECAME INDEPENDENT AND IN 1845 PART OF USA.
    Flag Rhortoon August 27, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Or perhaps they were just using the Mexican Revolution as a blind to talk about the Spanish Civil War - in the same way that M*A*S*H* used the Korean War as a front to comment on Vietnam.
    Flag ShinyAeonon January 16, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:The writers of Fernando have stated that the song isn't about any specific war. I think this speaks against the Mexican revolution. It could still be about the Spanish civil war however. That war was more controversial in 1976, with Franco still at power only a year earlier, and therefore the writers might have wanted to disguise it as a nameless war in the song.

    There were actually several songs in Sweden being written about Spain during this period. There was a strong leftist political movement in Swedish music back then, and they really hated Franco. ABBA wasn't a political band however, something they were often critisised for in Sweden. Making a political song could maybe have confused their audience. Could be mentioned that the swedish version of Fernando have no references to war or revolution.
    Flag Paperboyon December 12, 2009   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:It's about sex.
    Flag monkeipegon October 13, 2008   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:Hello everyone... although Wikipedia's credibility can always be called to question, check out the following link to the song's history...

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/…

    I tend to think it alludes to the Mexican Revolution of 1910.
    Flag mineroon September 26, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Well let me just say I live like 5 minutes from the border and from the Rio Grande Mexicans have to cross the Rio Grande to get to america thats what they were talking about
    Flag bonscottruleson March 04, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Big River in Portuguese also translates as Rio Grande, since both languages share so much in common.
    Flag smallezerchinaon February 11, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:1) Rio Grande is spanish for Big River... (Rio Grande is the river that forms the border of Texas and Mexico.)

    2) They speak PORTUGESE in PORTUGAL, not SPANISH, rendering the "big river" theory irrelevant.
    Flag JohnnyAmericanon January 24, 2007   Link

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