「FM OTSU ENGLISH HOUR」の第46回目（5月30日放送）テキスト
第46回5月30日放送 Thank You for the Music – ABBA
Thank You for the Music – ABBA
（邦題：サンキュー・フォー・ザ・ミュージック）
（音楽をありがとう：劇団四季「マンマ・ミーア!」）
from the album The Album
Released 12 December 1977 in the album
アンニ・フリッド・リングスタッド 32歳
ベニー・アンダーソン 31歳
ビョルン・ウルヴァース 32歳
アグネッタ・フォルツコグ 27歳
Recorded 21 July 1977 at Glen Studio
Released 6 November 1983 as a single
Length 3:52
Label Polar (original release)
Songwriter(s) Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus
Producer(s) Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus
Music video
■ポイント
A面でのシングルリリースがかなり遅く、ヒットチャートでも上位になったことがないのに、誰もが知っている”Thank You for the Music” by ABBA をお届けします。曲名が「グループ解散を暗示している」と予言する批評家もいた模様ですが本当に、実質的な最後のシングルリリースとなりました。リードボーカルのアグネッタ・フォルツコグ（Agnetha Fältskog）の少女時代のようすを描く歌詞をお聴きください。
Happy to talk about “Thank You for the Music” by ABBA, a song ranked always at rather lower number in hit charts in Europian countries.
Happy to talk about “Thank You for the Music” by ABBA, a song ranked always at the rather lower number in hit charts in European countries in spite everybody loves it. Some critics said the title could be considered “farewell song”. Actually, this is the last song released by the group.
■キーフレーズ
nothing/nobody can ～ like ～
～できるのは～だけ/～以外だれにも～できない
■キーフレーズの用例
Nothing can capture a heart like a melody can.
心をとらえるのはメロディだけ。（Lyrics）
Nothing can bring joy like the songs I’m singing.
私の歌以外のなにものも歓びはもたらさない。（Lyrics）
Nobody can live without music like Charles Darwin.
音楽なしで生きられるのはダーウィンだけだ。
“If I had my life to live over again, I would have made a rule to read some poetry and listen to some music at least once every week.”
– The Autobiography of Charles Darwin
Nobody can be a bore like me.
私ほど人を退屈させる人はいない。（Lyrics）
Nobody can leave like him when I start to sing.
私が歌い始めて場を離れられるのは彼だけ。（Lyrics）
（例：ボディガード）
Nobody can sing like me.
誰も私のようには歌えない。
Nobody can drink such a lot of beer like him.
あんなにビールをたくさん飲むのは彼だけだ。
■歌詞
[Verse 1]
I’m nothing special, in fact I’m a bit of a bore
私はふつうの人で、むしろちょっと退屈なくらい
If I tell a joke, you’ve probably heard it before
私のジョークなんて、どこかで聞いたものばかり
But I have a talent, a wonderful thing
でも、ひとつだけ才能がある、素敵な才能が
‘Cause everyone listens when I start to sing
私が歌い始めるとみんな耳を傾けてくれる
I’m so grateful and proud
とても感謝して、そして誇りに思っている
All I want is to sing it out loud
ただ大きな声で歌いたい
[Chorus]
So I say thank you for the music, the songs I’m singing
だから言う、私が歌うこの音楽、歌にありがとう
Thanks for all the joy they’re bringing
もたらされる歓びにありがとう
Who can live without it? I ask in all honesty
音楽なしで生きられる？心底訊いてみたい
What would life be?
どんな人生になる？
Without a song or a dance, what are we?
音楽もダンスもなかったら、私たちは何者？（注1）
So I say thank you for the music, for giving it to me
だから言う、音楽をありがとう、私に与えてくれてありがとう
[Verse 2]
Mother says I was a dancer before I could walk
母親が言うには、私は歩く前に踊っていたと
Mhm, she says I began to sing long before I could talk
話す前に歌っていたと
And I’ve often wondered, how did it all start?
ところで、どうやって始めたのだろう
Who found out that nothing can capture a heart like a melody can?
心をとらえるのはメロディだけだと発見したのは誰？
Well, whoever it was, I’m a fan
誰だろうと、私はその人のファン
[Chorus]
So I say thank you for the music, the songs I’m singing
Thanks for all the joy they’re bringing
Who can live without it? I ask in all honesty
What would life be?
Without a song or a dance, what are we?
So I say thank you for the music, for giving it to me
だから言う、私が歌うこの音楽、歌にありがとう
もたらされる歓びにありがとう
音楽なしで生きられる？心底訊いてみたい
どんな人生になる？
音楽もダンスもなかったら、私たちは何者？
だから言う、音楽をありがとう、私に与えてくれてありがとう
[Bridge]
I’ve been so lucky
私は幸運
I am the girl with golden hair
金色の髪がある
I wanna sing it out to everybody
みんなに向けて歌いたい（注2）
What a joy, what a life, what a chance
なんという歓び、人生、幸運だろう、と
[Chorus]
So I say thank you for the music, the songs I’m singing
Thanks for all the joy they’re bringing
Who can live without it? I ask in all honesty
What would life be?
Without a song or a dance, what are we?
So I say thank you for the music, for giving it to me
だから言う、私が歌うこの音楽、歌にありがとう
もたらされる歓びにありがとう
音楽なしで生きられる？心底訊いてみたい
どんな人生になる？
音楽もダンスもなかったら、私たちは何者？
だから言う、音楽をありがとう、私に与えてくれてありがとう
[Outro]
So I say thank you for the music, for giving it to me
だから言う、音楽をありがとう、私に与えてくれてありがとう
■補足説明
（注1）Without a song or a dance, what are we?
直前の文 What would life be の wouldが続いていると解釈して、実現しない未来としての「もし、音楽もダンスもなかったら」と訳しました。
（注2）I wanna sing it out to everybody
“it” は、次の文にある “What a joy, what a life, (or) what a chance” と解釈しました。
■耳に残っているのにチャート上位にはならなかった名曲
1977 released in an album The Album
アルバム内のみでリリース
1977 intended to form part of a “mini-musical” called “The Girl with the Golden Hair”, and included in ABBA’s 1977 tour with “I Wonder (Departure)”, “I’m a Marionette” and “Get on the Carousel”. The first three songs were featured on ABBA: The Album; the latter remains unreleased.
コンサートツアー内での「ミニ・ミュージカル」4曲の1曲。他の3曲は “I Wonder (Departure)”, “I’m a Marionette” , “Get on the Carousel”.
1978 released as a B-side with “Eagle” as the A-side in Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, France, Austria, Switzerland and Australia
B面としてオランダ、ドイツ、フランス、オーストリア、スイス、オーストラリアでリリース（A面は”Eagle”）
1978 released as an A-side single in South Africa
A面として南アフリカでリリースされ、ヒット！
1983 released as an A-side with “Our Last Summer” as the B-side in UK, Ireland and France
A面として英国、アイルランド、フランスでリリース（A面は”Our Last Summer” ）
1983 released as an A-side with “Medley” as the B-side in Netherlands
A面としてオランダで再リリース（B面は “Medley”）
1999 featured in a musical “Mamma Mia”
ミュージカル”Mamma Mia”に登場
2008 featured in a film “Mamma Mia” sung by Sophie
映画”Mamma Mia” に登場
Starring: Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, Stellan Skarsgård, Julie Walters, Dominic Cooper, Amanda Seyfried, Christine Baranski
Music by Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus
The low chart placings could be attributed to ABBA’s declining popularity since their last Top 10 hit in 1981. Because of the song’s inclusion on ABBA: The Album and Greatest Hits Vol.2 (both of which topped the UK charts), as well as being performed by the band during their world tours, it can be said that “Thank You for the Music” had been heard by fans and the like many times up to this point. The title itself is often also taken to signal the end of ABBA, leading it to be considered a farewell song. In the Netherlands, the song peaked at number 38, but in France it could only manage number 58.
チャートでの順位が低いのは、アルバム “ABBA：The Album”と “Greatest Hits Vol.2″（どちらもUKチャートのトップ）に含まれていること、ワールドツアー中で何度も演奏されたから、ファンには馴染の曲になったと考えられます。
それと、曲名 “Thank You for the Music” が、ABBAの解散を予言している「さよならソング」とも受け取られたようです。いずれにしてもチャートでは南アフリカでは大ヒットしたものの、オランダでは38位、フランスでは58位がやっとでした。
■ABBA
Also known as Björn & Benny, Agnetha & Anni-Frid
(1972–1973)
Origin Stockholm, Sweden
Genres Pop, pop rock, disco
Years active 1972–1982, 2018–present
Website abbasite.com
Anni-Frid Lyngstad (Frida)
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アンニ・フリッド・リングスタッド（女性ボーカル）
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born 15 November 1945 (age 74)
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Princess Anni-Frid Synni of Reuss, Countess of Plauen
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a Norwegian-Swedish singer, songwriter, and environmentalist
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born in Bjørkåsen (Ballangen) , Norway, to a Norwegian mother and a German father, who was a sergeant in the Wehrmacht（ドイツ国防軍の軍曹）, not long after the end of the Second World War and the German occupation of Norway. He had returned to Germany when his unit was evacuated.
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In early 1947 (age 2), Anni-Frid, her mother Synni, and her maternal grandmother, Arntine “Agny” Lyngstad, left their birthplace in Norway, fearing reprisals against those who had dealings with the Germans during the occupation. Anni-Frid was taken by Agny to Sweden, where they settled in the region of Härjedalen.
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During her childhood, Anni-Frid had close contact with her family, particularly her uncle and four aunts, at her birthplace during the summer holidays. She was close to her aunt, Olive, who once stated that she saw how lonely and subdued Anni-Frid was, and, consequently, always did her best to make Anni-Frid feel loved and welcomed, during her visits.
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She believed that her father, Alfred Haase, had died during the war on his way back to Germany as his ship was reported to have been sunk. However, in 1977（”Thank You for the Music”をレコーディング、リリースしていた32歳のとき）, the German teen magazine Bravo published a poster and a complete biography with details of Lyngstad’s background, including the names of her mother and father. It was seen by Lyngstad’s half-brother, Peter Haase, who went to his father and asked him if he had been in Ballangen during the war. A few months later, Lyngstad met Haase in Stockholm for the first time.
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In 1992 (age 47), married Prince Heinrich Ruzzo of Reuss, Count of Plauen, who was a prince of the former sovereign House of Reuss; since then she has held the titles of Princess Reuss and Countess of Plauen with the style of Her Serene Highness.
Benny Andersson
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ベニー・アンダーソン（左端の、当時ひげの男性）
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born 16 December 1946 (age 73)
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a Swedish musician, composer, producer
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born in the Vasastan district of Stockholm, to a civil engineer and his wife Laila.
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Andersson’s musical background comes from his father and grandfather; they both enjoyed playing the accordion, and at six, Benny got his own. His father Gösta and grandfather Efraim taught him Swedish folk music, traditional music, and schlager (a style of European popular music).
Björn Ulvaeus
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ビョルン・ウルヴァース（右端の、当時ひげのなかった男性）
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born 25 April 1945 (age 74)
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a Swedish songwriter, producer
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born in Gothenburg, Sweden
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studied business and law at Lund University after undertaking his military service, alongside comedian Magnus Holmström.
Agnetha Fältskog
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アグネッタ・フォルツコグ（女性リードボーカル）
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born 5 April 1950 (age 70)
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a Swedish singer, songwriter, musician and actress
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born in Jönköping, Småland, Sweden
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wrote her first song at the age of six, entitled “Två små troll” (“Two Little Trolls”).
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In 1958(age 8), she began taking piano lessons, and also sang in a local church choir.
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In early 1960(age 12?) formed a musical trio, the Cambers, with her friends.
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At age 15, decided to leave school and pursue a career.
