Meaning of “Does Your Mother Know” by ABBA
Does Your Mother Know is a song performed by the legendary pop group from Sweden, ABBA. The lyrics of the song are about a man trying to rebuff the flirty advances from a younger girl he meets. The man, who is obviously much older than the girl, tells her that despite the fact she’s, among others, “so hot” and “cute”, he’d not want to take a chance on her simply because she’s too young. He goes on to advice her against what she’s doing and asks her whether her mother is aware that she’s not at home.
Facts about “Does Your Mother Know”
- The song was written by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus of ABBA. The pair also produced the song at the famed Polar Music Studios in Stockholm, Sweden.
- Does Your Mother Know was released in April 1979 as the second single from ABBA’s sixth studio album titled Voulez-Vous.
- Björn Ulvaeus sang lead vocals on this track.
- Contrary to popular belief, this song isn’t the only ABBA single to not feature the lead vocals of the two female members of the group (Anni-Frid Lyngstad and Agnetha Fältskog).
- The working title of the song was I Can Do It.
- Does Your Mother Know was commercially successful in several countries countries across the globe, including Belgium, where it reached number 1. It peaked at number 4 and number 19 in the UK Singles Chart and the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 respectively.
- In the 2003 British spy comedy film Johnny English, Rowan Atkinson’s character Johnny English sang the song.
Frequently Asked Questions about “Does Your Mother Know”
Q: Is the song based on an event that happened in the life of any of the two male members of ABBA?
A: While none of the members of ABBA have said that this song is autobiographical, it is worth noting that it is very common for young girls to throw themselves at bands and musicians, especially successful ones. And being one of the most successful pop groups of all time, the male members of ABBA, Andersson and Ulvaeus constantly had to deal with female groupies all the time.
Q: Which genre does this song fall under?
A: It falls under the following genres: disco and pop rock.
Q: Which artists/bands have covered/sampled/remixed this song?
A: The song has been covered by such recording acts as Smudge, The Restars, Rajaton, Ash, Liberator and Dizzee Rascal.
Q: Did “Does Your Mother Know” win a Grammy Award?
A: No.
Is this song not slightly weird? And a bit noncey does the line “you seem pretty young to be searching for that kind of fun” not imply she’s a minor? The singer also calls her hot. It’s a good song don’t get me wrong it’s just a bit odd.
What’s odd about it? He clearly refuses to go along with it. And if you’re unable yourself to see wether a minor is hot or not, your eyesight is not ok lol. Seeing that a minor girl is hot, does not mean your going to do anything about it.
Still creepy though, no? Usually people don’t acknowledge that because it’s…ped-phel-a
He says he is willing to flirt with her. That’s not ok
I agree
I had to deal with this issue after mid 2015. She was 18 I was 46, married. She wasn’t everyone’s type but very pretty and certainly the most beautiful woman I ever became infatuated with. She was incredibly flirty regularly towards me for more than two years, yet full of kindness and otherwise highly respectful (yes) -qualities which (since this girl came on the scene) my wife was starving me of unprecedentedly. So this girl was the biggest test on my morals. The self control I had to use for over two years became emotionally and mentally painful, but I did it to keep my marriage intact for our children’s sake. All things considered, I consider myself a winner. Dunno how long I can keep that up tho. I tried divorcing last April, couldn’t go ahead with it for a good reason. So far I’ve never cheated on my wife during our marriage. Lately she’s been too introverted to be appreciate me overall, so I’ve warned my son I don’t know how long I can hold up my integrity. I feel unsupported and weak, and there’s a married woman at work who made it obvious she wanted me time and again.
Hello sir is all okay? You sound like a shagger
A bit like ‘Young girl’ by Union Gap.
I’ve not heard that song in years, thanks for the memory.
It’s a public place and he’s setting clear boundaries. He’ll flirt a little, but no more. He also makes it clear that she is being inappropriate for her age. A gentle let down is exactly what she needed. Had he been rude or harsh, she may have responded with an attitude of, ‘I’ll show him who’s too young!’ and found an older man who wouldn’t say ‘No.’ His is a very sensitive and sensible response to a young girl’s crush.