The song that made Dave Grohl “cry like a baby”
It’s not uncommon for even the toughest rock and roll musicians to have a soft spot for certain artists or songs. Despite his reputation as a rock icon, Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters has shown his authentic and sensitive side, especially when it comes to ABBA. Their music has the power to move even the most hardened musicians, reminding them of the universal appeal and emotional depth of great songwriting.
Then again, the idea of Grohl listening to a wide variety of music should come as a surprise to no one. Although it’s clear that Foo Fighters are a rock band at the end of the day, Grohl sees merit in almost any kind of music, starting with artists like The Beatles before branching out to everything from funk to disco to metal to punk.
It’s not like Grohl doesn’t find ways to incorporate some of his favourite acts into his songs, either. When putting together songs like ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ with Nirvana, Grohl admitted to knicking the drum groove from the GAP Band’s drum breaks while also finding time to put together a disco-themed Bee Gees cover band with Foo Fighters called the Dee Gees.
For all of the different flavours of music that Grohl has indulged in over the years, he was always a sucker for a good melody, and ABBA practically has pop perfection down to a mathematical equation. From the massive grooves of ‘Dancing Queen’ to the pure joy of ‘Take a Chance on Me’, every one of the band’s core singles has been celebrated for a damn good reason – because it just makes you feel good while listening to it.
While everyone thought that a new ABBA project was bound to be a thing of the past by the time the 2000s rolled around, the world was shocked when the core band announced they would be reuniting for one more album. To the surprise of the entire music industry, Voyage would contain the first new ABBA songs since the early 1980s, with ‘I Still Have Faith In You’ giving fans the first taste of those vocals they loved as kids.
Despite working on the Foo Fighters album Medicine at Midnight and getting in tune with his heavier side, Grohl wasn’t afraid to admit that he bawled his eyes out listening to the song, telling BBC, “When I saw that they were coming back and they had a record, I shot that link to 100 people I knew, then listened to the new song and wept like a baby. I cried like a baby. Oh man!”.
Considering the amount of time in between releasing new material, the song is everything that fans could have asked for. Compared to the gorgeous harmonies of their early work, the band hadn’t gotten rusty in the slightest over the years, transporting fans back to where they were back in 1981 when The Visitors came out for the first time.
These aren’t tears of sadness, though. While ABBA announced that the project would be a one-off and they had no plans to release any more material, hearing them wrap up their career with something that still sounds this good is cause for celebration among the band’s fanbase. There’s no rule saying that you have to love ABBA, but if you listen to ‘I Still Have Faith In You’ and aren’t moved by it in some way, consult your local doctor to make sure you’re not legally dead.
