Lighter-than-air ABBA songs have darker side

With the hit movie musical "Mamma Mia!" just out, based upon the light-as-air '70s pop tunes by ABBA, what do you really know about the Swedish group that existed for only a decade (1972-82) but produced a slew of frothy pop songs?

Sure, everybody knows that ABBA is an anagram of their first names (Agnetha, Benny, Bjorn and Anni-Frid) and that the four were originally married couples — Agnetha and Bjorn, and Benny and Anni-Frid — and that they hurtled to fame with the song "Waterloo" at the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest, but here are seven factoids we dug up on the Svenksa hitmakers:

1. Despite their reputation, ABBA's songs are dark odes to dysfunction, infidelity, gunplay and despair.

Well, maybe not entirely, but there's more than a little Swedish melancholy in those frothy little pop tunes. You might be singing along to melody so light you're in danger of going airborne. But pay attention to those lyrics: You're singing about cheating ("Mamma Mia"), lust ("Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!"), jealousy ("Lay All Your Love on Me"), doomed love affairs ("The Winner Takes it All"), gun-toting freedom fighters ("Fernando"), casual hook-ups ("Dancing Queen"), and masochistic romantic surrender ("Waterloo").

2. Gold records, matching jumpsuits, hot pants, world tours: Bjorn can't remember any of it!

Images of ABBA in their silver jump-suited '70s glory are all over the place these days, but Bjorn Ulvaeus, 58, who co-wrote ABBA's music with Benny Andersson, allegedly can't recall the details. Ulvaeus suffers from long-term memory loss and has tried hypnosis and even peering at old photographs of the group in all their platform-booted glory, trying to kick-start his memory.

3. Detroit loves ABBA!

OK, maybe the group barely made a ripple in blues, R&B, hard rock and hip-hop-loving Detroit, but we do love Swedish meatballs and modern, inexpensive furniture.

Because the center for all Swedish culture in Detroit is, of course, the Ikea store in Canton Township, we were relieved to hear that Ikea is proudly flying the blue and yellow Swedish flag, promoting ABBA's music in the wake of "Mamma Mia!" The Canton Township store held an ABBA karaoke contest a week ago Saturday, and customers who agreed to sing "Dancing Queen," "Mamma Mia" or "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!" won tickets to a special screening of "Mamma Mia!" Store publicist Lisa Allen reports that contestants ranged from pre-teen girls up to couples in their 60s, and most didn't need help with the lyrics. Nothing else ABBA-related is planned by the store, although gazing at Swedish throw pillows and polishing off some creamed herring might put you in the right mood for some "Waterloo" or "Voulez-Vous."