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ABBA's identification with the city is complete. The city throbs, and so does the beat. They are singing about Stockholm. This island city extends its invitation.
Bjorn is obviously flying back to Stockholm and ready to land at Arlanda Airport. He is looking through the clouds at his sprawling city. It is a revelation, beautiful. It is constantly growing even if it is because of illegal immigration. The city is organic, a living thing. I came to live in bustling Nashville during the ABBA years and became familiar with crowded streets and never ending noise. I contributed to its melting pot, walking its streets and talking the language of country music. I have walked the streets of Stockholm also, and Nashville and Stockholm have much in common: people, cars, hotels, parks, cocktail bars and funny smells.
Stockholm is worthy of worship in "I Am The City." Its citizens shop at NK, the department store on Hamngatan. By night, they dance to ABBA music in local discotheques while grabbing pieces of the fatted calf.
This vision of Stockholm is very different from the one in the song "Tiger." In "Tiger" night life has its dangers. It could be alcoholism, prostitution or the loss of one's identity. The city becomes a jungle. Still, ABBA are city folk and cease to function without it.
Coming through a cloud you're looking at me from above And I'm a revelation spreading out before your eyes And you find me beautiful and irresistible A giant creature that forever seems to grow in size And you feel a strange attraction The air is vibrant and electrified Welcome to me here I am, my arms are open wide
Somewhere in the middle of the neverending noise There is a pulse, a steady rhythm of a heart that beats And a million voices blend into a single voice And you can hear it in the clamor of the crowded streets People come and take their chances Sometimes you win sometimes you lose a lot Come make your own contribution to this melting pot
I'm the street you walk The language you talk I am the city The skyline is me and the energy I am the city The famous hotels and the cocktail bars And the funny smells And the turmoil, the cars and the people The air that you're breathing is me Yes I am the city you let me be
People feed me with their lives I am a hungry soul And they all worship me and pay their homage day and night Every day I knew a lot of tired shopping feet But come the night they will be dancing in the neon light Dazzled by the crazy magic They're grabbing pieces of the fatted calf And in the wind if you listen hard you'll hear me laugh
I'm the street you walk The language you talk I am the city The skyline is me and the energy I am the city The famous hotels and the cocktail bars And the funny smells And the turmoil, the cars and the people The parks and the squares that you see All the sounds that you hear And the air that you're breathing is me Yes, I am the city you let me be
I am the city You let me be I am the city
The famous hotels and the cocktail bars And the funny smells And the turmoil, the cars and the people The air that you're breathing is me
Coming through a cloud You're looking at me from above And I'm a revelation spreading out before your eyes
I'm the street you walk The language you talk I am the city Yes I am the city you let me be
And you find me beautiful and irresistible A giant creature that forever seems to grow in size The skyline is me and the energy I am the city You let me be
Somewhere in the middle of the neverending noise There is a pulse, a steady rhythm of a heart that beats I'm the street you walk The language you talk I am the city Yes I am the city you let me be
And a million voices blend into a single voice And you can hear it in the clamour of the crowded streets The skyline is me and the energy I am the city You let me be
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