Grove English Communication Ⅲ
LESSON 11
A Song for the Queen
On June 18, 1976, the song titled “Dancing Queen” was performed by the singing group called ABBA for the very first time in public. They were at the party for King Carl Gustaf of Sweden and his bride-to-be, Silvia, who were getting married the next day. The moment ABBA started to play that song, the bouncing music grabbed the people’s hearts.
Carl and Silvia finally had their special moment, but it wasn’t easy. Some people in Sweden were not happy about their marriage. They said, “Silvia is not suitable for our royal family because she is not from Sweden.”
Silvia was born in Germany and grew up in Brazil. Her father was German, and her mother was Brazilian. Because Silvia was open-minded and spoke five languages, she worked as a staff member at the Munich Olympics in 1972. That was where Carl met her and they fell in love with each other.
On the day of the party, Silvia looked nervous and didn’t smile. She knew she would not be welcomed with open arms. The party started, and ABBA appeared on the stage. “You are the dancing queen, young and sweet, only seventeen. Dancing queen, feel the beat from the tambourine …” They performed their new song “Dancing Queen” as a tribute to Silvia. The fact is that it had not been written specifically for the new queen. However, the song sounded as if to tell Silvia to enjoy her life as Queen.
Today, Queen Silvia is popular and admired. She is intelligent, positive, and energetic. Traveling all over the world, she has been actively involved in helping people in need. As ABBA’s song “Dancing Queen” implied decades ago, Queen Silvia is enjoying her life as Queen, trying to make a brighter world.