C
Can you hear the drums Fernando?
Am
I remember long ago another starry night like this,
Dm
In the firelight Fernando,
G
You were humming to yourself and softly strumming your guitar.
I could hear the distant drums,
C
and sounds of bugle calls were coming from afar.
C
They were closer now Fernando,
Am
Every hour every minute seemed to last eternally.
Dm
I was so afraid Fernando.
G
We were young and full of life and none of us prepared to die.
And I'm not ashamed to say,
C
The roar of guns and cannons almost made me cry.
[Chorus]
G
There was something in the air that night,
C
The stars were bright, Fernando.
G G C
They were shining there for you and me, For liberty, Fernando.
C7 A Dm
Though I never thought that we could lose, There's no regret.
G G F C
If I had to do the same again, I would, my friend, Fernando.
C
Now we're old and grey Fernando.
Am
And since many years I haven't seen a rifle in your hand.
Dm
Can you hear the drums Fernando?
G
Do you still recall the fateful night we crossed the Rio Grande?
I can see it in your eyes,
C
How proud you were to fight for freedom in this land.
[Chorus] There was something in the [G]air that night... x2
G C
If I had to do the same again, I would, my friend, Fernando.
G G F C
Yes, if I had to do the same again, I would, my friend, Fernando.
*****************************************
\"Fernando\" is a song written by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, from the Swedish musical group ABBA. The song was written for their fellow group member Anni-Frid Lyngstad and was included on her debut 1975 album Frida ensam.
The English version, with completely different lyrics by Björn Ulvaeus, presents a vision of nostalgia for two veterans reminiscing in old age about a long-ago battle in which they participated. \"I wrote all the songs as little stories. 'Fernando' was about two old freedom-fighters from the war between Texas and Mexico. I was lying outside one summer night, looking at the stars and it suddenly came to me\".[4] \"I knew that the title 'Fernando' had to be there, and after pondering a while, I had this vivid image in my mind of two old and scarred revolutionaries in Mexico sitting outside at night talking about old memories\".
This was the biggest selling single in Australian chart history until it was overtaken by Elton John's \"Candle In The Wind '97.\"
Weekly charts
Chart (1976) Peak position
Australian Singles Chart 1
Austrian Singles Chart 1
Belgian Singles Chart 1
Canadian RPM Top Singles 4
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40) 1
Finnish Singles Chart 2
French Singles Chart 1
German Singles Chart 1
Hungarian Singles Chart 1
Irish Singles Chart 1
Italian Singles Chart 6
New Zealand Singles Chart 1
Mexican Singles Chart 1
Norwegian Singles Chart 2
South African Singles Chart 1
Spanish Singles Chart 3
Swedish Singles Chart 2
Swiss Singles Chart 1
UK Singles Chart 1
US Billboard Hot 100 13
US Billboard Easy Listening 1
