Does Your Mother Know


"Does Your Mother Know" is a song by Swedish pop group ABBA and was the second taken from their album Voulez-Vous. The B-side was "Kisses of Fire", which was also taken from the album. The song is notable as for its emphasis on male vocals, performed by Björn Ulvaeus, with female backing vocals.
"Does Your Mother Know" was recorded in February 1979 and released as a single in April of that year. Written by Benny Andersson and Ulvaeus, the demo for "Does Your Mother Know" featured Ulvaeus on guide vocal and it was decided to keep this during the recording process. In 2018 lyricist Ulvaeus indicated that he would hesitate to write songs like these in the "Me, too" age. In 2019, the single was re-released on picture disc.

Reception

"Does Your Mother Know" was another sizeable ABBA hit, hitting No. 1 in Belgium and reaching the top 5 in Great Britain, Ireland and the Netherlands. It was also a top 10 hit in Australia, Canada, Germany, Rhodesia and Switzerland.
AllMusic reviewer Donald A. Guarisco said in a review of the song that "ABBA's recording balances the song's rock elements with dance music touches to create an intriguing dance/rock hybrid" and that its "macho feel is enhanced by a rockabilly-styled melody that flowers into a swinging chorus". Billboard Magazine felt the song sounds like those from the musical Grease, saying that "the sweet, airy vocals contrast effectively with the rocking instrumentation."

Chart performance

Weekly charts

Year-end charts