Bjorn Ulvaeus Quotes

Sweden is an open, liberal, secular and democratic country. We strive towards achieving equality; we are forward-looking and refuse to be pulled back by social constructs such as religion.

Cultural variety is always worth striving for, but must never precede the declaration of human rights.

I'm so incredibly tired of giving respect to a lot of delusions and crazy ideas just because they are regarded as religions.

In my career the push has always been to take another step, to try something new.

Religion is the root of so much misery in the world, and I've always thought there is lack of criticism against it.

The music of ABBA is not that happy. It might sound happy, in some strange way, but deep within, it's not happy music. It has that Nordic melancholic feeling to it. What fools you is the girls' voices. You know, I do think that is one of the secrets about ABBA. Even when we were really quite sad, we always sounded jubilant.

You seem so far away though you are standing near.
You made me feel alive, but something died I fear.
I really tried to make it out, I wish I understood.
What happened to our love, it used to be so good.

I promise you, ABBA will never reform - I couldn't bear the stress of disappointing everyone.

Of course, we wore silly outfits, the pictures were corny, and some people still focus on that. But ABBA wasn't a big intellectual thing. We were a pop group.

The UN declaration on human rights must always be first in line before religion or other cultural habits, in case of any conflict between them.

Contempt for science could perhaps depend on the fact that, science hasn't been able to solve any of our basic problems, for example the environmental pollution or the problems with HIV and AIDS. This is the worst disease of our time, and scientists are lost. I believe that many people are disappointed with science when the answers we need are not delivered.

Folk music is where I come from originally. The very first thing that introduced me to playing guitars at all was skiffle - my cousin had been in London the summer that skiffle was big.

If that doomsday scenario happens, will it help if you have heaps of paper money? I don't think so.

Well mostly in song writing my experience is that there isn't so much inspiration as hard work. You sit there for hours, days and weeks with a guitar and piano until something good comes.

In a way, I'm kind of a bystander looking at this phenomenon that is ABBA, which is still around, and that I thought would be finished in 1981 and forgotten. I'm amazed how this could happen, and I don't know why it happened. I'm just grateful and humble. I just sit back and enjoy.

England was always very special. It was so important because the reason Benny and I started writing was the Beatles. During the Sixties, England was everything. To be number one in England was more important than being number one in America because England set the tone.

Critics used to say that ABBA were formulaic or that our songs were rubbish. We never had time for those comments, though. We were sincere and devoted to what we did.

Lennon and McCartney have the best catalogue of songs ever produced. It will never be surpassed.

Some values must be universal, like human rights and the equal worth of every human being.

Look at The Beatles: how they struggled, how they worked in order to become such a good little band. And that's why they had such longevity and are still admired today.

My concern is to keep religion and the state separated. I don't think that religion and politics go together. When you see political decisions colored by religion, decisions that affect us all ... I thought: 'I do not want to go back to medieval times.'

I believe that religious faith schools are highly dubious.

And also a lot of Muslims are no more religious then the average Swede. For them it's natural that human rights come first.

There are days when I walk through the center of Stockholm when I get this sudden feeling of happiness - a sense of belonging and at the same time gratitude that I'm so privileged that I can live my life in my city.

I do think that it's better for a musical to live its life first because if you see it on the screen, would you like to go to the theater after that? Probably not. You've seen it. And that's the mystery of a musical that hasn't been filmed. You're bloody meant to go there and buy your ticket.

I used to look so immature, like a young man without self-confidence. There was one particular light blue, shiny cape outfit I wore that still makes me cringe.

Wild horses couldn't drag me away from a summer on the Stockholm archipelago.

In the beginning of my career, I wanted to be chased by girls more than anything - that's why I got the guitar. By the time we were in ABBA, the music was the only important thing.

I hear a really good pop song every now and then. 'ROAR' by Katy Perry, I love that! 'Poker Face' ... Oh! What a song! And 'Rolling in the Deep' ... Oh!

There is a very vibrant cultural scene in Stockholm. There are lots of places where there are concerts, and there are loads of museums and theaters.