Introduction
“Keep An Eye On Dan,” a track from ABBA’s 2021 album “Voyage,” marked their first new music in nearly four decades. It wasn’t just a comeback for the band, but a poignant exploration of family dynamics after a divorce.
The song, the seventh on the album, takes the perspective of a recently divorced mother. She’s dropping her son, Dan, off at his father’s house. The lyrics paint a bittersweet picture. There’s a mix of relief – “The weekend’s finally here, gotta get you out the door” – tinged with the sadness of separation – “This goodbye feels all wrong, though I know it can’t be more.”
“Keep An Eye On Dan” isn’t just about the emotional toll of divorce on the parents. It highlights the child’s experience too. The repeated line “Keep an eye on Dan, who will get out of hand if you let him” shows the mother’s concern for her son adjusting to the new normal.
The song’s melody adds another layer. The final few seconds borrow from ABBA’s classic “SOS,” a well-known song about longing and connection. This subtle echo hints at the mother’s yearning for a different reality, perhaps for the family unit she once had.
Despite the melancholic undercurrents, “Keep An Eye On Dan” isn’t entirely devoid of hope. The upbeat tempo and signature ABBA sound suggest a sliver of optimism, a belief that life, though changed, can move forward.