ABBA When All is Said and Done (HD Video)

Although most countries released the track "One of Us" as the first single from The Visitors in December 1981, ABBA's American record label, Atlantic Records, instead opted for "When All Is Said and Done", released on 31 December 1981.
It was a modest hit for the group in the US, peaking at No. 27 on the Billboard Hot 100; ABBA's 14th and final US Top 40 hit to date.
The track reached No. 10 on the Adult Contemporary chart, giving the group their eighth and final Top 10 hit, and also charted on the Billboard Dance/Disco chart, reaching No. 8.

"When All Is Said and Done" also achieved particular success in Canada, peaking at No. 4 on the Adult Contemporary chart in March 1982 (and spending nine weeks on the chart).

"When All is Said and Done" was also released as a single in Australia (with the album track "Soldiers" as the B-side). A minor hit there, the song peaked at No. 81.


Similar to the group's 1980 track, "The Winner Takes It All", which could have been influenced by the split between band members Björn and Agnetha, "When All Is Said and Done" detailed the divorce between Anni-Frid and Benny.
Written during a time of emotional turmoil, Björn has admitted that the split between Benny and Frida was at the back of his mind during the songwriting process for "When All Is Said and Done". He sought approval from Benny and Frida before the group began working with the song. When recording began in March 1981, only one month had passed since their separation.
"When All Is Said and Done" saw Frida giving words and emotions detailing all of her sorrow and pain, not only for herself, but for all of those who had been through a separation. The backing track the group had first recorded was completely changed after Frida had laid down her powerful and emotional vocals. As Frida herself later recalled: "All my sadness was captured in that song."


"When All Is Said and Done" was included in the 2008 film version of the ABBA musical, Mamma Mia!, performed by Sam Carmichael (played by Pierce Brosnan), with one line – "slightly worn but dignified, and not too old for sex" – also sung by Meryl Streep. The song is substantially different from the original release, not only in that it has been reworked into a ballad but also that a new second verse was written by Björn Ulvaeus specifically for the movie soundtrack and added to the song's original lyrics as recorded by ABBA:


"It's been there in my dreams, the scene I see unfold
True at last, flesh and blood, to cherish and to hold
Careless fools will suffer, yes, I know and I confess:
Once I lost my way when something good had just begun
Lesson learned – it's history – when all is said and done"


In the context of the movie, the lyrics also take on an entirely different meaning: as opposed to the original which describes a couple going their separate ways, it portrays two lovers finding their way back to each other and rekindling their romance. The song is sung when Sam decides to propose to Donna after he confesses to marrying another woman and then divorcing her; Donna ultimately accepts.