Knowing Me, Knowing You

For other uses, see Knowing Me, Knowing You (disambiguation).

"Knowing Me, Knowing You" is a song recorded by Swedish pop group ABBA,^[4] released in February 1977 as the third single from the group's fourth album, Arrival (1976). It was written by Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus and Stig Anderson, with Anni-Frid Lyngstad singing the lead vocals.

"Knowing Me, Knowing You"
Artwork for Scandinavian release, also used for other releases in different layouts
Single by ABBA
from the album Arrival
B-side	"Happy Hawaii"[1]
Released	14 February 1977[1]
Recorded	23 March 1976
Studio	Metronome, Stockholm, Sweden
Genre	Pop[2] soft rock[2] disco[3]
Length	4:00
Label	Polar (Sweden) Epic (UK)[1] Atlantic (US)
Songwriter(s)	Benny Andersson Björn Ulvaeus Stig Anderson[1]
Producer(s)	Benny Andersson Björn Ulvaeus[1]
ABBA singles chronology
"Money, Money, Money" (1976) "Knowing Me, Knowing You" (1977) "That's Me" (1977)
Music video
"Knowing Me, Knowing You" on YouTube

Background

"Knowing Me, Knowing You" was recorded in 1976 at the Metronome Studios in Stockholm and was released as a single in February 1977, becoming one of the group's more successful hits. The B-side, "Happy Hawaii", was an early version of another ABBA song, "Why Did It Have to Be Me?", with a different lead vocalist and lyrics.^[5]

"Knowing Me, Knowing You" was one of the early ABBA songs to deal with the break-up of a relationship. It predates the divorces of the ABBA members as well as further break-up songs to come: "The Winner Takes It All", "One of Us" and "When All Is Said and Done".

"Conociéndome, Conociéndote" is the Spanish-language version of the song. It was included on the compilations Gracias Por La Música in 1980 Oro: Grandes Éxitos in 1993.

Reception

"Knowing Me, Knowing You" proved to be one of ABBA's more successful singles, hitting #1 in West Germany (ABBA's sixth consecutive chart-topper there and had sold over 300,000 copies there by September 1979),^[6] and the United Kingdom,^[7] Ireland, Mexico and South Africa,^[8] and reaching the top 3 in Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands and Switzerland. It was a top 10 hit in Australia, Canada, France, New Zealand and Norway. In the United States, it became ABBA's sixth top 20 single, peaking at #14 on the Hot 100 and reaching #7 on Billboard's AC chart.

In the UK, "Knowing Me, Knowing You" was one of the biggest singles of 1977.^[9] It also began a second run of three consecutive #1 singles for ABBA (followed by "The Name of the Game" and "Take a Chance on Me"), the group having had three consecutive #1 hit singles in 1976. As of September 2021, it is the group's third-biggest song in the country with 1.02 million chart sales, made up of pure sales and streams.^[10]

Billboard reviewed the song and described it as a "melodically energetic but sad worded ditty about a romantic breakup."^[11] Cash Box called it "a softly rocking record that combines memorable pop hooks in their distinctive reverb-soaked ambiance" and said that it has "a sound agreeable to just about any top 40 station."^[2] Record World said that "Its chorus is a mighty hook, capping another superb melody."^[12]

"Knowing Me, Knowing You" continues to be regarded as one of ABBA's finest songs. In 2017, Billboard ranked the song number four on their list of the 15 greatest ABBA songs,^[13] and in 2021, Rolling Stone ranked the song number two on their list of the 25 greatest ABBA songs.^[14]

Music video

The music video for "Knowing Me, Knowing You" depicts the band against various colored backdrops singing while facing each other, turning away as a new line is sung. At the end of the video, the band's female members are seen walking away through thick snow. The video was directed by future Academy Award nominee Lasse Hallström, as were most of their other videos.^[15]

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Knowing Me, Knowing You"	Andersson Anderson Ulvaeus	4:02
2.	"Happy Hawaii"	Anderson Andersson Ulvaeus	4:26

Personnel

• Anni-Frid Lyngstad – lead vocals
• Agnetha Fältskog – backing vocals
• Björn Ulvaeus – guitar, backing vocals
• Benny Andersson – keyboards, synthesizer
• Rutger Gunnarsson – bass, string arrangements
• Lasse Wellander – guitars

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (1977) Peak position Australia (Kent Music Report)[16] 9 Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[17] 2 Belgium (Ultratop Flanders)[18] 2 Belgium (Ultratop Wallonia)[19] 1 Canada Top Singles (RPM)[20] 5 Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM)[21] 6 Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[22] 7 Ireland (IRMA)[23] 1 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[24] 3 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[25] 2 New Zealand (RIANZ)[26] 8 Norway (VG-lista)[27] 6 Rhodesia (Rhodesian Singles Chart)[28] 11 South Africa (Springbok Radio)[29] 1 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[30] 3 UK Singles (OCC)[7] 1 US Billboard Hot 100[31] 14 US Adult Contemporary (Billboard) 7 US Cashbox Top 100 Singles[32] 11 West Germany (GfK Entertainment)[33] 1

Year-end charts Chart (1977) Rank Australia (Kent Music Report)[34][35] 88 Canada Top Singles (RPM)[36] 61 Switzerland (Scweizer Hitparade)[37] 9 UK[38] 6 US Billboard Hot 100[39] 97 US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[40] 37

Certifications

Certifications for Knowing Me, Knowing You

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[41]	Gold	75,000^
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[42]	Gold	45,000‡
Germany	—	300,000[6]
Kenya	—	10,000[43]
Portugal	—	20,000[44]
United Kingdom (BPI)[45]	Gold	973,000[46]
Yugoslavia	—	30,000[47]
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. ‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Region	Date	Title	Label	Format	Catalog
Scandinavia	18 Feb 1977	"Knowing Me, Knowing You" / "Happy Hawaii" (Early Version Of "Why Did It Have To Be Me")	Polar	7-inch vinyl	POS 1230
UK, Ireland			Epic		S EPC 4955
Austria, Germany, Netherlands, Portugal, Switzerland, Kenya	Feb 1977		Polydor		2001 703
Philippines	1977				PRO 3505
France			Vogue		45.X. 140 188
Greece			Pan-Vox		PAN 7598
Australia, New Zealand	26 Feb 1977		RCA Victor		102870
Yugoslavia	29 Mar 1977		PGP RTB		S 53979
USA, Canada	26 April 1977		Atlantic		3387
South Africa, Rhodesia	1977		Sunshine		GBS 121
Jamaica			Dynamic Sounds		D 111
Bolivia			RCA		BOC/S - 1162
Colombia					05(3011)51928
Peru					POS 1230
Panama			RCA, RCA Victor		XAPBO-724
Mexico		"Knowing Me, Knowing You" / "Why Did It Have to Be Me?"	RCA Victor		SP-4785
Venezuela		"Knowing Me, Knowing You" / "Dum Dum Diddle"			45-736
Spain		"Knowing Me, Knowing You" / "Money, Money, Money"	Carnaby		MO 1669
Hungary			Pepita		SPSK 70261
Brazil			RCA		101.8068
El Salvador			RCA, RCA Victor		CA-10053
Europe	2016	"Knowing Me, Knowing You" / "Happy Hawaii" (Early Version Of "Why Did It Have To Be Me")	Polar	7” vinyl, picture disc	4795074

Cover versions and appearances in other media.

• Finnish eurodance act DCX recorded the song in 2007. Their single charted in fifth place in the Finnish charts.^[48]
• Brief clips from the original ABBA recording features in the film ABBA: The Movie (1977) when Ashley is stuck in a traffic jam; it is presumably coming from the radio of another car.
• The song is performed in the musical Mamma Mia! by the character of Sam.^[49] In the context of the musical, the song is used as Sam's description of his failed marriage.
• It is featured in the film adaptation's sequel, performed by younger versions of Sam (Jeremy Irvine) and Donna (Lily James), as well as the present-day Sam (Pierce Brosnan) and Sophie (Amanda Seyfried).^[50][51]
• Steve Coogan’s 1990s comedy radio show and TV series Knowing Me, Knowing You with Alan Partridge was named after the song.^[52][53] The song is also used as the theme tune.