Iconic Themes & Songs
This soft, vocal-heavy song takes its inspiration from a scene: A daughter heading to school while her mother waits in the wings, unsure of the time passing them both by. With lead vocals sung by Agnetha Fältskog, the tune quickly turns into something of a hymn, her voice echoing through the scenery with the line, “Slipping through my fingers all the time, I try to catch her every minute.”
Here, the mother realizes that her time with her daughter is fleeting right before her very eyes. Although the song details the harsh realities of years passing, there’s still light. Listeners can appreciate moments, just like the one in the song, as they unfold, even if they are finite.
In addition to a striking rendition by its original performers (ABBA), you can find an intermediate piano arrangement by composer Jennifer Eklund.
Musicnotes has available sheet music for this pop track on the following instruments:
“Slipping Through My Fingers” is usually performed at 70 BPM. The emotional undertones of each second slide through its soft tempo, allowing for the layered vocals to soar. Decorate your next celebration with this classic tune for a floaty, nostalgic atmosphere.
ABBA’s “Slipping Through My Fingers” is written in a 4/4 time signature.
Even though “Slipping Through My Fingers” is now a timeless classic, it was born from a personal place. ABBA lyricist Björn Ulvaeus wrote the song based on a personal experience he had with his own daughter, where he watched her head off to school at just seven years old.
As she rode away, Ulvaeus was inspired to capture his feelings of sadness, admiring the sordid beauty of growth, parenthood, and time lost all in one moment. You can feel the band’s connection to the song as it plays, the child’s mother and ex-wife of Ulvaeus Agnetha mirroring each other’s sentiment in vocals alone.
This track is written in the key of F major, with a dynamic vocal range of A3 to C5. Experienced vocalists may find the challenge of matching Agnetha’s range thrilling, while beginners can equally enjoy riding the high points of the song's duration until they’ve perfected them.
Yes! Musicnotes offers easily accessible sheet music for ‘Slipping Through My Fingers’, including a guitar-led arrangement with room to add accompanying instruments for the full ABBA experience. Learn your first few chords or challenge yourself to more advanced versions with this rich tune.
