Hasta Mañana


"Hasta Mañana" is the fourth track on Swedish pop group ABBA's second studio album, Waterloo. It was released in 1974 as the album's third and final single.

Background

Initially fearing that "Waterloo" might be too risky to enter for the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest, the group considered performing the ballad "Hasta Mañana" instead, as they thought that it was more in style with previous Eurovision winners. Eventually, they decided on "Waterloo", primarily because it featured Agnetha Fältskog and Anni-Frid Lyngstad sharing lead vocals, whereas "Hasta Mañana" had Fältskog as the sole lead vocalist. ABBA believed that this would give the wrong impression of them to the world.
The song was still known under its original working title "Who's Gonna Love You?" when the backing track was recorded. The lyrics were later written by Stig Anderson while on a Christmas holiday to the Canary Islands and dictated over the telephone.
While the song was being recorded, they decided to give up on it at one point because none of them could sing it properly. Agnetha alone was in the studio and decided to play around with it. She felt that if she could sing it in a Connie Francis style it would work — and it did.
In Australia, "Hasta Mañana" was used as a B-side on the "So Long" single. After being featured in the popular The Best of ABBA TV Special, broadcast in March 1976, the song was re-released and became a Top 20 hit in Australia and Top 10 hit in New Zealand.
It reached number 2 on the charts in South Africa in November 1974.

Charts

Chart Peak
position
Italy 28
South Africa 2

Chart Peak
position
Argentina 4

;The Boones cover
Chart Peak
position
Canada Adult Contemporary 37
US Easy Listening 32

Release history

Cover versions