I Know Him So Well Lyrics – Chess

Song Overview

Song Credits

• Primary Artists: Elaine Paige (Florence) & Barbara Dickson (Svetlana)
• Producers: Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus, Tim Rice
• Composers/Lyricists: Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus, Tim Rice
• Release Date (single): December 1984
• Album of Origin: Chess (concept album, 1984)
• Genre: 80s adult-contemporary pop, theatrical ballad
• Instrumentation: Yamaha DX7 synth pads, grand piano, LinnDrum percussion, orchestral strings, fretless bass
• Label: RCA (UK cat. CHESS 3)
• Length: 4 min 15 sec
• Language: English
• Mood: Wistful, clear-eyed, bittersweet
• Copyright © 1984 Three Knights Ltd./Union Songs AB

Song Meaning and Annotations

The duet drops into Chess at the bittersweet moment when two women discover they share the same man and—surprise—more empathy than anger. Musically, think ABBA’s satin synths married to West End torch-song DNA. There’s a soft rock heartbeat, sweeping strings that swirl like cigarette smoke in a late-night lounge, and interlocking vocals that finish each other’s sighs.

Florence (Paige) opens with regret-flecked realism, weighing “perfect situations” against messy reality. Svetlana (Dickson) counters with stoic Russian pragmatism: love demands space, freedom, fantasy. The women never blame one another; instead they autopsy their own choices. By the final cadence they’ve formed an unlikely sisterhood built on shared heartbreak—a lyrical chess draw: no winner, only wisdom.

The song text is deceptively simple, but the subtext is Group Therapy 101: acceptance, boundaries, grief, growth. Andersson and Ulvaeus sneak in ABBA-like chord turns (the chorus lifts on that unmistakable Scandinavian melancholy), while Rice’s words trade operatic fireworks for conversational pain.

Opening Reflection (Florence)

Nothing is so good it lasts eternally / Perfect situations must go wrong

A thesis statement on impermanence. The gentle descending melody mirrors hindsight sliding down into rueful acceptance.

Shared Chorus

Wasn’t it good? / Wasn’t he fine? / Isn’t it madness he can’t be mine?

Three short questions; three emotional landmines. The duo ping-pongs octave harmonies, turning what could be rivalry into mutual commiseration.

Svetlana’s Verse

No one in your life is with you constantly / No one is completely on your side

Cold-water wisdom from a woman who’s played this game longer. The lyric undercuts fairy-tale romance with lived reality.

Final Reprise

It took time to understand him … I know him so well

The resolution isn’t possession but comprehension. Love’s end-game move is knowledge, not ownership.

Similar Songs

1. “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina” – Evita Original Cast
   Both penned by Tim Rice, each ballad gives a woman the microphone to rationalise impossible love in political arenas—Eva to a nation, Florence/Svetlana to a Cold-War affair. The melodies soar on stepwise climbs, and the orchestration treats pop hooks with symphonic grandeur.
2. “The Winner Takes It All” – ABBA
   Andersson/Ulvaeus recycle their bittersweet ABBA alchemy: major-key brightness masking heartbreak lyrics. Both songs feature conversational verses, gut-punch choruses, and female voices owning romantic defeat with dignified strength.
3. “Tell Me on a Sunday” – Marti Webb
   Andrew Lloyd Webber’s cabaret-pop mini-musical also spotlights a heroine processing relationship rubble. The arrangement leans on 80s drums and string cushions, mirroring Chess’ hybrid of West End orchestration and radio-friendly gloss.

Questions and Answers

Did Paige and Dickson record the duet together?

No—they laid down vocals separately and first met at the video shoot. Their seamless blend is pure studio alchemy.

Why does the chorus feel so ABBA-ish?

Benny and Björn recycled harmonic DNA from their unreleased ABBA tune “I Am an A,” especially the ascending chorus hook.

Is the song hard to sing?

Range is moderate, but precision is key—the phrases demand controlled chest-to-head transitions and tight interval tuning between the two voices.

What place does the song hold in UK chart history?

It spent four weeks at No. 1 in early 1985, still the best-selling UK single by a female duo.

Has it crossed into pop covers?

Countless—Whitney & Cissy Houston, Idina Menzel & Kerry Ellis, even Spice Girls alums Melanie C & Emma Bunton recorded bubbly takes.

Awards and Chart Positions

• UK Singles Chart: No. 1 for four consecutive weeks (February 1985)
• Guinness World Record: Best-selling UK chart single by a female duo
• Official Charts Company: Ranked in Top 10 all-time best-selling duets (2011 list)

Fan and Media Reactions

A generation slow-danced to it in dim-lit discos; another discovered it via karaoke machines in neon bars. Critics praised its “ABBA-meets-Broadway” polish, while fans still tweet yearly about its “zero-skips” bridge. The song text lives on talent-show stages where hopefuls test their harmony karma.

“The most civilised love triangle ever sung.” — Q Magazine

“Makes regret sound like a warm blanket.” — @EightiesMixtape

“Still the karaoke boss level for alto-mezzo friendships.” — @DuetDiva

“That key change? Scandinavian sorcery.” — BBC Radio 2 listener email

“When Paige flicks up to ‘madness,’ goosebumps ensue—every time.” — YouTube comment, 2024