Love me or leave me, make your choice but believe me
I love you
I do, I do, I do, I do, I do
I can't conceal it, don't you see, can't you feel it?
Don't you too?
I do, I do, I do, I do, I do
Oh, I've been dreaming through my lonely past
Now I just made it, I found you at last
So come on, now let's try it, I love you, can't deny it
'Cos it's true
I do, I do, I do, I do, I do
Oh, no hard feelings between you and me
If we can't make it, but just wait and see
So come on, now let's try it, I love you, can't deny it
'Cos it's true
I do, I do, I do, I do, I do
So love me or leave me, make your choice but believe me
I love you
I do, I do, I do, I do, I do
I can't conceal it, don't you see, can't you feel it?
Don't you too?
I do, I do, I do, I do, I do
Song Overview
Björn Ulvaeus & Benny Andersson is singing the 'I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do' lyrics in the music video.
Personal Review
Performance in the music video.
Hearing “I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do” still gets those marriage-vow lyrics stuck in my head—there’s something irresistible about repeating “I do” five times and watching the melody soar. The lyrics feel like a joyful declaration, and the one-sentence snapshot is this: a playful promise of unconditional love that flips from tender confession to celebratory chorus in an instant.
Song Meaning and Annotations
A screenshot from the 'I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do' video.
Written by Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus and their manager Stig Anderson, “I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do” borrows from 1950s European schlager and even channels the lush saxophone tones of American orchestra leader Billy Vaughn, giving it an old-world charm wrapped in pop sensibility.
The song’s rhythm sits in a mid-tempo four-on-the-floor groove, but the arrangement leans into brass swells and sweeping strings that push it toward musical-theater territory as much as pop. You can hear the saxophone threading through the chorus—each “I do” feels like a trumpet call to the dance floor.
Lyrically, it opens with a direct plea—
Love me or leave me, make your choice but believe me
—and transforms into an anthem of certainty:
I do, I do, I do, I do, I do
. That pivot from choice to declaration creates an emotional arc that starts tender and ends triumphant.
In the 1999 London cast recording of Mamma Mia!, Hilton McRae and Siobhán McCarthy step into the lyrics with a playful back-and-forth, turning what was a solo confession into a communal promise shared on the stage. Their theatrical interpretation adds spoken interludes, making the song feel both intimate and grand.
Though ABBA’s original never inspired a flood of covers outside of the musical, its spirit lives on in every production of Mamma Mia!—it serves as the perfect micro-musical within the jukebox framework, reminding audiences that pop can carry real narrative weight without losing its infectious charm.
Verse Highlights
Verse 1
The opening lines—
Love me or leave me, make your choice but believe me / I love you
—lay bare the vulnerability behind those simple vows. It’s a confession framed in a classic singer-songwriter style, but the repetition hints at a ceremonial chant.
Chorus
When the ensemble joins on
I do, I do, I do, I do, I do
, the melody lifts into an almost gospel-like affirmation, as though every “I do” builds collective momentum. The sing-along impact is immediate, turning personal longing into shared celebration.
While “I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do” frames love as a series of vows, Foreigner’s “I Want to Know What Love Is” dives into questioning and yearning, carried by soulful vocals and a gospel choir that expands the theme from personal promise to spiritual quest.
Meanwhile, Queen’s “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” takes a rockabilly-tinged spin on commitment, playful in its delivery yet sincere in its “I feel this crazy little thing” refrain—a light-hearted counterpoint to ABBA’s more ceremonious declarations.
In contrast, Ben E. King’s “Stand by Me” casts love as steadfast support through hardship, its reassuring refrain echoing like a balm against life’s uncertainties—another side of devotion that complements the celebratory “I do” chant.
Questions and Answers
What inspired the vintage style of “I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do”?
The song’s writers looked to 1950s European schlager and American orchestra sounds, particularly the saxophone-led arrangements of Billy Vaughn, to give it a nostalgic yet fresh feel.
How does the musical version differ from ABBA’s original?
In Mamma Mia!, the number becomes a duet and then an ensemble piece, with spoken dialogue woven into the melody, highlighting characters’ emotions in a theatrical context.
Why repeat “I do” five times?
The fivefold repetition transforms a simple vow into an irresistible hook, emphasizing commitment through rhythmic insistence and communal singing.
Who were the lead vocalists on the cast recording?
Hilton McRae and Siobhán McCarthy lead the number, supported by the company’s rich harmonies.
Has the song received any awards?
While the song itself wasn’t singled out, the cast album was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album.
Awards and Chart Positions
Upon its original release in April 1975, the song shot to No. 1 in Australia for several weeks and even topped the South African singles chart, marking ABBA’s growing global appeal.
In Europe, it barely cracked the UK Top 40—peaking at No. 38 for a single week in August 1975—yet in the US it climbed to No. 15 on the Billboard Hot 100, demonstrating ABBA’s cross-continent momentum.
The 1999 London cast recording of Mamma Mia!, which features “I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do,” reached No. 56 on the UK Albums Chart and No. 169 on the US Billboard 200, and earned a Grammy nomination for Best Musical Theater Album.
How to Sing?
Vocal range for “I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do” spans roughly G3 to D5, so warm up through your low register before tackling the higher “I”s. Focus on breath support to sustain the repeated phrase without strain, and keep the tempo steady around 80 BPM to let the melody breathe. Emphasize clarity on each “I do” by using forward resonance in the mask, and allow slight dynamic swells to convey that shift from intimate promise to collective exultation.
