Abba-solutely astonishing! That's been the reaction to news that the lyrics for Abba's 1975 song Mamma Mia appear to predict the story of Catherine Tate's Donna Noble character
"This is Abba-solutely remarkable," said one Abba expert apparently unaware that Shouting Into A Well sub-editors had already planned to go with the Abba-solutely astonishing pun.
This is not the first time that plotlines for television shows have been uncovered in other media. During 1980 Blake's 7 fans were alerted to the departure of Gareth Thomas from the series by coded revelations within the lyrics to Macarthur Park, by Richard Harris, while Dallas fans were disgusted to discover the identity of the shooter of J.R. carved inside The Great Pyramid of Cheops
Doctor Who fans are now scrutinising other Abba song lyrics in the hope of uncovering spoilers for the forthcoming specials and series five.
That Mamma Mia analysis in full.
I've been cheated by you since I don't know when
A clear reference to Donna's husband to be, Lance, tricking her during the Christmas Invasion.
So I made up my mind, it must come to an end
Donna decides that searching for the Doctor will break her out of the her currently unhappy life.
Look at me now, will I ever learn?
A constant theme through series four is Donna's low self-esteem and belief that she is useless and no one special.
I don't know how but I suddenly lose control
After merging with the Doctor's mind in Journey's End, Donna begins to lose control.
There's a fire within my soul
Fire is a recurring image through series four of Doctor Who; The Fires of Pompeii; the burning sky in The Poison Sky; the Firestone given to Lady Clemency Eddison, a gift from her Vespiform lover, in The Unicorn And The Wasp; the fire which nearly consumes the TARDIS in Journey's End.
Just one look and I can hear a bell ring
The TARDIS' Cloister Bell (which sounds when the ship is in serious danger) rings at the end of Turn Left.
One more look and I forget everything, o-o-o-oh
Donna's memories of her adventures with the Doctor are erased at the end of the series four story Journey's End.
Mamma mia,
This either refers to Rocco Colastanto the Italian whose family shared a house with Donna in the alternate world of the story Turn Left, or the exclamation of surprise used by the Italian residents of Pompeii when they saw Vesuvius erupt in The Fires of Pompeii.
here I go again
My my, how can I resist you?
Mamma mia, does it show again?
My my, just how much I've missed you
Yes, I've been brokenhearted
Blue since the day we parted
Why, why did I ever let you go?
Mamma mia, now I really know,
My my, I could never let you go.
The above lines undoubtedly refer to Donna's feelings of regret after she turned down the Doctor's offer of travel in The Runaway Bride.