Agnetha Faltskog

“I am uninterested in appearing in newspapers and on television. Many people think I am striking a pose - that I want to create a sense of shyness. But it's just not something I want to do. I overdosed.”

“I have always had strong maternal instincts. Even when I was still a child I cut out pictures of prams from newspapers and imagined the feeling of pushing my own pram through fresh winter snow and seeing the wheels' tracks behind me in the snow.”

“When I was 25, Abba was formed. After Abba I made three solo albums. Maybe I have been productive enough.”

“I may have aimed too high sometimes, asked too much of myself and demanded too little from those around me.”

“When I was 15 I became a full-time singer in a band. At 18 I made my first record.”

“There is a danger of changing too much in the search for perfection.”

“When I record, it feels like I'm in a bubble. There's nothing else in my head right then. It's just that song, and I'm trying to really sound like what the song is about.”

“I was so tired once 'Abba' was over and just wanted to be calm and with my children. I married, was in 'Abba,' had my children, divorced, all in ten years. I wonder how I managed it, but I was young.”

“My path has not been determined. I shall have more experiences and pass many more milestones.”

“I'm a country bumpkin. I'm not a showgirl.”

“This idea of trying to repeat a success doesn't interest me. It's only really done to make money.”

“There was a time when the music fell silent. Both within me and around me.”

“Performing live is not my favourite. I am more of a recording person; I prefer to be private. I didn't mind doing videos, even if they came very close with the camera. I can take that, but walking on stage in concert and singing live, that is a bit difficult.”

“When I'm living in the world of luxury and celebrity, which is where I found myself for a large part of my life, it's a walk-on part. Not a vital necessity, like it is for so many people. I enjoy it but I can see right through it!”

“I just want to live in peace and quiet.”

“It has always felt like a failure that Bjorn and I couldn't keep our family together. You never get it back, but to this day I don't regret splitting up. The reason behind our separation is one of those things I definitely don't want to go into!”

“I must be allowed to be as I am.”

“There are a lot of artists that I love, and I think they're really talented, and they're good dancers as well. I've always wished that I could combine that.”

“No one who has experienced facing a screaming, boiling, hysterical audience can avoid feeling shivers in the spine. It's a thin line between celebration and menace.”

“I used to suffer from stage fright, which at times was an ordeal. I won't perform live again. I'm going to do some TV shows and videos but nothing else... I don't like to travel too much or do concerts. I'm more of a studio and home girl.”