"Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)" is a song by Swedish recording group ABBA. A disco and Eurodisco song, it was first recorded in August 1979 to promote the group's North American and European concert legs of ABBA: The Tour. It was released on 12 October 1979 as the sole single taken from their second greatest hits album Greatest Hits Vol. 2. Agnetha Fältskog sang the lead vocals to the song. Although it was not recorded for it, "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)" was included in reissues of the group's sixth studio album Voulez-Vous.
The track went on to become one of ABBA's signature hits, topping the charts in Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, and Japan's international chart, and reached the top ten in multiple countries across Europe and Australia as well. Its release in the United States and Canada was cancelled by Atlantic Records even though promotional copies were already pressed, presumably due to the unpopularity of disco as a whole in the US following Disco Demolition Night.
Background "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)" was written and composed by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, with the lead vocal sung by Agnetha Fältskog. Fältskog, as the narrator, weaves the image of a lonely woman who longs for a romantic relationship and views her loneliness as a forbidding darkness of night, even drawing parallels to how the happy endings of movie stars are so different from her existence. The melody line of the song was played on an ARP Odyssey synthesizer.
Originally, ABBA had recorded another song, "Rubber Ball Man", which was planned as a single. It featured the typical "ABBA-arrangement" with both Fältskog and Anni-Frid Lyngstad on lead vocals and the use of classical strings. This song was also performed by the group during rehearsals for its 1979 tour as "Under My Sun". However, the group felt that "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!", with its disco sound, would be a better choice, and thus, "Rubber Ball Man" remained nothing more than a demo.
The song came about after Benny and Björn heard Donna Summer's hit "Hot Stuff", and upon hearing it, it inspired the riffs, melody and sentiment of the song with Agnetha yearning for 'a man after midnight' whilst Donna was in need of some 'hot stuff'.
Single version
The single version of this song, which was released in its full length of 4:45 everywhere else in the world, was released in the United States and Canada in an edited format, being just 3:36 in length. This was done by removing the first half of the opening instrumental, the first four of the eight bars of the instrumental bridge between the second and final chorus, and fading the song out early. It is believed the edit was done by Atlantic, ABBA's North American record label and not Polar, hence the reason why it was available only in the US and Canada. This single version has never appeared on any commercial CD issued by Polar/Universal to date and along with the US promo edit of "Chiquitita", it marked the only time Atlantic ever commercially released an edited version of an ABBA single while they had the North American rights to release ABBA recordings.
As of September 2021, it is ABBA's tenth-biggest song in the UK, including both pure sales and digital streams.
The single was never released by Polar Music in the group's native Sweden, instead being featured on the Greatest Hits Vol. 2 album, which did get a Swedish release. While Polar released the single in neighbouring Norway, Denmark, and Finland, copies of these versions were not made available in the Swedish record stores, who thus arranged to import copies of the United Kingdom version on Epic Records. Sales of these imports were sufficient for the single to reach no. 16 on the sales chart in Sweden.
On October 4, 2024, "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!" was reissued digitally as a promotional single for the compilation album The Singles: The First Fifty Years. This release was accompanied by a Dolby Atmos remix of the song (the third ABBA release to receive this treatment, after "Waterloo" and Voyage) and a new 4K remaster of the music video.
On July 20, 2025, "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!" surpassed 1 Billion streams on Spotify, becoming the second ABBA song to reach that milestone, following "Dancing Queen".
Spanish version "¡Dame! ¡Dame! ¡Dame!" is the Spanish-language version of the song. The song was released as a single to promote Gracias Por La Música in Latin America and other Spanish-speaking countries.
Reception
Critical Cash Box called it "another exercise of sparkling euro-pop, with the slightest hint of boogie bottom to give the song an edge." Record World noted the track's "captivating chorus hook".
In 2018, Financial Times described the song as "a masterpiece of Scandinavian frankness" and Abba's "most sexually liberated song". The Financial Times also noted that the song had become a gay anthem.Ludovic Hunter-Tilney: Life of a Song - Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight) — from Abba to Madonna. Financial Times, 22 January 2018
Commercial "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)" was another highly successful song for ABBA. It reached no. 1 in Belgium, Finland, France, Ireland, and Switzerland, while reaching the top 3 in Austria, West Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Norway. It also proved to be ABBA's most successful song in Japan, reaching no. 17.
Personnel ABBA Agnetha Fältskog – lead and backing vocals Anni-Frid Lyngstad – backing vocals Bjorn Ulvaeus – electric guitar, backing vocals Benny Andersson – keyboards, synthesizer, backing vocals
Additional personnel Ola Brunkert – drums Rutger Gunnarsson – bass, string arrangement Lasse Wellander – guitar Åke Sundqvist – percussion Anders Dahl, Gunnar Mickols – violin Halldor Pálsson, Lars O. Carlsson – tenor saxophone Christer Danielsson – bass trombone
Charts
Weekly charts Chart (1979–1980)PeakpositionAustralia (Kent Music Report)8Denmark (IFPI)1Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)1Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)1Japan (Oricon International Chart)1Japan (Oricon Singles Chart)17South Africa (Springbok Radio)16
+ 2006 weekly chart performance for "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)" Chart (2006) Peak position Russia Airplay (TopHit) 146
Chart (2021) PeakpositionSweden (Sverigetopplistan)37 Chart (2022) PeakpositionCanada Digital Song Sales (Billboard)46 Chart (2023) PeakpositionSweden (Sverigetopplistan)42 Chart (2024) PeakpositionSweden (Sverigetopplistan)55 +Chart (2025)Peak positionSweden (Sverigetopplistan)50 Chart (2026) Peakposition Global Excl. US (Billboard) 187Netherlands (Single Top 100)65Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)26Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade Top 100)42Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade Streaming Charts Top 100)33
Year-end charts Chart (1979)PositionBelgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)32France (IFOP)10Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)42Netherlands (Single Top 100)57 Chart (1980)PositionGermany (Official German Charts)54
Release history RegionDateTitleLabelFormatCatalogUK, Ireland12 Oct 1979"Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)" / "The King Has Lost His Crown"Epic7-inch vinylS EPC 7914Denmark, Norway15 Oct 1979PolarPOS 1256Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Portugal, Switzerland, India, Kenya20 Oct 1979Polydor2001 919Australia, New ZealandOct 1979RCA Victor103452FranceVogue101237JapanDiscomate7-inch vinyl, promoDSS-812-inch vinyl, promoDSS-100525 Nov 1979Discomate7-inch vinylDSP-131SpainNov 1979CarnabyMO 1917Greece1979Pan VoxPAN VOX 7605South AfricaSunshineGBS 139Italy29 Feb 1980EpicEPC 7914SpainFeb 1980"Dame! Dame! Dame!" / "The King Has Lost His Crown"CarnabyMO 1924Turkey1980"Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)" / "The King Has Lost His Crown"BaletBE 229Yugoslavia29 Jan 1980"Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)" / "The King Has Lost His Crown"Radio-Televizija Beograd1220012US, CanadaFeb 1980"Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)" (Short Version - 3.35) / "The King Has Lost His Crown"AtlanticAT 3652USFeb 1980"Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)" (Short Version - 3.35) / "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)" (Long Version - 4.45)Atlantic7-inch vinyl, promo36521980"Dame! Dame! Dame!" / "Gracias Por La Musica"Discos CBS International7-inch vinylDAS 40003JapanJul 1980"Dame! Dame! Dame!" / "Gracias Por La Musica"Discomate7-inch vinyl, promoDSS-9Ecuador14 Nov 1980"Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)" / "The King Has Lost His Crown"RCA7-inch vinylECK-200937Brazil1980"Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)" / "The King Has Lost His Crown"101.8179El Salvador"Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)" / "The King Has Lost His Crown"CA-10949Peru“Dame! Dame! Dame! (Un Hombre Después De Medianoche)” / “Ojos De Angels”XRPBO 988Colombia"Dame! Dame! Dame!" / "Gracias Por La Musica"05(3011)52201PanamaXB-01157Europe14 Jun 2019"Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)" / "The King Has Lost His Crown"Polar7-inch vinyl, picture disc00602577237638Worldwide4 Oct 2024"Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)"Streaming
Certifications
A-Teens version
"Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)" was A-Teens' third single (fourth in other territories) from their first album The ABBA Generation, a collection of ABBA cover versions. The song was remixed for its single release. The single became their third top-10 hit in Sweden, where it earned a gold certification. The song was also recorded in Spanish.
Music video The music video was directed by Sebastian Reed and filmed in Sweden. The video uses the remixed radio version. The video starts with the boys entering a warehouse, where they find a crystal ball. Inside, there is an "alternate world" where they perform the song. Part of the video also features the band at a bowling alley where they play a few games against each other.
Releases European 2-track CD single "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!" [Radio version] – 3:45 "A*Teens Medley" [Pierre J's Radio Mix] – 3:54
European maxi CD "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!" [Radio version] – 3:45 "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!" [Extended version] – 6:02 "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!" [Earthbound Late Show Remix] – 5:04 "A*Teens Medley" [Pierre J's Full Length Mix] – 8:19
Mexican CD single "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!" [Radio version] – 3:45 "¡Dame! ¡Dame! ¡Dame!" [Versión en español] – 3:43
Japanese maxi CD "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!" [Radio version] – 3:45 "A*Teens Medley" [Pierre J's Radio Mix] – 3:54 "Mamma Mia" [Versión en español] – 3:46 "¡Dame! ¡Dame! ¡Dame!" [Versión en español] – 3:43
Charts Weekly charts Chart (1999–2000)Peakposition
Year-end charts Chart (1999)PositionSweden (Hitlistan)76
Certifications
Film version
"Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)" was the first single released from the soundtrack for the 2008 film version of Mamma Mia! by American actress Amanda Seyfried, who plays Sophie in the film. In the film, only the chorus is sung while the rest of the song is instrumental, much like the original stage play. On the soundtrack, Seyfried sings the complete song as a solo performance, and also does the same in a music video to promote the movie. The version on the soundtrack is a minute shorter than the version featured on the film's tie-in website.
Charts + Chart performance for "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)" by the Mamma Mia! film cast Chart (2008) Peakposition Australia (ARIA) 70
Certifications
Cher version
American singer and actress Cher covered the song on her album Dancing Queen, released on 28 September 2018. Cher's version is the lead single on the album. The accompanying audio video for "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)" was premiered through Cher's official YouTube channel on 9 August 2018. An extended version of the track was later released on 14 September 2018. The song peaked at number 4 on the Hot Dance Club Songs chart.
Critical reception