THE RUSSIAN (Tommy Körberg):
They all think they see a man
Who doesn’t know
Which move to make
Which way to go
Whose private life
Caused his decline
Wrecked his grand design
Some are vicious, some are fools
And others blind
To see in me one of their kind
Anyone can be
A husband, lover
Sooner them than me
When they discover
Their domestic bliss is
Shelter for their failing
Nothing could be worse
Than self-denial
Having to rehearse
To endless trial
Of a partner’s rather sad
Demands prevailing
SVETLANA (Sissel Kyrkjebo):
As you watch yourself caring
About a minor sporting triumph, sharing
Your win with esoterics,
Paranoids, hysterics,
Who don’t pay any attention to
What goes on around them
They leave the one they love the way they found them
A normal person must
Dismiss you with disgust
And weep for those who trusted you
THE RUSSIAN:
Nothing you have said
is revelation
Take my blues as read
My consolation —
Finding out that I’m my one true obligation
(Crowd cheer)
SVETLANA AND THE CROWD:
Listen to them shout
They saw you do it
In their minds no doubt
That you’ve been through it
Suffered for your art
But in the end a winner
Who could not be stirred
Such dedication
We have never heard
Such an ovation
Skill and guts a model
For the young beginner
They’re completely enchanted
But they don’t take your qualities for granted
It isn’t very often
That the critics soften
Nonetheless you’ve won their hearts
How can we begin to
Appreciate the work that you’ve put into
Your calling through the years
The blood, the sweat, the tears
The late, late nights, the early starts
There they go again!
Your deeds enflame them
Drive them wild, but then
Who wants to tame them
If they want a part of you
Who’d really blame them ?
(Crowd cheer louder still)
THE RUSSIAN:
And so you’re letting me know –
SVETLANA:
For you’re the only one who’s never suffered anything at all
THE RUSSIAN:
How you’ve hated my success –
SVETLANA:
Well I won’t crawl –
And you can slink back to your pawns
and to your tarts
THE RUSSIAN:
And every poisoned word shows that you never understood
SVETLANA:
Liar x4
THE RUSSIAN:
Never x4
Never—!
BOTH:
Nothing you have said
Is revelation
Take my blues as read
My consolation –
SVETLANA:
Finding out that I’m my only obligation
THE RUSSIAN:
Is there no one in my life
Who will not claim
The right to steal
My work, my name
My success, my fame
And my freedom
The full 1989 concert has finally been uploaded on Youtube by ABBAinternet.
Chess In Concert 1989 Sweden:
https://youtu.be/dVvLDMpT1WY
Absolutely incredible performance, loss for words
Does Tommy go up to the high B at the end in any of the other recordings? I feel like for whatever reason he was feeling 11/10 that day and just decided to slay this song. Spectacular, thanks for the upload!!
goose bumps everytime. and sissel is so young and sweet) perfect duo
Its an amazing performance! I linked this clip earlier on Josh Grobans fan site since he also sings this version. I wrote something like this song was written for Tommy Körberg and that this version is absolutely flawless… but I suppose Josh Grobans fan site did not like the competition so they removed it 😀 Josh Groban sounds like shit compared to Tommy! 😀
I really hope this upload stays up so more people can appreciate the raw talent and perfection of Tommy Körberg's voice. ♥️
I obviously don't own the rights to this video clip, I only upload it for fellow fans of Körberg and I am making no profit.
Finaly, äntligen. Den bästa videon som finns på tuben, Best there is.
Do you have a longer version of this where the two dudes starts to sing?
Ahhh this is finally back on YouTube! One of my favourite performances of Endgame, the final note is incredible.
Wow, that ending brings tears to my eyes. Thanks for putting it up again, I have missed it!
This is perfection!!!!!!!!!
The single best vocal performance for anything I have ever heard. I have never heard anybody, not even Tommy Korberg, come close to equaling this. Thanks for posting.
4:58
Saw this performance before on YouTube and had to get the DVD – what an epic version and the ending is sublime. Anthem from the same production was equally flawless – Tommy was on fire!!!
Oh so this what inspired Ramin Karimloo to go up an octave at the end??? This is amazing btw.
Wow, thank you! Do you also have his performance of Anthem from the same night? It's my favourite performance of that song and I can't find it on Youtube anymore…
Tommy really did that at the end.. He really did us like that and now I’m completely bald
This babe has the Susanna Hoffs' eye thing down perfectly.
I've been looking for this again for so long…thank you so much for re-uploading it!!
The epilogue/"You and I" always kind of feels like a letdown after this impeccable track – this version in particular knocks it so far out of the park I don't know if I'll ever fully recover from it
Ahh, the memories! I was in the choir singing tenor…..
I just discovered it thank yo so much, I just love it and were not aware of this, where the song comes from, is it from a musical comedy? oops sorry for my ignorance oops
Just to flex on us all more this man was forty when he sung this
Tommy (and ColmW) – the two best.
Mind.Blown.
Great performance of only 20 years old Sissel K.
absolutely stunning performance.
HelMaschine 💖
One of the best songs in Chess….. I loved the Elaine Page songs also. Stunning. 2020.
two of the best singer(s) i know of. Just greatness
Best version of this song in existence so far. 1:00 and very last note… goosebumps!!
Sooooooo gooood! 😍
😭💓😭💞😭💗😭💖😭💕😭💖😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭🌟💫💖💖💖
Wow. amazing .
Lol imagine thinking Josh Groban is better 😂
Lovely Sissel!!!!
very nice
Absolutely magnificent. Sent shivers down the back of my head, neck and spine!
From Norway so contractually obliged to love Sissel but holy hell that ending from Körberg o.O
This was, is and will forever be Tommy's role. Others may try. Some might even do well (Ramin) but this score was written for Tommy and Elaine.
Tommy Körberg at full tilt is something to behold. 4.32 is epic.
Fabulous! Bravo!
Magnificent performance! Listen to the original album and be astounded by how much Körberg's voice flowered in just 3-4 years. And together with Kyrkjebo, also world class! Thank you so much for this upload. 🙂
CHESS with Tommy Lörberg is, because of his voice, infinitely most beloved concept album of a Musical! Heard more versions of " Anthem" through the years since 1985, but Tommy is unbeatened in his Performance that sooooo great Song. Besides, I love the whole original album!!! Ever and ever again. It accompanies and fills my life with so much Joy! Very many thanks to 3 Knights Ltd., , Container Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Tim Rice
Tommy Körberg is completely unsurpassed in that role… absolutely incredible!!!!
I think that Sissel was really young by that time. Tommy is much more powerful, they are not look like equal duet.
That B flat at the end!
This is exceptional. BRAVO!
Brilliant performance. So much power.
What a storm of feelings
both singers are creating