The son of Henny and Reidar Harket, and brother to Ingunn, Gunvald, Kjetil and Håkon, Morten grew up in Asker. Early musical influences include Uriah Heep, Queen, Johnny Cash, David Bowie and Peter Gabriel. Before joining a-ha in 1982, Harket appeared on the Oslo club scene as the singer for blues outfit Souldier Blue.
After a-ha took a break in 1994, Morten pursued a solo career, and has so far released four albums. Two of those albums were sung in Norwegian, but his 1995 album, Wild Seed, became more of an International success because of its English lyrics. Morten worked with Håvard Rem, a Norwegian poet, to write most of the songs. A Kind of Christmas Card and Spanish Steps were the most successful numbers. The rest were either easy, simple songs, or more profound ones, like East Timor, and Brodsky Tune, which had messages in them. His latest solo album is called Letter from Egypt and was released in 2008.
Morten holds the record for the longest single note, for a man, in a song, having held a note for 20.2 seconds in a-ha's 2000 song Summer Moved On. This overtook the previous record of 18 seconds held by Bill Withers on the song Lovely Day. The longest note held by a woman is 23 seconds by Barbra Streisand in her 1979 album "Barbra Streisand and Other Musical Instruments", song, "I Never Has Seen Snow".
Morten's new solo album "Out Of My Hands" is released. Morten's also touring in 2012 in South America, United Kingdom and parts of Europe.
http://www.mortenharket.com
A Kind Of Christmas Card
Morten Harket Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'll never tell you this
You're not supposed to know
Where your daughter is
There are ways of life
You never understood
It's right here
It's afternoon on Sunset Boulevard
I've got a stolen moment trying hard
To write a kind of Christmas card
But I am burning out again
Tonight there is fever in my veins
Mama, dear all the love you gave
I guess there's really nothing
Nothing much to save
This place is as steady as I feel myself
There are still some riches at the Roosevelt
That evening prayer, those memories
In my little bedroom, mama, on my
Knees that's where I am at
Down in Los Angeles
And I am burning out again
And I must rise above the shame
Tonight there is fever in my veins
Just think of the girl I used to be
You were my age once, mama twenty-three
I can still hear some of the songs you used
To play from that summer of love in sixty-eight
Seems it's turned into a winter of hate
And I am burning out again
The first stanza of Morten Harket's song A Kind Of Christmas Card talks about the singer's location and his decision not to reveal his location to his family. He concedes that his family will never understand the way things work in his world. He avoids being explicit about his location, explaining that he's in "Downtown Hollywood." He is taking some time off to write a Christmas card to his mother, though he's struggling with the composition. The final line in this first verse describes the singer experiencing a rush of adrenaline, which might not be the first time. The second verse of the song talks about the singer's mother and life back at home. He reflects on all of the love his mother has given him, realizing that there's nothing he can do to repay her. He juxtaposes this moment of reflection with the brothels and bars that he's surrounded by in Hollywood.
The chorus of the song reinforces the singer's current state of being, which is "burning out." However, despite the fact that he's struggling to keep himself afloat on the West Coast, he finds solace in the memories of his youth. He thinks back to the carefree days when he was just like his mother, and she was just like him. He remembers how much he enjoyed her taste in music and all her favorite songs from the '60s. However, he cannot help note that the cultural climate has changed since that time. The final line of the song describes the singer's sense of desperation that things have taken a turn for the worse and that he is "burning out again."
Line by Line Meaning
All you folks back home
This message is not for you
I'll never tell you this
I won't reveal my location
You're not supposed to know
You can't handle the harsh realities of my life
Where your daughter is
I'm far from the safety and comfort of home
There are ways of life
I live a different lifestyle
You never understood
You wouldn't be able to relate
It's right here
I'm in downtown Hollywood
It's afternoon on Sunset Boulevard
It's a typical day in my life
I've got a stolen moment trying hard
I'm taking advantage of a brief opportunity
To write a kind of Christmas card
I'm attempting to send holiday wishes
But I am burning out again
I'm overwhelmed and exhausted
Tonight there is fever in my veins
I'm feeling passionate and restless
Mama, dear all the love you gave
I appreciate your affection and care
I guess there's really nothing
Unfortunately, it hasn't been enough
Nothing much to save
There's not much hope for improvement
This place is as steady as I feel myself
My environment is unchanging, like my mood
There are still some riches at the Roosevelt
There are still some luxuries to enjoy
That evening prayer, those memories
I'm reminiscing about the past
In my little bedroom, mama, on my
I'm alone in my small living space
Knees that's where I am at
I'm in a submissive state
Down in Los Angeles
I'm located in LA
And I am burning out again
I'm still feeling fatigued and overwhelmed
And I must rise above the shame
I need to overcome my embarrassment and weakness
Tonight there is fever in my veins
I'm feeling passionate and restless once more
Just think of the girl I used to be
I've changed significantly since leaving home
You were my age once, mama twenty-three
You can relate to my youth and inexperience
I can still hear some of the songs you used
I'm nostalgic for your music choices
To play from that summer of love in sixty-eight
You enjoyed the music from a pivotal era
Seems it's turned into a winter of hate
The world has changed and become more negative
And I am burning out again
I'm still feeling overwhelmed and exhausted
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: HAVARD REM, MORTEN HARKET
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@christopherdelasoupe928
ok ok I didn't remember that it sounded very rock...🤔😲😊 Thanks for sharing. Thanks to this great singer with the long career with A-ha (many albums and major tours), and his '' solo '' career. Big respect !👍🙂
@klenyaprates7720
Sempre fui apaixonada pelo A-HA , Morten é perfeito, lindo e sua voz é impecável! Amo...
@ernanearaujo6789
Alguém ai curtindo em 2023?
@rafaeloliveirahotmart8837
Eu agora, top d mais né mano as músicas desse cara
@odairsoares1039
Sempre!!
@jussaradejesuspimenta9249
😊
@user-mf7vw8qi1x
Я первый раз услышала эту песню !Восторг !Какой талант !Голос другой !❤❤❤
@corsertr
2024
@belzw3889
Very sad story behind this beautiful song 🎵 😢
@ianwilson2007
Morten's voice on this is insane.