Morten Harket (born September 14, 1959 in Kongsberg) is the lead singer of … Read Full Bio ↴Morten Harket (born September 14, 1959 in Kongsberg) is the lead singer of the Norwegian pop band A-ha, who have released nine studio albums and topped the charts in several countries after their breakthrough hit Take On Me in 1985.

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

Keep the Sun Away
Morten Harket Lyrics

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The sun that pierced my aching heart
Sooner or later, will tear me apart
My black eyed love will leave me bruised
Broken and battered, and feeling confused

Who am I today?
Keep the sun away

Rain down on freezing bones
Oh I don't know if I can be left alone
Wind blows 'cross a dead man's eyes, oh and I
Think I'm coming to the end of the line

A captain on his sinking ship
King into battle, stiff upper lip
But I protect my covered pride
By staying defensive, denying the tide

Here's my final play
Keep the sun away

If I could I'd erase you away
I'd erase you away

Wish I could keep the sun away
Keep the sun away

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Morten Harket's song Keep the Sun Away depict a person in emotional distress who wants to shut out the outside world and avoid facing their problems. The sun, which is often viewed as a symbol of hope and positivity, is here portrayed as a source of pain that will eventually lead to the singer's destruction. The first verse suggests that the singer is in a toxic relationship that is slowly wearing them down. The love that they share with their partner is described as "black eyed," and it will eventually leave them "broken and battered." The singer is lost and confused about their identity and who they are because of their relationship. The line "Who am I today? Keep the sun away" expresses their confusion and desire to avoid facing their problems.

The second verse shifts the focus to the singer's physical condition, describing them as having "freezing bones" and feeling like they are "coming to the end of the line." The lyrics paint a picture of a person who is struggling to keep going and who may be contemplating suicide. The reference to a "dead man's eyes" suggests a sense of hopelessness or defeat. However, the singer is also depicted as a captain on a sinking ship, trying to maintain a brave face, and a king going into battle with a "stiff upper lip." They are aware of the need to protect their pride, but denial and avoidance are their only tactics.

The theme of wanting to keep the sun away is repeated in the chorus, underscoring the singer's desire to escape reality and live in darkness. The last verse further emphasizes the singer's desire to erase their problems and forget what has happened. However, the final line "Wish I could keep the sun away" suggests that this is an impossible task.

Overall, the lyrics of Keep the Sun Away are suggestive of depression, isolation, and despair. The singer is viewed as someone who is struggling to cope with life and is unable to confront their problems. The song's somber tone and melancholic lyrics reflect the singer's feelings of hopelessness and despair.

Line by Line Meaning

The sun that pierced my aching heart
The unbearable pain caused by certain memories is something that'll hunt me down for life.

Sooner or later, will tear me apart
It's inevitable that one day, the demons from the past will catch up and consume me entirely.

My black eyed love will leave me bruised
The love that once made me feel alive now causes more harm than good, leaving me with nothing but injuries and a worn-out soul.

Broken and battered, and feeling confused
Dealing with love lost is never easy. I'm left feeling helpless and confused, not knowing where to turn for help or what to do next.

Who am I today?
My broken, battered and confused state has left me questioning my own identity, making it hard to recognize myself.

Keep the sun away
I want to avoid anything that'll trigger memories and cause me heartache.

Rain down on freezing bones
I feel so numb that even the rain doesn't cause any effect on me. It's like my bones are frozen.

Oh I don't know if I can be left alone
I'm so hurt and broken that the thought of being alone with my thoughts scares me.

Wind blows 'cross a dead man's eyes, oh and I
I'm reminded of how fleeting life can be as the wind blows across dead man's eyes, making me realize how mortal I am.

Think I'm coming to the end of the line
I feel like I'm at the end of the tunnel, with nowhere to go or anyone to turn to.

A captain on his sinking ship
Just as a captain would go down with his sinking ship, I, too, feel like there's no escape from my current situation.

King into battle, stiff upper lip
I need to stay strong despite the pain and put on a brave face, as I face the challenges life throws at me.

But I protect my covered pride
Even though I'm hurting, I'm making sure to safeguard my self-respect, both for my own sake and to protect my image in front of others.

By staying defensive, denying the tide
I'm in damage control mode and I'm fighting against the inevitable tide, hoping that by staying defensive, I can delay the pain.

Here's my final play
This is my last resort, my final attempt at holding on and trying to brave this storm. I don't know if it'll work, but I have to give it a try.

If I could I'd erase you away
If it was up to me, I'd erase every memory of you from my mind, to get back the sense of calm that's now lost.

Wish I could keep the sun away
I yearn for a life without any kind of heartache, a life where the sun doesn't shine down on my grief.

Contributed by Thomas K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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