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
There Are Many Ways To Die
Morten Harket Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Nightlight in the sky
I hear the sound of water
Boats are drifting by
I've been waiting here for centuries
I've lost my sense of time
My love, you should have warned me
There are many ways to die
Look at the moon, cocoon
I'm deep inside this world now
Got to take a step aside
I'm deeper than I ever was
I must have crossed a line
She just stood there in my way
Now I see her all the time
Oh, girl, you should have told me
There are many ways to die
Look at the moon, cocoon
This wind is blowing through me
It is nothing I can fight
Tomorrow I may lose her
Tonight she's by my side
Her head upon my shoulder
Her angels speak with mine
She was sent me to remind me
There are many ways to die
Look at the moon, cocoon
Watching centuries go by
The lyrics of Morten Harket's song "There Are Many Ways to Die" have a haunting tone to them, highlighting the idea that life is unpredictable and death can come in many ways. The song's opening lines create a vivid image of a harbour at night with boats drifting by, and the sound of water in the background. The singer, who has been waiting there for centuries, seems to have lost his sense of time, caught in a world of uncertainty and mystery. The lyrics suggest that he's waiting for someone or something, and his lover should have warned him that there are many ways to die.
The chorus of the song emphasizes the idea that death can come suddenly and unexpectedly, and the line "look at the moon, cocoon" suggests being trapped in a cycle of life and death. The second verse of the song reveals that the singer is deep inside this world now and must take a step aside, reflecting the idea of life passing by and how easily people get lost in it. The mention of a girl whom he sees all the time implies that she may have become a symbol of life's fragility and the need to be wary of danger. The final verse highlights the singer's fear of losing his loved one and the comfort brought by her presence.
Overall, the lyrics of "There Are Many Ways to Die" invite listeners to reflect on the uncertainty of life and the inevitability of death.
Line by Line Meaning
Night across the harbour
The night is calm and the harbour is busy.
Nightlight in the sky
The light in the sky is a sign of hope.
I hear the sound of water
The sound of water is soothing to the soul.
Boats are drifting by
The boats are floating quietly.
I've been waiting here for centuries
The waiting has been long and tiring.
I've lost my sense of time
The sense of time has been forgotten.
My love, you should have warned me
The warning was necessary but not given.
There are many ways to die
Death can come in many ways.
Look at the moon, cocoon
The moon is a symbol of life.
I'm deep inside this world now
The world is a place of mystery.
Got to take a step aside
It's time to take a step back.
I'm deeper than I ever was
The depth of the situation is overwhelming.
I must have crossed a line
A boundary has been crossed.
She just stood there in my way
The obstacle was unexpected.
Now I see her all the time
The obstacle has become a constant issue.
Oh, girl, you should have told me
Communication is important.
This wind is blowing through me
The wind represents change.
It is nothing I can fight
Change is inevitable.
Tomorrow I may lose her
Tomorrow is uncertain.
Tonight she's by my side
The present moment is important.
Her head upon my shoulder
She represents comfort.
Her angels speak with mine
She represents spiritual guidance.
She was sent me to remind me
She is a reminder of the bigger picture.
Watching centuries go by
Time is passing by quickly.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: MORTEN HARKET, KJETIL BJERKESTRAND, OLE OLSEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Lucia Fernandes
Eu amo essa banda. A-HA sempre no meu coração ❤️💕
Joana Darc
👏👏👏😍❤❤❤Sempre brilhando, amo demais!👏👏👏
Paula Meza
He has an amazing voice. He is so talented.
Musique Flowers
This song is very very great. So touching, so sweet.
The voice of Morten is so beautiful.
I love it <3
Nívia Pech
Simplesmente linda música A-HA querido 😍😍😍👌👌👌
Richard JDB
When this came out, I immediately thought this slick piece would be brilliant in a Bond film... Then, a few months later, the new Bond film had the theme 'Another Way to Die', and it was absolutely woeful. Not a single, solitary patch on our dear Morten!
norskygirl
Very nice, thanks for posting! Still waiting for the album, so it is great to be able to listen to the song until I have the real thing in my hands. Thanks, again.
therealrockondon
this songs awesome its about death but is so soothing :0) i love mortens solo work
RLGMaciel
Wonderful job Ilse, I adore the Morten's songs, I have this CD and my favorite song is "With you with me" but I like of all. A big hug for you my dear.
Shee Bee
Thank you for sharing this. What a beautiful song. A-ha with the orchestra accompaniment and the beautiful words all blend together to make this very ethereal & spiritual - otherworldly feeling. I love how the songs always seem to use Morten's full range. Makes their band SO unique and oh so enjoyable. The crowds love them too and it is not just because they are one of the most handsome bands around (even better looking as they mature) but because they "engage" their audience! God bless!