The origin of the name a-ha comes from the lyric of an early song. After checking dictionaries in several languages, they found out that 'a-ha' was an international way of expressing recognition, with positive connotations. It was short, a-ha was easy to say and somewhat unusual.
"Take on Me" was the first song Morten Harket heard Magne Furuholmen and Paul Waaktaar-Savoy created. At that time the song was called "Lesson One." After multiple re-recordings and two failed releases, "Take on Me" became a hit on both sides of the Atlantic in 1985. Although their first release of the song in 1984 was not a major success, it was remixed by producer Alan Tarney a year later, and sold 1.5 million copies worldwide in one week. Eventually the single "Take on Me" is estimated to have sold 7-9 million copies worldwide; it peaked at number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and number two in the UK Singles Chart. Sales were aided in the U.S. by a music video on MTV that mimicked the truck chase from Terry Gilliam's movie Brazil and the climactic scene from the Ken Russell film Altered States. The video used a sketchy animation / live action combination called "Rotoscoping" that tells a fantasy thriller story to the song. At the 1986 MTV Video Music Awards "Take on Me" won in six categories. It was also nominated for Best Video of the Year at 1986 American Music Awards. As of February 2020, the official video has surpassed 1 billion views on YouTube.
The follow-up single to "Take on Me" was "The Sun Always Shines on T.V.". In the U.S., the song peaked at number twenty on the Billboard Hot 100 and reached number seventeen on Radio & Records airplay chart. In addition, the music video for the song won in two categories at the 1986 MTV Video Music Awards.
a-ha's American success culminated in their 1986 Grammy nomination in a coveted Best New Artist category which was eventually won by Sade.
"The Sun Always Shines on TV" turned out to be A-ha's last Billboard Top 40 single, and to this day in the United States a-ha is mostly remembered by the general public only because of the singularly huge success of "Take on Me". Hunting High and Low (1985), which contained "The Sun Always Shines on TV" and "Take on Me," was a worldwide bestseller. In the U.S., it sold more than a million copies and acquired platinum certification by RIAA. As of 2005, Hunting High and Low has sold 8 million copies worldwide.
a-ha's second album was Scoundrel Days (1986) and represented a move towards alternative rock as synthpop began to fall out of style. In 1987, they provided the title song for the James Bond film The Living Daylights. Stay on These Roads (1988) received more mixed reviews than the previous albums. In spite of a drastic decline in sales in the next few years, a-ha continued to record two more albums, East of the Sun, West of the Moon (1990) and Memorial Beach (1993). East of the Sun, West of the Moon featured a cover version of The Everly Brothers 1963 single, "Crying in the Rain".
Because of apparent internal conflicts between the band members and conflict with the record label at the time, A-ha split in 1994 and their members started focusing on solo activities, but came together in 1994 to perform for the Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway. This performance included their song composed for the Winter Paralympics, "Shapes That Go Together".
After a very well-received performance of "The Sun Always Shines on TV" and a new song, "Summer Moved On", at the Nobel Peace Prize Concert in 1998, the band returned to the studio and recorded 2000's Minor Earth Major Sky, which resulted in a new tour, and a videocast performance of a-ha (with Briskeby) opening the new Vallhall stadium in Oslo. Sales of this album and 2002's Lifelines showed that their fanbase was still there, and also that they were able to attract new audiences, especially in Central Europe and Scandinavia, where the albums sold extremely well. They appeared again at the Nobel Peace Prize concert in 2001. a-ha's music video for the song, "I Wish I Cared" was the first fully web-based animated flash music video to be made available.
A live album (from their 2002 tour) with the title How Can I Sleep With Your Voice in My Head? was released in March of 2003, preceded by a live single of the 1986 classic "The Sun Always Shines on TV".
In 2004, an in-depth book entitled "The Swing Of Things" was published, also featuring a CD of early demo material. In 2004, a-ha celebrated their twentieth anniversary with the release of a new singles collection: The Definitive Singles Collection 1984-2004. This compilation brought them back into the UK Top 20 Album Charts, where they reached number thirteen. Over their career, a-ha have officially released 32 singles. 13 of these became top ten singles in the UK, and 14 singles have been number one on the radio lists over the world. The compilation included some of the highlights from a-haβs last 20 years.
In September, a-ha returned to the U.S. (at Irving Plaza in New York City) for the band's first concert on American soil since 1986. A short impromptu performance of "Take on Me" occurred on September 11 in Times Square. On August 27, 2005, the band played a concert for 120,000 people in Frognerparken in Oslo, the largest concert ever in Norway.
On November 4, 2005, the band released its new studio album, Analogue. The first single "Celice" was released on October 4 in mainland Europe. Later that same month, a tour followed, with concerts in Brussels, France, Germany and the UK. The release of the track, "Analogue (All I Want)" followed in the UK in January 2006, giving a-ha its first top ten hit in the UK since 1988. The third single in Europe (second in the UK) from the album was the Magne Furuholmen penned "Cosy Prisons", already a live-staple in the band's set.
On the 30 October 2006 in London a-ha received the prestigious Q Inspiration Award for its long contribution to music and for inspiring many of their younger colleagues in the business.
In 2007 a-ha recorded a cover of John Lennon's "#9 Dream" for Amnesty International.
A ninth studio album, Foot Of The Mountain, was released in the summer of 2009. This more synth oriented album got a number five position in the UK in August 2009, and was No. 11 on the European album charts.
"Norway's most successful band through the years is splitting up for good!
After 9 studio albums with over 35 million albums sold, it`s over for the band."
A-ha had a press conference in Cologne 26.10.09, the day before their last world tour kick-off in Lanxess Arena. The last concert was in Oslo Norway. The concert ion 4 December 2010 at the Oslo Spektrum.
On March 21, 2015, it was confirmed in national Norwegian newspapers that a-ha has reunited. Their tenth studio album, Cast in Steel, was released in 2015.
Halfway Through The Tour
a-ha Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We'll be somewhere else tomorrow
Halfway through the tour
We'll be somewhere else tomorrow
And you know
I can't do much more (I can't wish for more)
Than walking out that door
And make for home tomorrow
Halfway through the tour
Houses set back from the road
Halfway through the tour
Across a dry expanse we go
And you know
I can't do much more (I can't wish for more)
Than walking out that door
And make for home tomorrow
Halfway through the door
But when the crowd engage
And takes you to a place
That you now
Everyone can be a part of
Everyone can be a part of it
Halfway through the tour
While there's money to be made
Halfway through the tour
From the public eye we fade
And you know
Across a dry expanse
We're flying by the seat of our pants
We'll be somewhere else tomorrow
Halfway through the tour
I can't do much more
The lyrics of a-ha's song Halfway Through The Tour poignantly capture the sentiments of a touring musician. The opening lines, "Halfway through the tour, we'll be somewhere else tomorrow" set the tone for the song. They convey the sense of restlessness and the transient nature of a touring musician's life. The singer further reveals his longing for comfort and familiarity by saying, "And you know, I can't do much more than walking out that door and make for home tomorrow." The idea of home, a place of refuge, is a recurring theme in the song.
The second verse paints the picture of the monotonous routine of a touring musician. "Houses set back from the road, across a dry expanse, we go" describes the scenery that is often seen from tour buses. The line "flying by the seat of our pants" accurately depicts the precarious nature of the life of a touring musician, where everything is uncertain and constantly changing. The chorus of the song, with its repetition of the phrase, "Halfway through the tour, I can't do much more," highlights the grueling nature of touring and the exhaustion that comes with it.
Overall, Halfway Through The Tour provides a glimpse into the realities of a touring musician's life. It articulates the yearning for stability and a sense of belonging while acknowledging the thrill and excitement of performing live.
Line by Line Meaning
Halfway through the tour
We are currently halfway through the tour and soon we will be performing in a different location.
We'll be somewhere else tomorrow
Tomorrow, we will not be in the same place as we are today, as our tour continues.
Halfway through the tour
We are still in the middle of the tour and we have already traveled far and wide.
And you know I can't do much more
I cannot hope or expect for more than what I have, which is the opportunity to perform and entertain my audience.
Than walking out that door
At this point, I feel like going back home is the best thing for me.
And make for home tomorrow
I will be leaving to go back home soon, since I cannot handle this lifestyle anymore.
But when the crowd engage
When the audience becomes involved in our performance and really enjoys it.
And takes you to a place
It makes me feel like I'm in a different world or dimension, where all that exists is the music and the audience.
That you now
It's a feeling that we are all experiencing together in the moment.
Everyone can be a part of
This enjoyment is shared by everyone present and involved in the performance.
Everyone can be a part of it
Each person in the audience has an equally important role in the experience of the music and performance.
Houses set back from the road
As we travel and move from place to place, we see all kinds of houses situated far away from the main road.
Across a dry expanse we go
We are traveling through a barren and dry area, perhaps experiencing a sense of emptiness or loneliness.
We're flying by the seat of our pants
We are taking risks and living in the moment with no plan, enjoying the ride as it comes.
While there's money to be made
We're on this tour because it's a way for us to earn a living.
From the public eye we fade
As the tour continues, we become less visible to the public and fade somewhat into the background.
Halfway through the tour
At this moment, we are halfway through the tour, and still have more performances to give and people to entertain.
I can't do much more
I feel as though I've given all I can and that it's time for me to move on from this lifestyle.
Lyrics Β© RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Written by: MAGNE FURUHOLMEN, MORTEN HARKET, PAL WAAKTAAR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
C. R.
LYRICS :
Halfway through the tour
We'll be somewhere else tomorrow
Halfway through the tour
We'll be somewhere else tomorrow
And you know
I can't wish for more
Than walking out that door
And make for home tomorrow
Halfway through the tour
Halfway through the tour
Houses set back from the road
Halfway through the tour
Across a dry expanse we go
And you know
I can't wish for more
Than walking out that door
And make for home tomorrow
Halfway through the door
But when the crowd engage
And brings you to a place
But you will know
Everyone can be a part of
Everyone can be a part of it
Halfway through the tour
While there's money to be made
Halfway through the tour
From the public eye we fade
But you know
Across a dry expanse
We're flying by the seat of our pants
We'll be somewhere else tomorrow
Halfway through the tour
I can't do much more
And make for home tomorrow
Tomorrow
marvin silverman
se ve que a ningun fan le gusta mucho esta cancion
pero a mi me fascina y es una de las mejores del album
marie poirier
Homem lindo! Nao da pra nao achar um TESOURO esse viking!
Bota BELEZA nele! Γ lindo demais!
Se nao fosse cantor..teria muito sucesso tambem como manequim..modelo..ator!
Maravilha da regiao nordica!
Valeu belo! β¨ππππππππ
ππππππππππππππππππ»πΈπ―π§π·β€οΈ
C. R.
LYRICS :
Halfway through the tour
We'll be somewhere else tomorrow
Halfway through the tour
We'll be somewhere else tomorrow
And you know
I can't wish for more
Than walking out that door
And make for home tomorrow
Halfway through the tour
Halfway through the tour
Houses set back from the road
Halfway through the tour
Across a dry expanse we go
And you know
I can't wish for more
Than walking out that door
And make for home tomorrow
Halfway through the door
But when the crowd engage
And brings you to a place
But you will know
Everyone can be a part of
Everyone can be a part of it
Halfway through the tour
While there's money to be made
Halfway through the tour
From the public eye we fade
But you know
Across a dry expanse
We're flying by the seat of our pants
We'll be somewhere else tomorrow
Halfway through the tour
I can't do much more
And make for home tomorrow
Tomorrow
susan wiffill
The last part of this song is so relaxing I woke up to this so relaxing π
Fausto
MΓΊsica boa pra variar do a-ha.
Osana Barbosa
Lindo
therealrockondon
IVE SEEN A-HA 18TIMES been interviwed on the vall hall dvd and listen to them daily HOW THE HELL DID I NOT KNOW ABOUT THIS SONG?WUT THA?LOL SWEET A SONG IVE NEVER HEARD
Cristina Noya
Doces lembrancas
susan wiffill
Like the instrumental piece at the end βΊοΈβοΈ
Pirpa Levo
Thank You for photos too- they are awesome, rare! Sorry my english...