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-ha’s 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.
Manhattan Skyline
a-ha Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm trying to keep my newspaper dry
I hear myself say,
"My boat's leaving now"
so we shake hands and cry
Now I must wave goodbye
Wave goodbye
Wave goodbye
Wave goodbye
Wave goodbye
You know
I don't want to cry again
I don't want to cry again
Don't want to say goodbye
I don't want to cry again
I don't want to run away
Don't want to race this pain
I'll never see your face again
Oh but how
How can you say
That I didn't try
You see things in the depths of my eyes
That may love's run dry
No
We leave to their goodbyes
I've come to depend on the look in their eyes
My blood's sweet for pain
The wind and the rain bring back words of a song
And they say: wave goodbye
Wave goodbye
Wave goodbye
Wave goodbye
Wave goodbye
Wave goodbye
But you know
I don't want to fall again
Don't want to look this pain
Don't want another friend
Don't want to try again
Don't want to see you hurt
Don't let me see you hurt
I don't want to cry again
I'll never see your face again
How can you say
That I didn't try
You know I did
You see things in the depths of my eyes
That my love's run dry
So I read to myself:
A chance of a lifetime to see new horizons
On the front page
A black and white picture
Of Manhattan Skyline
The lyrics of "Manhattan Skyline" by a-ha describe the pain and regret of a breakup. The song opens with the singer and a former lover watching umbrellas fly by in the rain. As they say their goodbyes, the singer tries to hold back tears and says their boat is leaving now. Despite not wanting to say goodbye or fall in love again, the singer can't help but feel the pain of losing their former lover. The wind and rain bring back memories of a song that repeats "wave goodbye," as the singer tries to move on.
The chorus repeats the singer's desire to not cry or fall in love again, and to not see their former lover hurt. However, as the song progresses, the singer acknowledges that they tried in the relationship and that their love had run dry. The song ends with the singer reading about a chance to see new horizons in the Manhattan skyline, a symbol of moving on and leaving the pain behind.
Overall, "Manhattan Skyline" is a poignant and emotional song that captures the complexity of heartbreak and the difficulty of moving on.
Line by Line Meaning
We sit and watch umbrellas fly
We are sitting and witnessing umbrellas flying in the rain
I'm trying to keep my newspaper dry
I am making an effort to prevent my newspaper from getting soaked
I hear myself say, 'My boat's leaving now'
I realize that it's time for me to leave and I am vocalizing it
so we shake hands and cry
We say goodbye to each other and shed tears
Now I must wave goodbye
I have to show a gesture of farewell
You know, I don't want to cry again
I don't want to feel emotional pain again
Don't want to say goodbye
I don't want to have to bid farewell
I don't want to run away
I don't want to escape from my troubles
Don't want to race this pain
I don't want to try to overcome this sorrow
I'll never see your face again
I will not have the chance to see you in person anymore
Oh but how, how can you say that I didn't try
I am wondering how you could accuse me of not making an effort
You see things in the depths of my eyes
You can observe my true feelings through my eyes
That my love's run dry
You detect that my love has faded away
We leave to their goodbyes
We depart while receiving their farewell messages
I've come to depend on the look in their eyes
I rely on the expression of their eyes for my emotional comfort
My blood's sweet for pain
I am becoming accustomed to the feeling of pain
The wind and the rain bring back words of a song
The sound of the wind and rain reminds me of a song
And they say: wave goodbye
The lyrics of the song remind me to say goodbye
But you know, I don't want to fall again
I am afraid of being hurt or disappointed once more
Don't want to look this pain
I don't want to have to face this pain
Don't want another friend
I don't want to make another acquaintance or friend
Don't want to try again
I don't want to make another attempt at something
Don't want to see you hurt
I don't want to witness you feeling pain
Don't let me see you hurt
Please shield me from witnessing your suffering
So I read to myself:
A chance of a lifetime to see new horizons
On the front page
A black and white picture
Of Manhattan Skyline
I come across an announcement in the newspaper about the opportunity to explore new places, illustrated by a monochromatic image of the New York City skyline
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: MAGNE (MAGS) FURUHOLMEN, PAL WAAKTAAR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@ivana.medina3126
Lyrics Now!:
We sit and watch umbrellas fly
I'm trying to keep my newspaper dry
I hear myself say
"My boat's leaving now"
So we shake hands and cry
Now I must wave goodbye, wave goodbye
Wave goodbye, wave goodbye
Wave goodbye, wave goodbye
You know
I don't want to cry again
I don't want to cry again
I don't want to say goodbye
I don't want to cry again
I don't want to run away
I don't want to race this pain
I'll never see your face again
Oh but how
How can you say
That I didn't try?
You see things in the depths of my eyes
That my love's run dry
No
I leave to their goodbyes
I've come to depend on the look in their eyes
My blood's sweet for pain
The wind and the rain bring back words of a song
And they say wave goodbye, wave goodbye
Wave goodbye, wave goodbye
Wave goodbye, wave goodbye
You know
I don't want to fall again
I don't want to look this pain
I don't want another friend
I don't want to try again
I don't want to see you hurt
Don't let me see you hurt
I don't want to cry again
I'll never see your face again
How can you say
That I didn't try?
You know I did
You see things in the depths of my eyes
My love's run dry
I don't want to cry again
So I read to myself
A chance of a lifetime to see new horizons
On the front page
A black and white picture
Of Manhattan skyline
@trollpikken6907
@oyvi00i Great artists that gave people joy are always remembered. This is quite common in the world and I'm surprised you haven't encountered others that say "Rest in Peace artist" to other artists before. Dead but not forgotten, my friend.
PS: If you really didn't bother with a quick google search here you go: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otuVawEShi4
@thehowlingjoker
0:53 is when it officially becomes heavier than feathers.
@nightw4tchman
Your feather would be proud.
@thehowlingjoker
@nightw4tchman hmnhm
@josef5636
I dun' ge' i'
@shaharluxenburg4640
I don derstand
@gunsharck
But steel (or metal in this instance) is heavier than feathers???
@user-fb8yb8so8n
It hurts so much to go through another rough year without Benny. Don't take anybody for granted.
@jacobr5627
Who is Benny?
@brandonwheeler2226
@Jacob R Who is Benny Harvey? Ah, who cares?
@katiahrvth8483
R.i.p. Benny