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.
Shapes That Go Together
a-ha Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I was free
And when you were undecided,
I believed
It's alright tonight
On a deep blue mountain high
We're shapes that go together
You and I
I belonged
When you were weak from trying,
I was strong
But it's alright tonight
On a deep blue mountain high
*We're shapes that go together
You and I
We're shapes that go together
You and I
Child who'd wait in tears
Come to me
Whisper softly
And tenderly
I walked twenty-five miles to hold you
Just to find you'd moved away
When you were wrapped in tangles,
I was free
And when you were almost blinded,
I could see
But it's alright tonight
On a deep blue mountain high
(Repeat *)
You and I
You were wrapped in tangles,
I was free....
The lyrics to "Shapes That Go Together" by a-ha is a song about two people who complement each other quite well. The song starts off with the singer talking about how his/her partner was tangled up in something while he/she was free. It could be interpreted as maybe the partner was mentally or emotionally unable to deal with something, while the singer was in a better place to help them out. The singer believed in his/her partner when they were undecided, which could mean that they were a pillar of support for their partner.
The singer goes on to say that it's alright tonight, on a deep blue mountain high, implying that they have found a sense of peace and contentment together. The chorus emphasizes that they are "shapes that go together," almost as if they were puzzle pieces that fit perfectly with each other. The song then takes a bit of a sad turn when the singer talks about the child who waits in tears and how he/she walked twenty-five miles to hold them only to find out that they've moved away.
The rest of the song is a repetition of the chorus, with the singer emphasizing that they complement each other well, despite their differences. Overall, the song is a beautiful ode to finding someone who brings out the best in you, who complements you, and who helps you get through difficult times.
Line by Line Meaning
When you were wrapped in tangles,
I was free
I was not burdened with your problems and was able to enjoy my own freedom while you were tangled up in your own issues.
And when you were undecided,
I believed
When you were unsure of yourself, I had faith in you and believed in your abilities.
It's alright tonight
On a deep blue mountain high
Everything is okay right now, in this moment, despite any difficulties we might face. We are together and enjoying the beauty of the natural world around us.
We're shapes that go together
You and I
We complement each other well and fit together like pieces of a puzzle.
When you were filled with longing,
I belonged
When you were feeling lost and longing for something, I was able to provide a sense of belonging and stability for you.
When you were weak from trying,
I was strong
When you were feeling drained or defeated from putting in effort, I was able to provide strength and support for you.
*We're shapes that go together
You and I
Once again, we are perfectly fitted to each other and complement each other's strengths and weaknesses.
Child who'd wait in tears
Come to me
If you are feeling upset or emotional, come to me for comfort and support.
Whisper softly
And tenderly
Communicate softly and gently with me, sharing your thoughts and feelings in a loving way.
I walked twenty-five miles to hold you
Just to find you'd moved away
I was willing to make a great effort to be with you, but unfortunately you were no longer there. This represents the disappointment and frustration that can come with relationships.
And when you were almost blinded,
I could see
When you were feeling overwhelmed or unable to see things clearly, I was able to provide insight and perspective for you.
(Repeat *)
Repeating the chorus emphasizes the idea that we are well-suited to each other and that everything is alright in this moment.
You and I
We are the central focus of the song and represent a mutually beneficial partnership.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: MAGNE FURUHOLMEN, PAL WAAKTAAR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
synchronicity676
When you were wrapped in tangles
I was free
And when you were undecided
I believed
It's all right tonight
On a deep blue mountain high
The shapes that go together
You and I
When you were filled with longing
I belonged
When you were weak from trying
I was strong
It's all right tonight
On a deep blue mountain high
The shapes that go together
You and I
The shapes that go together
You and I
Childhood winters
Come to me
Whisper softly
So tenderly
I know, I walked twenty five miles to hold you
Just to find you'd moved away
When you were wrapped in tangles
I was free
And when you were almost blinded
I could see
But it's all right tonight
On a deep blue mountain high
The shapes that go together
You and I
The shapes that go together
You and I
You and I
The shapes that go…🎵
C. R.
LYRICS :
When you were wrapped in tangles
I was free
And when you were undecided
I believed
It's alright, tonight
On a deep blue mountain high
We’re shapes that go together
You and I
When you were filled with longing
I belonged
When you were weak from trying
I was strong
But it's alright, tonight
On a deep blue mountain high
We’re shapes that go together
You and I
You were shapes that go together
You and I
(Alright)
Childhood winters
Come to me
Whisper softly
So tenderly
(Hey)
I know, I walked twenty five miles to hold you
Just to find you'd moved away
You were wrapped in tangles
I was free
And when you were almost blinded
I could see
But it's alright, tonight
On a deep blue mountain high
We’re shapes that go together
You and I
You were shapes that go together
You and I
You and I
(Shapes that go together)
You and I
(Shapes that go together)
(Shapes that go together)
We go together
(Shapes that go together)
You and I
(Shapes that go together)
(The shapes that go together)
(Shapes that go together)
When you were wrapped in tangles
I was free
(Shapes that go together)
Free
(Shapes that go together)
Ronan Conlon
Brilliant song by a brilliant band and will never be bettered by any group today. I love the song and a-ha are one of the great bands of last 25 years.
Dawn Gladstone
I love this song so much, Morten uses his voice differently, quits husky which suits him so much 💞
Виктор Усачев
А я нет!!!!! 👎👎👎👎👎👎👎
Javi García
Genial
Chuck baranoski
One of their top songs!
Andrew Evans
Great song
Glynis Jones
Legends - one of the best bands ever, every song is sublime!!!!
Cezar Galvao Nascimento
Amazing 😉 music 🎵 I really appreciate A-Ha 🔥👊
SoundToyzAreUs
Great A-Ha song!
Music & Meaning
the way his voice is so smooth whenever he says “on a” it has the quality of pressing a key on a keyboard in synth mode. i don’t know how he does it but it’s phenomenal and just goes to show how talented he is