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.
early morning
a-ha Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Eight o'clock precise
I see the lonely August sun arise
Say you know
You will
Move me like you do
Out on the fields
I'm waiting the whole night through
Early morning, early morning, yeah
Ran the whole way
Down to the tracks
Through the doorway, then a last look back
Say you know
You will
Save me like you do
Out on the fields
I've waited the whole night through
Early morning, early morning, yeah
I climbed all the stairways
To find the rooftop clear
Got the shotgun lying with me here
Say you know
You will
Move me like you do
Out on the fields
You know how it feels, yeah
Early morning, early morning, yeah
Early morning
Eight o'clock precise
The song "Early Morning" by a-ha tells the story of a longing for love and connection. The song begins with the singer awakening early in the morning, precisely at eight o'clock. As he looks out, he sees the lonely August sun arise, highlighting the solitude he feels. Despite the loneliness he experiences, he acknowledges that there is someone who can move him in a way that no one else can. He waits out on the fields, the whole night through, hoping that this person will come and save him from the isolation he has been experiencing.
The second verse describes the singer running towards the train tracks and entering through a door, hesitating for a moment with a final look back. Again, the singer emphasizes the fact that someone out there can save him from feeling this way. Finally, in the last verse, he climbs to a rooftop with a shotgun by his side, presumably contemplating the end of his own life. However, despite the darkness of the imagery, the song ends on a hopeful note, with the singer believing that the person he longs for will move him and make him feel alive again.
Overall, the song "Early Morning" is a melancholic yet hopeful ballad about the power of love and connection. It recognizes the depth of loneliness and isolation one can experience but also emphasizes the transformative nature of love.
Line by Line Meaning
Early morning
The beginning of a new day
Eight o'clock precise
The exact time of day
I see the lonely August sun arise
Observing the sun rising alone in the month of August
Say you know
Implying that the listener understands something
You will
It is expected that the listener will perform an action
Move me like you do
The action expected from the listener is to have a powerful effect on the singer
Out on the fields
Being outside in open spaces
I'm waiting the whole night through
The artist has been waiting outside all night
Early morning, early morning, yeah
Emphasizing the early hour of the day
Ran the whole way
Referring to a journey that took a lot of physical effort
Down to the tracks
Arriving at a train station or railroad tracks
Through the doorway, then a last look back
Leaving a place behind for good, with a sense of wistfulness
Save me like you do
Implying that the listener has saved the singer in the past and will do so again
I've waited the whole night through
The singer has been anticipating a moment for a long time
I climbed all the stairways
The singer exerted themselves by ascending many levels
To find the rooftop clear
Arriving at a high point where an unobstructed view is available
Got the shotgun lying with me here
Possessing a weapon and keeping it close by
You know how it feels, yeah
Acknowledging that the listener is familiar with a certain emotion or situation
Out on the fields
Once again referencing being in open spaces
Early morning, early morning, yeah
Repeating the emphasis on the time of day
Lyrics © RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Written by: MAGNE FURUHOLMEN, PAL WAAKTAAR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@citizenoftheworld6363
"Early Morning"
Early morning
Eight o'clock precise
I see the lonely August sun arise
Say you know
You will
Move me like you do
Out on the fields...
I'm waiting the whole night through
Early morning, early morning, yeah
Ran the whole way
Down to the tracks
Through the doorway
Then a last look back
Say you know
You will
Save me like you do
Out on the fields...
I've waited the whole night through
Early morning, early morning, yeah
I climbed all the stairways
To find the rooftop clear
Got the shotgun lying with me here
Say you know
You will
Move me like you do
Out on the fields...
You know how it feels, yeah
Early morning, early morning, yeah
Early morning
Eight o'clock precise
@valdecirribeiropereira5964
Muito bom poder ler os textos,os depoimentos e me sentir parte do todo.
Hoje tenho 50 anos e vou ao show do A-ha(sempre tive vontade,mas nunca consegui...).
O A-ha pra mim significa felicidade,alegria...saudade...de uma época e saudades tb do meu antigo namorado e amigo Miguel(faleceu em julho/2021 por complicações da CIVID 19) , que sempre me dava de presente os vinis do A-ha em datas especiais como aniversários,natais ..enfim.
Ficávamos anciosos para abrir o LP e colocá-lo p tocar no toca discos
E ouvíamos o lado A ,depois o lado B e então nos deliciavamos ao som de "Early Morning","You Are The One",Hunting High And Low".....
Muito bom poder relembrar como tudo se totnava mágico .
E assim eram os anos 80..90..
A palavra é:
Saudade
A frase e:
"Que bom que vivi" e hj estou aqui podendo compartilhar com vocês e assistir ao show dessa banda norueguesa que encanta tantas gerações.
@grimsadventures-bikesnpetr7913
Love this band for a lifetime...
@noelihernandez721
My favourite Vikings since my teens ❤️
@user-yx5zj9bz6c
Каждый день слушаю А-ha Мортена, не могу не слушать их, они лучше всех!
@barbarascuteri4642
Me too ❤
@oscarsfilho12
A voz do vocalista do A-ha é uma dádiva ! Uma das melhores bandas da história da música mundial!!! ✌️
@elizetegomes1805
Concordo plenamente contigo,,
@milao2994
Verdade
@AnaSouza-ie6im
Amo o aha desde criança,vou continuar amando até os últimos dias da minha vida. Morten harket melhor vocalista do mundo.
@valmiroliveira238
Tô de acordo
@ValerieSunshine
Once again, Morten's beautiful,melodic voice in a very romantic song...thanks A-Ha....