Talking away, I don't know what I'm to say
I'll say it anyway, today's another day to find you
Shying away, I'll be coming for your love, okay
Take on me (Take on me) Take me on (Take on me)
I'll be gone in a day or two
So needless to say, I'm odds and ends but I'll be
Stumbling away, slowly learning that life is okay
Say after me, it's no better to be safe than sorry
Take on me (Take on me) Take me on (Take on me)
I'll be gone in a day or two
Oh, the things that you say, yeah, is it a life or just a play
My worries away, you're all the things I've got to remember
You're shying away, I'll be coming for you anyway
Take on me (Take on me) Take me on (Take on me)
I'll be gone in a day
Take on me (Take on me) Take me on (Take on me)
I'll be gone in a day
I'll say it anyway, today's another day to find you
Shying away, I'll be coming for your love, okay
Take on me (Take on me) Take me on (Take on me)
I'll be gone in a day or two
So needless to say, I'm odds and ends but I'll be
Stumbling away, slowly learning that life is okay
Say after me, it's no better to be safe than sorry
Take on me (Take on me) Take me on (Take on me)
I'll be gone in a day or two
Oh, the things that you say, yeah, is it a life or just a play
My worries away, you're all the things I've got to remember
You're shying away, I'll be coming for you anyway
Take on me (Take on me) Take me on (Take on me)
I'll be gone in a day
Take on me (Take on me) Take me on (Take on me)
I'll be gone in a day
song info:
Verified yes
LanguageEnglish
GenrePop
Rank640 (−135)
Duration00:03:48
Charts
Switzerland: 79
Switzerland: 79Copyright ©Lyrics © Sony/atv Music Publishing Llc
WriterMAGNE (MAGS) FURUHOLMEN, MORTEN HARKET, PAL WAAKTAAR
Lyrics licensed byLyricFind
Added
Last updatedMarch 7th, 2022
About"Take On Me" is a song by Norwegian synthpop band A-ha. The self-composed original version was produced by Tony Mansfield, and remixed by John Ratcliff. The second version was produced by Alan Tarney for the group's debut studio album Hunting High and Low (1985). The song combines synthpop with a varied instrumentation that includes acoustic guitars, keyboards and drums.
The original "Take On Me" was recorded in 1984 and it took two versions and three releases to finally chart in the United Kingdom, reaching number two on the UK Singles Chart in October 1985. In the United States in October 1985, the song became the only A-ha song to reach the top position of the Billboard Hot 100, due in no small part to the wide exposure on MTV of its innovative music video, directed by Steve Barron. The video features the band in a pencil-sketch animation method called rotoscoping, combined with live action. The video won six awards and was nominated for two others at the 1986 MTV Video Music Awards
Pål Waaktaar and Magne Furuholmen began their music careers playing in a band called Bridges together with Viggo Bondi and Øystein Jevanord. In 1981, the band produced Fakkeltog (Torch-light parade), an LP for which all of the music was composed by the group themselves, most of it being written by Waaktaar. One of the tracks rehearsed at this time (although not included on the LP) was called "The Juicy Fruit Song". It included elements of the future "Take On Me", including an early version of the central riff. Soon after, Bridges disbanded. Waaktaar and Furuholmen relocated to London to try their hand in the music industry there, but after six months of disappointment they returned to Norway.
The duo asked Morten Harket to join as lead singer. At the time, Harket was singing in a band called Souldier Blue, but he felt that his band was stagnating, and decided to join Waaktaar and Furuholmen. They stayed together for six months, writing some songs and working on demo tapes, including "Lesson One", a new song based on "The Juicy Fruit Song" which would in turn evolve into "Take On Me". In January 1983, the trio returned to London in search of a recording contract.
"Take On Me" is a synthpop song that includes acoustic guitars and keyboards. It moves at a very quick tempo of 169 beats per minute. The lyrics are a plea for love, and are constructed in a verse-chorus form with a bridge before the third and final chorus. With the chord progression of Bm7-E-A-D--C#m7, the song is written in the key of B minor. Harket demonstrates a vocal range of over two and a half octaves. He sings the lowest pitch in the song, A2 (the tonic), at the beginning of the chorus, on the first syllable of the phrase "Take On Me".
As the chorus progresses, Harket's voice hits ever higher notes, reaching a falsetto and hitting the song's highest note (E5, the dominant note) at the end. There is a temporary change of markings in the drum pattern in the chorus, where for two bars the drums play in half time, returning to the same rhythm as before for the climax of the vocal line. A mix of a drum machine, the LinnDrum, acoustic guitars and electronic instrumentation serves as the song's backing track.
"Take On Me" was originally released in 1984, and was mixed by Tony Mansfield, but failed to make an impact in the United Kingdom. This release peaked at number three in Norway but failed to reach audiences abroad. The group re-recorded the song with the help of producer Alan Tarney, releasing the new version in 1985.
In the United States, Warner Bros. invested in the revolutionary second video for "Take On Me," which used Tarney's version of the song. The new video was released to dance clubs and television a month before the record was available in stores or played on the radio. Wide exposure on MTV made the song quickly soar to the top position of the Billboard Hot 100 on 19 October 1985. It remained on the chart for twenty-three weeks, and ended up at the tenth position of the 1985 year-end chart. As of June 2014, the song has sold 1,463,000 digital copies in the US after it became available for download in the digital era.
"Take On Me" was released for the third time in the United Kingdom in September 1985. The song debuted on the UK Singles Chart at number fifty-five, peaked at number two for three consecutive weeks, held off the top spot by Jennifer Rush's "The Power of Love", and received a gold certification by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI).
In Norway, A-ha's native country, "Take On Me" reentered the VG-lista singles chart, reaching a new peak of number one, a year after it was first released. The single was largely successful elsewhere, reaching the top of the Eurochart Hot 100 for nine weeks, topping the singles charts in 36 countries, including Austria, Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Switzerland, and reaching the top three in France and number two in Ireland. The success of "Take On Me" lies also in its sales, as the single would go on to sell over 7 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling singles of all time.
The original "Take On Me" was recorded in 1984 and it took two versions and three releases to finally chart in the United Kingdom, reaching number two on the UK Singles Chart in October 1985. In the United States in October 1985, the song became the only A-ha song to reach the top position of the Billboard Hot 100, due in no small part to the wide exposure on MTV of its innovative music video, directed by Steve Barron. The video features the band in a pencil-sketch animation method called rotoscoping, combined with live action. The video won six awards and was nominated for two others at the 1986 MTV Video Music Awards
Pål Waaktaar and Magne Furuholmen began their music careers playing in a band called Bridges together with Viggo Bondi and Øystein Jevanord. In 1981, the band produced Fakkeltog (Torch-light parade), an LP for which all of the music was composed by the group themselves, most of it being written by Waaktaar. One of the tracks rehearsed at this time (although not included on the LP) was called "The Juicy Fruit Song". It included elements of the future "Take On Me", including an early version of the central riff. Soon after, Bridges disbanded. Waaktaar and Furuholmen relocated to London to try their hand in the music industry there, but after six months of disappointment they returned to Norway.
The duo asked Morten Harket to join as lead singer. At the time, Harket was singing in a band called Souldier Blue, but he felt that his band was stagnating, and decided to join Waaktaar and Furuholmen. They stayed together for six months, writing some songs and working on demo tapes, including "Lesson One", a new song based on "The Juicy Fruit Song" which would in turn evolve into "Take On Me". In January 1983, the trio returned to London in search of a recording contract.
"Take On Me" is a synthpop song that includes acoustic guitars and keyboards. It moves at a very quick tempo of 169 beats per minute. The lyrics are a plea for love, and are constructed in a verse-chorus form with a bridge before the third and final chorus. With the chord progression of Bm7-E-A-D--C#m7, the song is written in the key of B minor. Harket demonstrates a vocal range of over two and a half octaves. He sings the lowest pitch in the song, A2 (the tonic), at the beginning of the chorus, on the first syllable of the phrase "Take On Me".
As the chorus progresses, Harket's voice hits ever higher notes, reaching a falsetto and hitting the song's highest note (E5, the dominant note) at the end. There is a temporary change of markings in the drum pattern in the chorus, where for two bars the drums play in half time, returning to the same rhythm as before for the climax of the vocal line. A mix of a drum machine, the LinnDrum, acoustic guitars and electronic instrumentation serves as the song's backing track.
"Take On Me" was originally released in 1984, and was mixed by Tony Mansfield, but failed to make an impact in the United Kingdom. This release peaked at number three in Norway but failed to reach audiences abroad. The group re-recorded the song with the help of producer Alan Tarney, releasing the new version in 1985.
In the United States, Warner Bros. invested in the revolutionary second video for "Take On Me," which used Tarney's version of the song. The new video was released to dance clubs and television a month before the record was available in stores or played on the radio. Wide exposure on MTV made the song quickly soar to the top position of the Billboard Hot 100 on 19 October 1985. It remained on the chart for twenty-three weeks, and ended up at the tenth position of the 1985 year-end chart. As of June 2014, the song has sold 1,463,000 digital copies in the US after it became available for download in the digital era.
"Take On Me" was released for the third time in the United Kingdom in September 1985. The song debuted on the UK Singles Chart at number fifty-five, peaked at number two for three consecutive weeks, held off the top spot by Jennifer Rush's "The Power of Love", and received a gold certification by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI).
In Norway, A-ha's native country, "Take On Me" reentered the VG-lista singles chart, reaching a new peak of number one, a year after it was first released. The single was largely successful elsewhere, reaching the top of the Eurochart Hot 100 for nine weeks, topping the singles charts in 36 countries, including Austria, Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Switzerland, and reaching the top three in France and number two in Ireland. The success of "Take On Me" lies also in its sales, as the single would go on to sell over 7 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling singles of all time.
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