So, it's Sunday night.
Crap, it's Sunday night!
Thinking...
You know, I've had the tendency to do some pretty lengthy preambles to our weekly number one hits thus far. I think that, this time, maybe we'll skip all of that.
Why? Uh, reasons. Musical reasons. Norwegian musical reasons.
Yup, that's why.
I mean, even though we're only speaking of some chart-toppers from the eighties today, there's so much more to the music scene up there. Er, over there. Up and over there. Somewhere? Look, Norway simply means business and requires that we don't mess around. Just look at their national magazine:
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| Rats, I was hoping this month would be the swimsuit issue |
See!?! We can't bother with any pointless yet scintillating word noodling for this post. Let's just get on with the song review.
Bring on A-ha!
Take on Me
Stanza 1
"Talking away"
"I don't know what I'm to say"
"I'll say it anyway"
"Today is another day to find you"
"Shying away"
"I'll be coming for your love. Ok?"
Summary
Uh, hang on, you're sure these guys aren't Canadian? Really? They're so nice. Not only are they thoughtful about this whole relationship thing, but they ask permission too. I mean, if if I were a beige-obsessed blond in a weird blouse who spent my nights drinking coffee and reading comics in a dingy diner, then I'd probably fall for these guys myself! If I were. Which I'm not.
My loss, I suppose.
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| Although, sadly, I have passed many a night hallucinating in the milk bar |
Stanza 2
"So needless to say"
"Of odds and ends"
"But I'll be stumbling away"
"Slowly learning that life is ok"
"Say after me"
"It's no better to be safe than sorry"
Summary
Very heartfelt. These guys are a wellspring of polite regret. Sure they're not Canadian? No, sorry, I know, you said they weren't. Certainly some meaningful lyrics here. Perhaps they get that way from growing up under the ruthless thumb of the corporate demigod that is Ikea.
Oh, wait, Ikea is Swedish. Dammit. Now I really have no idea what to make of this.
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| I'm posting this image anyway, despite the international incident it will cause. |
Sigh. Well, shall we go to the final verse? Yes, lets.
Stanza 3
"Oh things that you say. Yeah."
"Is it life or just to 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"
Summary
Alrighty, lets get cooking with some Norwegian gas, which at this point I'm guessing burns poetically and releases a smoky ash that fills any space with enough ennui to choke a reindeer. They do have reindeers there, right? RIGHT?
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| World Reindeer Racing Championships, Norway, 2019 |
Well, that's a relief.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Already? Yeah, and I feel bad about it. I've barely spoken of this pop anthem nor its groundbreaking and innovative video. Instead, I quickly and superficially parsed the verses, taking more time to talk of non-Canadian-ness than the depth and intensity of the tune's meaning. Seems kind of unfair, doesn't it?
Perhaps it is. But, really, the thing is...well, it's Sunday. Night.
And it's late.
The song? Um, sure, I suppose we should score it. On a range of band names from the magazine cover at the top of this post, from awesome to awful, I'd say "Take on Me" is better than Darkthrone but worse than Old Funeral.
There you go. Norway. Go visit. They've got reindeer.
I'm going to bed.
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