Released: June 22, 1987

Songwriter: John Barry Pål Waaktaar-Savoy

Producer: John Barry Pål Waaktaar-Savoy Magne Furuholmen Jason Corsaro

[Verse 1]
Hey driver, where we going?
I swear my nerves are showing
Set your hopes up way too high
The living's in the way we die

[Pre-Chorus]
Comes the morning and the headlights fade away
Hundred thousand people, I'm the one they frame
I've been waiting long for one of us to say
"Save the darkness, let it never fade away"

[Chorus]
Oh, the living daylights
Oh, the living daylights

[Verse 2]
All right, hold on tight now
It's down, down to the wire
Set your hopes up way too high
The living's in the way we die

[Pre-Chorus]
Comes the morning and the headlights fade away
Hundred thousand changes, everything's the same
I've been waiting long for one of us to say
"Save the darkness, let it never fade away"

[Chorus]
Oh, the living daylights
Oh, the living daylights
Oh, the living daylights

[Interlude]

[Pre-Chorus]
Comes the morning and the headlights fade away
Hundred thousand people, I'm the one they frame

[Chorus]
Oh, the living daylights
Oh, the living daylights
Oh, the living daylights

[Outro]
Set your hopes up way too high
The living's in the way we die
Set your hopes up way too high
The living's in the way we die
Set your hopes up way too high
The living's in the way we die
Set your hopes up way too high
The living's in the way we die
Set your hopes up way too high
The living's in the way we die

​a-ha

A-ha is a Norweigian synth pop group formed in 1982. All ten of their studio albums have either reached #1 or #2 in Norway – the first three also reaching the top 10 in several countries across Europe – with a total of over 35 million sold worldwide. They became a ‘teen pin-up band’ and were followed by screaming, enthusiastic fans. In 2012, all three members were appointed to knighthood in Norway for their contributions to music.

Frontman Morten Harket was lured away from the blues/soul group Soldier Blue in 1982 by keyboardist Magne Furuholmen to join his band with guitarist Paul Waaktaar. When Harket saw a song in Waaktaar’s notebook that was going to be titled either “a-ha” or “A-hem”, he suggested naming the band “a-ha”.

A year later, the band released their debut single “Take On Me” in 1984 to huge success in Norway. However, when the song was re-recorded and re-released alongside their debut album Hunting High And Low in the summer of 1985 it achieved massive international success, reaching #1 in eleven countries. Its success was definitely aided by its groundbreaking, award-winning music video of pencil-sketch animation combined with live-action shots.