Released: February 16, 1986

Songwriter: Magne Furuholmen Pål Waaktaar-Savoy

Producer: Alan Tarney

[Verse 1]
We sit and watch umbrellas fly
I'm trying to keep my newspaper dry
I hear myself say, my boat's leaving now
So we shake hands and cry
Now I must wave goodbye
Wave goodbye
Wave goodbye
Wave goodbye
Wave goodbye
Wave goodbye

[Chorus]
You know
I don't want to cry again
I don't want to cry again
I don't want to say goodbye
I don't want to cry again
I don't want to run away
I don't want to raise this pain
I'll never see your face again

[Post-Chorus]
Oh, but how
How can you say that I didn't try
You see things in the depths of my eyes
That my love's run dry, no

[Verse 2]
I leave to their goodbyes
I've come to depend on the look in their eyes
My blood's sweet for pain
The wind and the rain brings back words of a song
And they say wave goodbye
Wave goodbye
Wave goodbye
Wave goodbye
Wave goodbye
Wave goodbye

[Chorus]
You know
I don't want to fall again
I don't want to know this pain
I don't want another friend
I don't want to try again
I never want to see you hurt
Don't let me see you hurt
I don't want to cry again
I'll never see your face again

[Post-Chorus]
How can you say that I didn't try?
You know I did
You see things in the depths of my eyes
That my love's run dry
I don't want to cry again

[Outro]
So I read to myself
A chance of a lifetime to see new horizons
On the front page
A black and white picture of Manhattan skyline

​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.