Minor Earth, Major Sky
A-Ha
℗ 2000 WEA Music 82183
A-ha's sixth studio CD (seventh if their greatest hits collection is included) came seven years after their previous album, Memorial Beach, and in that time it seems that a-ha have to mellowed out. They do not seem to have concern about attracting the youth/dance market, but instead seem to be focusing in on how to make perfect middle of the road pop songs with '90s technology. This is not a criticism, as it produces several fantastic songs, such as "Little Black Heart" and the wonderful "I Wish That I Cared." These, and many others, are full of catchy, beautiful melodies and Morten Harket's vocals are near perfect as usual — his voice has not lowered one octave since their debut. The one problem with this CD is the relative sameness to some of the music. The tempos do not change a great deal, and by the end the songs seem to run together. More variety would have been beneficial. However, in terms of production, this is as close to perfect as a CD can get, and the lyrics keep things interesting throughout. Overall, a good album, and one that fans will enjoy. — Aaron Badgley. |
- 1. Minor Earth, Major Sky (Magne Furuholmen — Paul Waaktaar) [05:24]
- 2. Little Black Heart (Magne Furuholmen — Paul Waaktaar) [04:36]
- 3. Velvet (Paul Waaktaar — Lauren Savoy) [04:19]
- 4. Summer Moved On (Paul Waaktaar) [04:37]
- 5. The Sun Never Shone That Day (Paul Waaktaar — Lauren Savoy) [04:38]
- 6. To Let You Win (Morten Harket — Hevard Rem) [04:23]
- 7. The Company Man (Magne Furuholmen — Paul Waaktaar) [03:14]
- 8. Thought that it Was You (Morten Harket — Ole Sverre Olsen) [03:49]
- 9. I Wish I Cared (Magne Furuholmen) [04:21]
- 10. Barely Hanging On (Paul Waaktaar) [03:55]
- 11. You'll Never Get Over Me (Paul Waaktaar) [05:38]
- 12. I Won't Forget Her (Paul Waaktaar) [04:43]
- 13. Mary Ellen Makes the Moment Count (Paul Waaktaar) [04:53]
Тексты:
Minor Earth, Major Sky
(Magne Furuholmen — Paul Waaktaar)
I can't see me in this empty place Just another lonely face I can't see me here in outer space It's so hard to leave a trace And I try and I try and I try But it never comes out right Yes I try and I try and I try But I never get it right It's a Minor Earth, Major Sky I can't see me in this lonely town Not a friendly face around Can you hear me when I speak out loud Hear my voice above the crowd And I try and I try and I try But it never comes out right Yes I try and I try and I try But I never get it right It's a Minor Earth, Major Sky But I try and I try and I try But it never comes out right Yes I try and I try and I try But I never get it right It's a Minor Earth, Major Sky
Little Black Heart
(Magne Furuholmen — Paul Waaktaar)
I never saw sunlight Burn as bright I never felt darkness The way I feel it tonight You say it's getting better You say it's allright But I never felt darkness Like I feel it tonight Little black heart Raindrops on my window I can't tell them apart Like the few things forgiven In my little black heart You say it's getting better We just never got it right But I never felt darkness The way I feel it tonight Little black heart Some day we will shine Like the moon in the morning Like the sun when it's dawning Yes the sun when it's dawning The sun Some day we will shine Like the moon in the morning Like the sun when it's dawning Yes the sun when it's dawning The sun Raindrops on my window I can't tell them apart Like a few things forgotten And a few things ignored You say it's getting better You say it's allright But I never felt darkness The way I feel it tonight Little black heart My little black heart
Velvet
(Paul Waaktaar — Lauren Savoy)
Her skin is like velvet Her face cut from stone Her eyes when she's smiling Will never reach home But hear how she sings Her touch would be tender Her lips would be warm But when we're together I'm always alone But hear how she sings But hear how she sings Hear how she sings Her skin is like velvet So I went to her home Her place like a palace With things you can't own Her skin is like velvet And hear how she sings Hear how she sings…
Summer Moved On
(Paul Waaktaar)
Summer moved on And the way it goes You can't tag along Honey moved out And the way it went Leaves no doubt Moments will pass In the morning light I found out Seasons can't last And there's one thing Left to ask Stay, don't just walk away And leave me another day A day just like today With nobody else around Friendships move on Until the day You can't get along Handshakes unfold And the way it goes No one knows Moments will pass In the morning light I found out Seasons can't last So there's just one thing Left to ask Stay, don't just walk away And leave me another day A day just like today Stay, don't just walk away With nobody else around Seasons can't last And there's just one thing Left to ask Stay, don't just walk away And leave me another day A day just like today Stay, don't just walk away With nobody else around Summer moved on
The Sun Never Shone That Day
(Paul Waaktaar — Lauren Savoy)
The sun never shone that day From an early dawn the sky was grey I never should've walked away I know that now, but I'm here to say: Everybody walks away Everybody's led astray Breaking every plan to stay It happens all the time The sun never shone that day From an early dawn the sky was grey I never should've walked I know I see that now, but it's hard to show Everybody's got to go Everybody tells you so Everybody wants to know Why it happens all the time I can't see the point of turning everything upside down I can't see the point of greeting everything with a frown I can't see the point of painting everything black or white I can't see the point of leaving everyone full of doubt (oh doubt) The sun never shone that day From an early dawn the sky was grey I never should've walked away I see that now, but I'm here to say Everybody holds their own Everybody lives alone Everybody hogs the phone It happens all the time Everybody feels the strain Everybody holds the pain Everybody stays the same It happens all the time I can see the point of turning everything upside down I can see the point of greeting everything with a frown I can see the point of painting everything black or white I can see the point of leaving everyone full of doubt Everyone full of doubt The sun never shone that day
To Let You Win
(Morten Harket — Hevard Rem)
You know I always had the strength to fight But I got tired of the wars at night Thinking they would end if I gave in But I wasn't strong enough … to let you win … to let you win … let you win I knew the fight but I didn't know the cost And how to stop the wheels when they're in spin I thought you couldn't love a man who'd lost No, I wasn't strong enough … to let you win … let you win It used to scare me to wake up wondering If I'd forgotten what I was fighting for You know that you said that you were weak and I was strong Well, I wasn't strong enough … to let you win … to let you win … let you win … to let you win You know I always had the strength to fight But I got tired of the wars at night Thinking they would end if I gave in But I wasn't strong enough … to let you win … to let you win
The Company Man
(Magne Furuholmen — Paul Waaktaar)
Andy was the company man Responsible for signing the band Songs came out of our mouths And into his hands Oh, yeah Legal help, yes we had plenty Bank-accounts are easy to empty Everybody's trying to help Everyone is so friendly Oh, yeah And we all come down Don't make a sound as we hit the ground Yes we all fall down Don't make a sound as we hit the ground Give us something easy to sing to Give us something simple to cling to Something we can all understand Said the company man Oh, yeah We sing And we all fall down Don't make a sound as we hit the ground Yes we all fall down Don't make a sound as we hit the ground Yes we all fall down Don't make a sound as we hit the ground May we all fall down Don't make a sound as we hit the ground
Thought that it Was You
(Morten Harket — Ole Sverre Olsen)
I thought that it was you The things you saw me do They were true Little did I know You found me in your joy And there was I, a little boy My shadows they're not new My soul's split in two Lord, I thought that it was you This Christmas snow that falls Gives silence to us all, amen, amen You know my deepest sin You've seen me deep within So fill me now like wind And let the miracle begin There's a river and you know There's a place we used to go That's where I throw our ashes now I must have walked into a cave Among these things that you must save And there I touched the grave You know my deepest sin You've seen me deep within But fill me now like wind And let the miracle begin You know my deepest sin You've seen me deep within But fill me now like wind And let the miracle begin Sometimes I felt so sure When I opened up your doors That there'd been no one there before You know my deepest sin You've seen me deep within But fly, fly higher from it Just look into my eyes You know my deepest sin You've seen me deep within But fill me now like wind And let the miracle begin And the secrets that you say
I Wish I Cared
(Magne Furuholmen)
To hold me closer or set me free To trust completely or let it be You don't know my destiny You can't see what I can see Hey, I wish I cared Hey, I wish I cared To love me truely or let me go In Between I don't want to know This is how it has to be No more us and no more we Hey, I wish I cared Hey, I wish I cared Once again, on the station See your face in a crowd Comes again the sensation You can't hear yourself think With their voices inside your head Hey, I wish I cared Hey, I wish I cared I wish I cared Yes I really do I wish I cared Hey, I wish I cared Yes I really do I wish I cared Hey, I wish I cared I wish I cared Hey…
Barely Hanging On
(Paul Waaktaar)
I used to be so sensible on my own Now I'm so sensitive it's a joke I'm getting by on decibels like a drug And greet every brand New day with a shrug I'm barely hanging on I used to be so comfortable in a suit Almost presentable next to you I used to be so confident in a crowd Now I can't say my own name aloud I'm barely hanging on And now I guess you're Wondering why We never could see eye to eye Oh but never mind And now I guess it's hard to see What has gotten into me Oh but never mind I'm barely hanging on
You'll Never Get Over Me
(Paul Waaktaar)
You say you want some fun You're not the only one Not the only one And you say you wanna run You're not the only one Not the only one You will never get over me I'll never got under you Whenever our voices speak It's never our minds that meet You say you want some You're not the only one Not the only one And you, you say you've come undone You're not the only one Not the only one You will never get over me I'll never got under you Whenever our voices speak It's never our minds that meet You'll never get over me
I Won't Forget Her
(Paul Waaktaar)
I won't forget her She was once my love When I hold you in my arms Oh yeah You know I'll let you come to no harm Oh yeah But if one day Much like today You stop and wonder what I'd prefer Well, you know I won't forget her I won't forget her She was once my love Did you see it in my eyes Oh yeah Did it make you realise Oh yeah That one day Much like today My mind would wonder If she's still there Cause you know I won't forget her I won't forget her She was once my love When I hold you in my arms Oh yeah She was once my love I won't forget her She was once my love
Mary Ellen Makes the Moment Count
(Paul Waaktaar)
Mary cries out: "For the love of God" As she's walking out of the laundromat Down the street and it's the short way home Feeling special cause she's so alone But we know: (The world's full of lonely people) And it shows (The world's full of lonely people) She shrugs her coat off and unlocks the door Eats her dinner on the kitchen floor Writes a poem and turns the radio on Every singer sings the same old song And it goes: (The world's full of lonely people) And it shows (The world's full of lonely people) But when we she wanted me to go She just had to let it show To bring me down if she wanted me to leave She just wore it on her sleeve But at least, I was around But when we she wanted me to go She just had to let it show To bring me down if she wanted me to leave She just wore it on her sleeve At least, I was around Mary Ellen makes the moment count As she's looking through old photographs Pictures taken from an early age Faces look back at her from the page And they say (The world's full of lonely people) It's ok (The world's full of lonely people) It's ok (The world's full of lonely people) But when we she wanted me to go She just had to let it show To bring me down if she wanted me to leave She just wore it on her sleeve But at least, I was around I was around I was around I was around Mary Ellen makes the moment count