Expert: Bong Santos - 11/8/2006

Question
I was watching tv the other day and this song came on with the music video on vh1. I didn't have the time to catch the name. The video is animated in black and white, almost like a drawing, and the male singer is known for hitting this extremely high note during the song and almost critized for it. I couldn't catch any words but im sure that its in a foriegn language. To what i know of he still tours to this day in Europe. Im hoping you know the name of the song.

Thanks a bunch!

Answer
Dear Dave,

I only knew one black and white animated music video in the 80s but I'm not sure if it's the right one as you said it's in foreign language. One more thing, I have doubts you didn't know the song. Anyway, since you never mentioned that it is not what you're looking for, I do believe it could be a-ha's TAKE ON ME.

A cut from their 1985 album HUNTING HIGH AND LOW, TAKE ON ME's music video was shot in animation using rotoscoping method where live action was manually hand-traced over to give the animated effect. The animated scenes were in black and white and lead singer MORTEN HARKET sang the last line of chorus in such high notes it almost became unintelligible. It was a #1 song on the Hot 100 Charts on October 19, 1985. Here's how it goes:

TAKE ON ME / a-ha

We're 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, OK?

Chorus:
Take on me, take me on
I'll be gone
In a day or two

So needless to say
I'm odds and ends
But that's me stumbling away
Slowly learning that life is OK.
Say after me
It's no better to be safe than sorry

Chorus:
Take on me, take me on
I'll be gone
In a day or two

Oh the things that you say
Is it live 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

Chorus:
Take on me, take me on
I'll be gone
In a day or two

Maraming salamat po!

BONG M. SANTOS
Manila, Philippines