Listening to Songs Activity

Activity 

Listening to songs

• Watch both videos and answer the questions and points.

    -Make a list of the key words of each of the songs 

     Take on me: lovers, learning, constance

     

     (I Just) Died in Your Arms Tonight: Broken heart, regrets, overthinking

• In a short paragraph make a brief summary of the plot of each of the songs

     

      Take on me: The song talks about how a lover is convincing this shy girl to accept his        love, he says he will wait for her and find a way to be together.

     (I Just) Died in Your Arms Tonight: The song talks about a boy who somehow loses his illusion in love and feels lost because of this, he talks about how so many little things ended up destroying him.

• What is the central issue (topic) of each of the songs.

      Take on me: Persevere for love

      (I Just) Died in Your Arms Tonight: Disappointment in love

• What kind of feelings did both songs raise in you?

       Take on me: Illusion, craving and faith

       (I Just) Died in Your Arms Tonight: Nostalgia, disappointment and sadness

• Write a brief summary about both bands (Who are they?, Where are they from?, how sucessful were they?, What are the names of their  leader voices?, How sucessful were both songs? When did both songs take place?

      Take on me: A-ha is a Norwegian band formed in Oslo in 1982. Founded by Paul Waaktaar-Savoy (guitars), Magne Furuholmen (keyboards, guitars), and Morten Harket (vocals), the band rose to fame during the mid- 1980s and continued its global success in the 1990s and the 21st century. The original "Take On Me" was recorded in 1984 and took two versions and three releases to chart in the United Kingdom, reaching number two on the UK Singles Chart in October 1985. In the United States in October 1985, it became the only A-ha song to top the Billboard Hot 100.

     

       (I Just) Died in Your Arms Tonight: The pop/rock group Cutting Crew was formed in England in 1985. Founding members Kevin Scott MacMichael (guitar) and Nick Van Eede (vocals) met in Halifax, Nova Scotia, while both musicians were on tour with their respective bands but they decided to go together.  Cutting Crew became a foursome in 1986 with the addition of bassist Colin Farley and drummer Martin Beadle. They are best remembered for their debut album Broadcast and hit singles, "(I Just) Died in Your Arms", "I've Been in Love Before", "One for the Mockingbird", and "Everything But My Pride".

• Did you like both songs? Why? Why not?

 

A: Yes, i like both songs, because I enjoyed both the lyrics and the musicality of the songs.

• Have you ever listened to these songs before? and what kind of impact did they produce on you?

A: No, i haven´t but I appreciated having heard them, because they convey a lot of feelings

• What kind of problem did you discover in each song?

A: On the first song i found that the lyrics need a lot of comprension for the listeners because it could have different meanings for every person, and in the second song i think that is have the same problem.

• Write an extra comment you want to say about each of the songs.

A: I think that may i understand why they came so famous in the past because in the case of the first song i think it have a secret message of hope to the people and i think thats great, and in the case of the second one maybe the possiblity of different interpretations make this song so unique.

• Why did they choose those original names for the both bands? 

A-ha:  As for the band's name, Morten Harket saw it in Waaktaar-Savoy's notebook. The guitarist was pondering using "a-ha" as well as "a-hem" for a song name. Harket was sold on A-ha as the group's name instead, because it came across as positive, simple and unique.

          Cutting crew: In 1985, Cutting Crew, was named after an article in the music paper Sounds described Queen as “a cutting crew".