Living A Boy's Adventure Tale Lyrics
OK, so I've been reading the posts on this site for damn-near 3 years now, NEVER contributing to it. It took me to find this song by A-Ha to get off my butt, register and submit a comment. (Hey, better late than never, right?).
Anyway, this might be one of my favoriate A-ha songs ever. It's sad, beautiful, especially with some of the sound of the oboe in the middle, and it makes me think of my ex-wife (not sure why, but it just does). Btw, I'm a 38-yr. male, and these guys were pretty big back in the day (although most of my friends thought A-Ha were shit. Whatever.).
Does anyone else out there find this a hauntingly beautiful song?
@VocalsRyno Absolutely, a favourite now (better late than never:))
@VocalsRyno Absolutely, a favourite now (better late than never:))
@VocalsRyno yes, same here! How is your life today?
@VocalsRyno yes, same here! How is your life today?
OK, this IS my favorite A-Ha song.
I spent an inordinate amount of time during childhood just daydreaming, my imagination being my greatest adventure. Also roaming the countryside on the family farm, seeking something in my frequent walks. My melencholy personality and my somewhat voyeuristic observation of life lent itself to the rich, dark emotions the song describes.
I was always captivated by the oboe, a perfect instrument for the lyrics.
By the way, if anyone likes oboe in pop music, take a listen to "China Crisis - Working with Fire and Steel - Possible Pop Songs Vol. 2". Excellent oboe work in pop music.
I love this song and the more I hear it brings me to the conclusion that he has left where he was living and the end of a relationship and ends up on the streets 'lights in pairs come passing by, where I hide' seems like traffic around. He seems to be a doorway 'the rain pours down, head in my hands, pressed to the ground' Still a beautiful song.
I’ve been listening to this song for almost 40 years and it is still beautifully haunting. LABAT is about homelessness. It is about a man who is kicked out by his wife and, living on the streets, likens it to boyhood, Peter Pan fantasies. The “lights in pairs come passing by where I hide” is a reference to traffic he sees while camping secretly. Then “change in weather - rain pours down. My head in my hands…” reflects his growing misery at being outside. “And where am I supposed to go now?” is obviously his uncertainty about how long it’ll last. But he tries to make the best of it “singing a lullaby for me…”
The line that always threw me off was “I’ve been lost in so many places - seeking love in so many faces” doesn’t fit with the rest of the song or go anywhere, but it may reflect the reason why his wife kicked him out. Assuming the lyrics are tight and Pál and Morten didn’t take too many liberties, the line “one more time, living a boy’s…” means this has happened before or that he’s been homeless before.
[Edit: Adding a few thoughts]