Favourite Music Thursday: Stay On These Roads

“Stay On These Roads” (1988), by a-ha, remains one of my favourite songs. I grew up with a-ha and to still love a song after listening to it hundreds of times over more than twenty years goes to show what staying power it has. (The lyrics are below the video.)

The cold has a voice
It talks to me
Stillborn, by choice
It airs no need
To hold

Old man feels the cold
Oh baby don’t
‘Cause I’ve been told

Stay on these roads
We shall meet, I know
Stay on – my love
We shall meet, I know
I know

Where joy should reign
These skies restrain
‘Shadow your love’
The voice trails off again

Old man feels the cold
Oh baby don’t
‘Cause I’ve been told

Stay on these roads
We shall meet, I know
Stay on – my love
You feel so weak, be strong
Stay on, stay on
We shall meet, I know
I know
I know, my love, I know




Morten Harket / Magne Furuholmen / Paul Waaktaar-Savoy

© 1988 Warner Chappell Music Ltd.

Summer Moved On - Music Monday

Now that you can really feel winter approaching, I thought this song has quit an apt title. (And I love a-ha's music. And Morten Harket's voice.)

Over at Hersenskim and on my Tumblr page is a post with some thoughts on creative translation (in Afrikaans).

Monday Music – White Canvas, Lifelines

“White Canvas” is one of my favourite tracks on a-ha’s Lifelines album. It can be listened tohere, but, unfortunately, doesn’t have a music video. But here are two of their videos – the title track from Lifelines, as well as that of their album HuntingHigh and Low. The last one seems especially fitting after all theTellerassar legends.

Maandag Musiek – White Canvas, Lifelines

“White Canvas” is een van my gunsteling liedjies op a-ha se Lifelines album. Mens kan hierso daarnaluister, maar daar is ongelukkig nie ’n musiekvideo vir hierdie liedjie nie. Hier is wel twee van hulle video’s – die titelsnit van Lifelines, so well as die een van hulle album Hunting High and Low. Hierdie laaste snit is veral gepas na al die Tellerassar legendes. 

Musical Inspiration for Dark Days

I’ve had some very dark days these last couple of weeks. So I decided to make this post about some of the music that makes these days a little brighter.

First up, is the first CD I put on today – Third Day’s album“Wherever You Are”.

Serious and inspirational

I picked this CD up at the local CUM Books (it stands for “ChristelikeUitgewersmaatskappy”, and is a Christian publisher in case you just found your jaw hanging on the desk or any Third Day fans wondered what kind of store is this?!) while browsing their music section. I’ll admit part of why I picked it up in the first place was because it’s a CD and DVD on one disc and I hadn’t seen that before. It turned out to be one of the best CDs I’ve ever bought without knowing the band or their music. I’ve had some good cries to this CD and it’s also helped me through some very dark times, including my mother’s passing.

My favourite tracks on this CD are “Cry out to Jesus”, “Mountain of God” and “Rise up”.

Painting your canvas

Second up is a song by a-ha from their CD “Lifelines”. I’ve probably been a fan of them since I was born as some of the first music I can remember listening to in the house was theirs (their first hit was the year before I was born) and is still a firm favourite. This specific song is “White Canvas” and the first verse of the song is:

Stories are painted
In lines on your face
Misunderstandings 
And little mistakes 
A chance to start over
Is all that it takes 
You know if you do
Your life is a canvas 
The colors are you 

Just fun and silly

Sometimes listening or singing along to fun or silly songs also helps. Two of these must include the “Do Virgins Taste Better Medley” and “The Unicorn Song”, written by Shel Silverstein. The first begs the question why dragons specifically prefer to eat virgins; the second gives the reason why we don’t see unicorns anymore – hint: it involves Noah’s ark. Both of these versions are by the Brobdignagian Bards.

As a last thought – I received this picture via email from my sister during the week. Think this is a good one to keep in mind – 

Found here