This document provides an analysis of the 1985 A-ha music video for "Take On Me" through the lens of music video theorist Andrew Goodwin's work. It discusses how the video conforms to several of Goodwin's theories, including having a relationship between the music and visuals, linking the lyrics and visuals, establishing the band's identity for the record label, using a narrative, and including intertextual references. The analysis also examines how the video relates to the genres of synthpop and new wave that were popular in the 1980s. Overall, the document demonstrates how "Take On Me" effectively uses music video conventions to promote the band and their hit song.

1. What is Goodwin’s theory all
about?
By Connor Southwell

2. Aha- Take on me
The statistics
Released: 1985
How successful was this song?: 7 Million
records sold worldwide and topped charts
globally following the rerelease of the song
in 1985 when A-ha joined with producer
Alan Tarney. On initial release, the song
reached third spot in the Norweign charts
but failed to capture the imagination of
audiences abroad.
Who are a-ha?
A-ha are a three piece Norweign band who produce predominately pop, alternative rock and
pop rock music. They consist on three members by the name of Magne Furuholmen, Morten
Harket and Pål Waaktaar-Savoy. In 1982, the trio left homeland Norway and travelled to
London where they tried to make a career for themselves in the UK. The band have released
ten albums since 1985, with their most recent being in 2015.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djV11Xbc
914

3. Further information on A-ha
A-ha have sold over 300 million singles
worldwide and continue to produce music after
their reunion was announced in 2015 with an
album called Cast of Steel. They reunited after
an invited to perform at the Rock in Rio concert.
A globally renowned band, they are famous for
dance music which is created in a dance/club
style and have a wide fan base across the planet.

4. Genre characteristics
Within A-ha’s music video, there is a range of qualities which suggest the theme of Synthpop which was an avid
theme in the 1980’s and has been seen making a comeback to music more recently. These characteristics which
are most prominent during the entirety of this video is the use of the guitar rhythms were huge during the 80’s
and so a-ha are conforming to the genre of their video but are also establishing themselves culturally.
What’s more, the fast paced song and use of the electronic instrument called the synthesizer really makes the
song relatable to the genre and the conceptual music video explores the narrative and more cultural elements of
the 80’s era. The screenshot below clearly shows one band member playing this synthesizer to ensure that band
identity was preserved and the band could exposure themselves more in the
limelight limelight.
What’s more, a-ha were also using elements of the ‘new wave’ movement in their
work. This a movements prominent in the late 1970’s and was commonly associated
with aggressive punk music. To define the New Wave exactly, this definition states
that the movement is “a style of rock music popular in the late 1970s, deriving from punk but generally more
poppy in sound and less aggressive in performance.” (According to Google’s definition).
This movement or genre is most evident though the clothes the band wear throughout the video, with a more
casual style of costume being used to almost nullify the label of ‘star’ being thrown at the band because of this
hit. The fanatical style of the video is also relevant to the New Wave movement as they are an ingredient of New
Wave videos and thus this is reflected in the comic book style that the video, unsurprisingly, takes due to the New
Wave style is it trying to emulate.
Finally, the theme of the love which is explored through the conceptual style of the video is a prominent feature
of the aforementioned movement and a-ha are desperately seeking to comply with this movement.

5. Genre characteristics-
continued
As seen throughout the video, the band
are shown in multiple shots playing
instruments which is conforming
massively to the rock-pop genre as it
presents the audience with the skillset of
which the band have and, as their first
major song, presents the band to an
audience waiting to learn more of these
unknown Norwegian imports as they
perform ‘Take on Me’. As previously
mentioned, the group attempted to
conform with the Synthpop genre they
were associated with as they looked to
replicate their style with the success of
the Pet Shop Boys and Gary Numan.
Goodwin stated that in music videos, often they represented that
of the genre they were trying to appeal too, and Take on me is no
exception to this theory created by Andrew Goodwin in his book,
Dancing in the destruction Factory and he discusses that the
characteristics of the video should conform to the genre, so, for
example, a heavy metal music video would conventionally show a
performance based video where the band is interacting with their
fans.
In ‘Take on Me’, the band is seen to be sporting causal clothing
relevant and fashionable in the era in which the song was
performed and produced and thus that link has created a huge
impact on how it is shown. This use of casual clothing links with the
‘New Wave’ movement as the causal clothing was seen as to divert
the genre away from traditionalist of the pop or rock genre and into
this funky and new movement with encouraged creative freedom
and more than anything was seen as current and new.
This image shows the lead sing of the band, Morten Harket
sporting a leather overcoat and tight jeans, conforming to the
genre of Sythpop and New wave.

6. “There is a succinct relationship
between music and visuals”
Andrew Goodwin stated that music videos tend to have a link between the visual aspects of the video and that of the music, usually through
the media elements. Goodwin recognized the relationship shared between the editing and camerawork. At the beginning of the video, the
music begins to build up gradually which is reflected in in the video as a motorbike race is proceeding during this build up, which the cuts
mirroring the pace of the music, as the music gets quicker in pace, so to does the cuts. The structure of the song is mirrored in the editing of
the song.
The first screenshot shows a point at the build up is met with a crescendo and thus the race commences, this is an example of how the
music and visuals can be connected to marry the beat and intensity of the song to the video. This is repeated throughout the opening
sequence of the video and Goodwin commented on how the editing and the pace of it can be significant to the marriage between the two
elements. The relationship is both amplifying and illustrative as the songs complexity increases with the constant introduction of more
instruments which is mirrored by the complexity and dynamic of the video changing to match this.
Camerawork is also a vital factor. With various zooms and pans into comic book characters faces which is reflective to the narrative or a race
as the prepare to get underway, whilst the band introduce the song which an instrumental introduction, these two both complement each
other perfectly to create a substantial impact on the narrative of the song. This is illustrating the tempo of the music and is evident
throughout the points of (00:00-00:36) as the zooms and pans are used to intensify the situation and reflect the tense build up of the song.
Finally, this screenshot shows as the lead protagonist woman leaves the café without paying for her order. The tempo of the song at this
point is the highest it has been throughout the song (1:56) and this is reflective of the anger that the shop worker is feeling due to the fact
that she hasn’t paid. A-ha use a piano to create a rapid melody to accompany this section of the video. As demonstrated in the third
screenshot.
In our music video, we could look to explore the relationship between the visual aspects of our production and the music to ensure the cuts
share the pace of the tempo and the camerawork responds to the music, so it there is a small crescendo marking the build up towards a
climax, this would be supported with the movement of a zoom, for example.

7. “A relationship between the lyrics and the visuals,
which illustrate, amplify or contradict the lyrics”
Andrew Goodwin stated that music videos tend to have a link between the visual aspects of the video to the lyrical part of the
song, either that be illustrative, amplifying or contradicting. This theory can be applied to the a-ha music video for Take on Me.
There is a clear relationship established between the lyrics of the song and the visuals on the screen simply enforce and amplify
them onto the audience and provide illustrative moments in the video.
After the first choral section of the song, a line which states (00:52) ‘shying away’ and cuts away to a wide shot of the protagonist
sitting along at a café table engaging in some reading. This direct link between the lyrics and music epitomises Goodwin’s theory
as the lyrics are made visually available to the audience and this reinforces their meaning and creates a connection with the
audience. Stand alone visuals lack meaning and thus the support of the visuals carry them home to the audience. This makes for a
cohesive and relevant video which matches the lyrical base of the song.
Further more, the connection between the lyrics (1:06) ‘I’ll be gone, in a day or two’ and the visuals presented to the audience are
starkly similar. The image seen by the audience is a hand emerging from the comic book grabbing the hand of the woman. This
moment is substantially important as it progresses the narrative and amplifies the meaning behind the lyrics. It allows the
audience to immerse themselves in both elements of the song, which is the hook for the audience, being able to consume both
intertwined media elements allow for a smoother watching experience. Confusing the two and offering clashy music with
unjustifiable visuals makes for unpleasant and unprofessional experience as an audience member. This is why it is imperative that
the two elements are cohesive and this particular part is used as a narrative progression and to offer the audience a hook but also
to amplify the meaning of the lyrics and provide connotations of love and friendship.
The amplification of these lyrics enhance the meaning which provides the audience with a visual stimulus to engage with. The
density it adds to the lyrics enhances the audiences understanding and knowledge of the narrative of the video which is crucial to
how they interact with a video like this. We could incorporate the amplification methods into our video to combine the visual
elements and the lyrical elements to create a more engaging piece.

8. Demands of the record label
For a record label, it is essential that the record label establishes a strong brand identity of the artist so the
audience can become more well known and an excellent commercial opportunity is that of the music video. This
element of the video is hugely important because, fundamentally, the objective of the record label is too reclaim
the money spend producing the song and justifying the artist being an employer of the label.
This is done in a numerous amounts of ways, for example, the continuous amount of close ups and mid shots of
the band is too help familiarise and contextualise the band with the audience. The use of the close which show
the band playing instruments including synthesisers which relate with the genre of music and this creates a link
between the genre and the artist which allows the audience to associate the audience which a particular genre of
music.
Another factor of brand identity noticeable in this music video is the constant embedment of the name of the
band, which is seen as the final shot of the clip. This is a brilliant piece of brand placement as it is the last shot of
the music video which helps the audiences memory with the band. Because this was A-ha’s first crack at success in
the UK, the band needed a video which captured the imagination and engaged the audience whilst subtly
advertising themselves. That’s why Morton Harket plays the role of the protagonist in a video which combines the
conceptual elements of a video with that of the performance based video and the combination of the these two
elements are crucial to the brand identity being created as it introduces audience to the band whilst hooking them
with an engaging narrative.
For our own music video, we could use the combination of conceptual and performance based video to establish
our lead singer as the protagonist to raise the brand identity whilst using mid shots/close ups to contextualise the
band with the audience and increase awareness in a way which is almost cognitive and allows the singer to be a
heroic character so the audience warm to them.
Band name embedded into magazine to subtly allow the audience
to remember the name of the band.
A mid shot showing a band member playing a
synthesiser, conforming with the Synthpop
genre.

9. Narrative
The narrative of the video is conducted in a linear style, however, it is clear with the
style of the video that the director has been given creative freedom to amplify the
lyrics in a way which isn’t literal but has more emotional meaning and centred
around a storyline about love.
The love story is a real underdog story which provides the hook for the audience
as they want the relationship to bloom despite the gap of the two worlds. The love
conquers all mentality of the video applies to the New Wave movement which
helps establish the genre of the video.
The use of Levi-Strauss binary opposites with in characters makes for engaging
viewing as it is played out between a hero and villain all chasing for this one girl.
This is clever as it presents A-ha in a positive, heroic light which will aid their brand
identity and image.
This concept of binary opposites is something we could experiment with in our
music video to present the band in a way which enhances the audiences view of
them and increase their brand identity.

10. Notion of looking through things +
voyeurism
Andrew Goodwin stated another part of a music videos conventional criteria is the notion of consuming characters looking
through things, this is something that humans find engaging and aesthetically pleasing. This theory is applicable to this
music video as there is a particular moment in the video where this is particularly relevant.
This happens for 1:34-1:42 where a pan occurs as both characters watch each other through what is a mirror but as the
camera pans from right to the left, the character who is comic book form is looking at the other character in human form
and vice versa. This notion is significant as not only does it comply with the theory of Goodwin but it explains the
amplification of a key theme within the filmic approach of the video. This sequence suggests the bridge between fiction and
reality is slim and that society is more in line with real world than perhaps we think.
It also provides the message that love will prevail regardless of its form or colour or state, and that's the overriding message,
that love can hit anyone, at any point at any time and that’s conforming to the genre as love is a major theme.
However, one of Goodwin’s theories that isn’t conformed with in the Take me On video is the one which states women are
presented in a “particularly voyeuristic way”. In this video, despite the woman being presented in a way where is reacting to
the actions of a ‘heroic’ male, she is not sexualised or voyeuristically presented. The target demographic of A-ha in the
1980’s was a younger, teenage audience who would have been predominately heterosexual females and thats why a-ha
havent sexualised the woman due to this demographic and because it’s fanatical for their target audience as they would
wanted to be a love interest of Morton Harkett.
Overall, we could use elements of the notion looking through things to engage with an audience but also because the
imagery you can create using this technique is endless and very intelligent and creative. Voyeurism could also be of an
interest to us as we want to use a love based narrative based off the conventions of the genre our song applies too.
Voyeurism could appeal to our demographic, however, we would ensure it was done in a way which respected the femininity
of the character and women in general.
Two examples of Goodwin’s
theory of the notion of looking
through things put into practice
during 1:34-1:42

11. Intertextual References
Andrew Goodwin implied stated in his theoretical practices that music videos were
often riddled with intertextual references which amplify the meaning of the film
and often help to tell the narrative of the video.
Take On Me uses a cultural force in the 1980’s in comic books and uses them to
give the music video a complex narrative centred around this comic book. For the
audience, it’s engaging and topical because comic books like Beano and Dandy
were massive in the 80’s and A-ha look to exploit the demographic of which the
similar demographic would have been listening to A-ha, so this connection of
audiences make this idea a clever and simplistic one which is superb successfully.
This use of the comic strip is visible throughout the video and the narrative is
centred around the use of comic strip and how it can be used to question reality
and fiction but also used delicately in a conceptual storyline which is around a love
story.
It gave us an idea to use something that is culturally used often by our
demographic which as our song is aimed at a younger demographic, we could
explore YouTube and the relationship this could have with creating a narrative and
an audience.

12. Wake Me Up When September Ends-
Green Day
Green Day are a three piece punk and alternative rock band who have achieved
global recognition for their music. Formed in 1986, the band is made up of
three integral figures, the lead singer Joe Armstrong, bassist Mike Durnt and
Tre Cool. The band were a prodigy of a conveyer belt in a heyday of American
Punk music. Green Day have seemingly revolutionised and kept alternative rock
relevant with their repertoire of songs still being enjoyed by the audience who
have remained loyal despite several personal battles with drugs, alcohol and
personal grievances, on which Wake Me Up When September Ends is based of
the back of one of those songs. Green Day have headlined famous festivals
such as Glastonbury and Reading. In terms of awards, Green Day have plenty of
accolades including Grammy’s.
The statistics
Released: 2004
How successful was this song?: The song has sold
300,000 records in the UK alone and is considered a
poignant track following its release after 9/11 and
Hurricane Katrina. It formed part of the bands
seventh album American Idiot which sold over 25
million copies in the bands homeland alone.

13. Context behind the song
The song was written by the bands lead singer Joe Armstrong and is written about the singer’s father, who died when he was in his infancy when his father
passed away and that was the message behind this song. Armstrong wanted to capture the emotion of his fathers death and compress into a song.
This is brilliantly captured in the lyrics of these three verses which perfectly capture the emotion and grief felt by Armstrong towards this.
The verses state:
“Like my fathers come to pass
Seven years has gone so fast
Wake me up when September ends
Here comes the rain again
Falling from the stars
Drenched in my pain again
Becoming who we are
As my memory rests
But never forgets what I lost
Wake me up when September ends”
These verses were particularly poignant as the tragedies which fractured America in light on 9/11 which occurred in September and touched the
heart of millions of Americas at a time when they needed strength and this song provided a beacon of hope. Also, Hurricane Katrina claimed multiple
lives and this song reflected the emotions once again, of the American people.
Similarly, the song was used to remember those who’d lost their lives representing their country during the Iraq war which stemmed from the terror
of the 9/11 attacks and the patriotism of the band were keen to remember the lives lost and this is also shown in the video.
This provokes an emotional response from the audience who relate to this tragedy and have feelings towards it. For our thriller, we could use a
conflict to draw an emotional response for our audience towards the narrative of the song and draw upon personal experiences to enhance the
authenticity of the linear narrative. This also would allow us to appeal to a wider range of audiences who make have experienced a certain tragedy
together.
This
screenshot
shows the
army theme
evident
within the
video.

14. Genre Characteristics
Punk rock is a genre which is conventionally associated with death and dark
colours and this theme prevails throughout Green Days albums.
Punk Rock was born in the 1970’s and was particularly relevant in countries
ranging from the UK to the US. The hayday of punk rock was between 1990’s
and 2000 were the commerciality was at its highest. Elements such as
electronic and base guitars complemented with vocals and drums define this
branch of alternative rock.
In its infancy, bands such as Buzzcocks and the Jam were the leading bands of
the genre. It wasn’t until the mid 1990’s that Green Day insurged to fame. The
American Idiot album was one of the first Punk Rock albums to be considered
mainstream and contemporary music.
In terms of music videos, they are often performance based in nature with
high angled shots of the band being common, what’s more, there are usually
shots long in nature focusing on the band and cuts with the audience, these
are conventionally to this genre.

15. Genre Characteristics: Continued
In terms of music, they are often structured around the vocal elements
and electric guitars which are similarly compatible with the rock genre,
however, what divides it from that genre is the lack of guitar solos and
drum riffs.
Lyrics are sometimes replaced by silence when a bridge commences, this
is common particularly when the song launches into the chorus.
Synergy is often used in videos and in green Day videos, lead singer, Joe
Armstrong, uses his guitar, whom he names blue, in multiple videos. The
idea of brand identity is highly relevant as artists use logos or colour
scheme.
Furthermore, the bands are usually performing in front of a small crowd
or in a room by themselves and this is common for the punk rock genre.

16. “There is a succinct relationship
between music and visuals”
Many people describe this song as being Green Day’s most poignant and most relevant as they seemingly capture the feelings of fear
and panic in America after the turn of the century and events like 9/11 which provoked fear amongst Americans. The structural
element of the song is an electric guitar based ballad but the arpeggio at the beginning of the song is meaningful and poignant but
when combined with the vocals is utterly heartbreaking and provokes the audience into an emotional response. Combining this with
the visual aspect of the representation of a couple and how fragile but loving these can be is really relevant and is capturing the
engagement of the audience right from the off.
The dynamics allow for the audience to be left in a trance and with feelings of fragility upon a nation which was left fractured by the
war, terror and natural disasters which left America reeling, this fear is captured in this song and when combined with the personal
narrative of how war can affect a relationship makes for the emotional aspects of the song to be captured and highlighted. It’s a song
with so much emotion and meaning which is captured in the nucleus of the narrative embroiled with in the video. This song is place
deliberately and poignantly eleventh on the ‘American Idiot’ album. Its appealing to a nation absolutely broken from hatred.
The most dynamic section of the song is displayed in the war section of the song, with this being married with quick cuts and the
slower, more meaningful moments, which are present more at the beginning of the song are met with longer held shots reflecting
the stricken and grieving American people.
The autobiographical element of the song is captured with though the use of the arpeggio in the opening of the song as when the
song is first introduced after the filmic approach at the start, the dynamics and married with a close up of the eye of Joe Armstrong at
1:47 shows the emotions are still raw within the emotive bank of Armstrong and this is combined with visuals and music.
We could look to combine the use of quick cuts and longer shots to reflect emotions of the audience as well as the song. These
dynamics dictate the direction the music video looks to explore and is fundamental to comply with the theory stated by Goodwin but
also to make the video a success.

17. “A relationship between the lyrics and the visuals,
which illustrate, amplify or contradict the lyrics”
The producer, who researched soldiers stories to increase realism, was given a licence of freedom to amplify the
lyrics and provide the lyrics which a greater density of meaning.
Despite the original meaning of the song being all around grief, due to the tragedies of 9/11 and Hurricane
Katrina, the producer has used amplification to present the lyrics in a more meaningful and striking way.
The theme of war is shown through cross cutting and the male is out fighting for his country whilst his partner
waits for him to return. This cross cutting continues until he is shot dead, at which point, the lyrics “no matter
what you’ll always have someone here for you. I’m never gonna leave you”. This is complimenting the girl sitting
reflect fully looking up towards the sky. This symbolises her looking towards her lover who she believes in is
heaven and this is a supremely thought provoking moment for the audience as the conclusion of the narrative is
so relatable due to the Iraqi war which shattered the lives of many. This moment happens at 6:50.
Furthermore, the amplification of the lyrics is furthered during the sequence of battle with the protagonist getting
his head shaved and then going into battle. This is matched with the lyrics of “Here comes the rain again”,, when
this is complimented with the visuals that rain is symbolising the constant war of which America is becoming
completely embroiled in time after time. For the audience, this is a meaningfully poignant visual and lyrical
combination which expresses the feeling of the nation.
In our video, we could combine the lyrics and visuals to create a political message and capture the engagement of
the audience. For example, if we marry a lyric to the visual of pacifism, this would be highly reflective of how the
majority of the United Kingdom feel and thus would be an appropriate and meaningful lyric and visual
combination to combine to capture and conform with the opinions of the demographic making it more a
politically charged video.

18. Demands of the record label
The colour scheme of the band marries with the colour scheme of the album cover,
and the colours used becomes a motif throughout the song, with the band wearing
black and red. These colours are often associated with the dark themes of the
alternative rock genre.
What’s more, the black being worn by all members of the band connote death and
loss as it is predominately worn at the funeral. The brand identity of Green Day is seen
as dark and angry and that’s achieved through this colour scheme deployed to match
that of the American Idiot album.
Furthermore, the use of close ups and mid shots show the band performing together
and this builds there brand identity as it provides clarity over the members of bands
and also familiarises and contextualises them with their audience. Also, the fact they
are raised up by blocks signifies further and the complete juxtaposition with the
conceptual aspect of the video provides a contrast and again, is used to develop the
brand identity of Green Day.
Brand identity is a huge aspect of modern music to commercialise the band to act as a
promotional video. This allows for conceptuality and recognition which has been
extended globally due to the success of their music.

19. Narrative
Similarly to Take On Me, the song combines elements of conceptual elements of music videos
but also includes the performance elements to conform to the genre.
The narrative is based again around the theme of love and its the exploration of a
relationship stricken by war and how deeply it can affect a relationship. I also think it’s deeply
metaphorical of how his childhood self dealt with the lose of his father as he felt he was a
battlefield searching for him. There is a sense of iconology in the video between love and
punk rock, the interaction of the couple is iconic to love as they repeatedly show affection
towards one another.
This linear narrative has also been used for amplification of the lyrics to assert meaning
behind them as they become more impactful on the audience. The director Samuel Bayer,
who has previously worked with artists like Nirvana, created the idea of an Iraq war themed
mini film and even interviewed soldiers for personal accounts to keep it realistic and not to
dramatise the video.
There is also a sense of equilibrium when the two protagonists share an affectionate moment
in the field and choose love over the hatred with is surrounding the world, this sense of
tranquillity is reflective of the wider message embedded in the song.
What could we use in our video?
The filmic approach behind hand really sets the scene and engages the narrative before the
music video begins. Between (00:00- 1:36), a short film between a heterosexual white couple
is played out before the introduction of the song is introduced. This adds more context and
allows for more of a cinematic feel towards the production.

20. Notion of looking through things +
voyeurism
Andrew Goodwin stated in his six theories on what makes a successful music video that often this included the audience watching
the characters view something.
This theory is applied to Green Day’s video of Wake Me Up When September Ends, as the screenshot shows. As the narrative
progresses, the couple are shown in a sequence which shows them watching TV, which is relevant as it shows when the
relationship is at it’s most comfortable as the pair settle down together and this provides the audience with a real insight into the
couples relationship, for the audience, this exclusivity provides the audience with an emotional response to the conceptual
section of the video. The comfortableness of the relationship is illustrated through this blocking of the actors, the slow paced cuts
show the long lasting love the pair share.
We could use this notion of looking through things into our work as it would comply with Goodwin’s theory and help to make our
video more of a success.
Voyeurism is also an aspect of this video, with sexual connotations being evident from the portrayal of the woman. At the 2:11,
the woman is seen lying beside the man in a field which presents the woman as a sexual object who is ready to engage in sexual
activity in a outdoor setting. The demographic of Green Day is a heterosexual males and this appeals to that demographic which is
being exploited to allow for more consumption of their product.
Another example is the same woman being presented with red lipstick which connotes lustfulness and desire. This red also
connects to the brand identity of Green Day and the colour scheme but fundamentally it is because of the conceptual narrative.
For our video, we could use voyeurism for presentation of woman to target more of our demographic to consume and enjoy the
video, however, we must reinforce equality and allow present the woman in a positive and respectable way.

21. Intertextual References
Intertexually, the song engages with the events of American history prior to
the turn of the century. The seemingly obvious connections with the
tragedies of 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina perfectly captures the feeling of a
nation left reeling by the events and casualties these events caused.
There is also a link with the popular American TV Series A Line In The Sand,
which is all based around the Iraq War, which was a key theme in the video
and this link is extended further with the emulation of shots from the
battlefield. Close ups of particular characters along with the colour scheme,
similar diegetic lighting providing a contrast to the fighting and the
desaturation showing the loss of life.