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DIR Return to: Questions about the Use of Language
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#Post#: 13962--------------------------------------------------
Take on Me
By: Nikola Date: April 1, 2019, 8:30 am
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Take on me (take on me)
Take me on (take on me)
I'll be gone
In a day or two
This is the chorus of the song Take on Me by A-ha. What exactly
does "take on me" mean? I've tried researching it, I recall
asking native speakers about it but they said they'd never even
thought about it, it doesn't really mean anything... Did they
just take "take me on" and swap the words around? And then used
it in the song title?
#Post#: 13963--------------------------------------------------
Re: Take on Me
By: Truman Overby Date: April 1, 2019, 8:52 am
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[quote author=Nikola link=topic=943.msg13962#msg13962
date=1554125433]
Take on me (take on me)
Take me on (take on me)
I'll be gone
In a day or two
This is the chorus of the song Take on Me by A-ha. What exactly
does "take on me" mean? I've tried researching it, I recall
asking native speakers about it but they said they'd never even
thought about it, it doesn't really mean anything... Did they
just take "take me on" and swap the words around? And then used
it in the song title?
[/quote]
I've heard this song hundreds of times but it never occurred to
me. I can't say that I ever picked out the fact that they say
"take me on" and then "take on me."
To me, both versions of the sentence have the same meaning. I
like the song.
#Post#: 13964--------------------------------------------------
Re: Take on Me
By: NealC Date: April 1, 2019, 9:44 am
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There is subtle difference, but since they from Norway they
might not have meant it when they wrote the song.
Take on me is a gentle or playful way of asking the girl to try
him out, give him a chance at being with her.
Take me on is a bit more confrontational, it can be used in a
sporting event or a contest. He is high spirited and free
wheeling, a bit of a challenge in a relationship. Is she up for
the challenge?
So no matter how she looks at relationships, he has it covered.
#Post#: 13977--------------------------------------------------
Re: Take on Me
By: SHL Date: April 1, 2019, 12:52 pm
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Nikola, the last thing I‘d worry about is what „take on me“
means. It’s probably just an invented phrase that only the
writers of the phrase understand. It‘s just in the category of
poetic license so it doesn‘t have to mean anything. Songwriters
do this all the time and always have. Sometimes their words only
have secret meaning only the writer may understand.
#Post#: 13978--------------------------------------------------
Re: Take on Me
By: SuKi Date: April 1, 2019, 12:54 pm
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I have no idea what "Take on me" means.
Not a clue.
But there again, what do I know of such things?
#Post#: 13982--------------------------------------------------
Re: Take on Me
By: SHL Date: April 1, 2019, 1:31 pm
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[quote author=Nikola link=topic=943.msg13962#msg13962
date=1554125433]
Take on me (take on me)
Take me on (take on me)
I'll be gone
In a day or two
This is the chorus of the song Take on Me by A-ha. What exactly
does "take on me" mean? I've tried researching it, I recall
asking native speakers about it but they said they'd never even
thought about it, it doesn't really mean anything... Did they
just take "take me on" and swap the words around? And then used
it in the song title?
[/quote]
It’s a great old song I always liked it, but „Take on Me“
doesn‘t mean anything. It‘s like the old Lyra Nyro song „Stoney
End“. People wondered for years what a „Stoney End“ was and no
one could ever figure it out, but the melody was so good it made
up for it. In fact, Laura Nyro had a reputation for writing
songs with incomprehensible lyrics but fantastic melodies that
were hits. It was just her style. As with Stoney End, in part
„Going down the Stoney End, I never wanted to go down the Stoney
End, mama let me start all over..cradle me, Mama, cradle me
again...“
Your guess is as good as mine what a Stoney End is.
It may have had some meaning to the artist but it doesn‘t have
to have a meaning if it sounds good.
#Post#: 13985--------------------------------------------------
Re: Take on Me
By: Nikola Date: April 1, 2019, 3:25 pm
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Thank you everyone.
And thank you, Neal, for pointing out that they were a Norwegian
band. I didn't know that. The whole thing makes more sense now.
Yeah, I know, poetic license and all, but still, making up a
phrasal verb, building the lyrics around it and using it in the
song title when you're not even a native speaker of the language
the song's in... And native speakers seem to love the song
regardless. It's crazy :)
[quote author=SHL link=topic=943.msg13977#msg13977
date=1554141142]
Nikola, the last thing I‘d worry about is what „take on me“
means.[/quote]
SHL, I nearly, very nearly fell for it. I thought you were still
determined to tell others what they should or shouldn't worry
about, even after the extensive discussion we'd had, but then I
realised it was just an Aprilscherz. You got me there :)
#Post#: 13988--------------------------------------------------
Re: Take on Me
By: NealC Date: April 1, 2019, 4:36 pm
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I am not sure what it is like in other places in the world, but
Americans definitely do not pay attention to song lyrics. All
sorts of songs are quoted incorrectly or even worse, used in
absolutely the wrong setting. 3 examples immediately come to
mind:
Bruce Springsteen's "Born in the USA", used by either Reagan or
Bush when the politics of the song are the exact opposite.
The Cranberries "Linger", which is used all the time as a
romantic song, sometimes even as a wedding song or in romantic
movie soundtracks. I think it is because Americans cannot
understand the lyrics through the Irish accent, and have a more
genial definition of the concept 'linger', but the song is not
about a loving relationship!
The Who's "Eminent Front" being used of all places in a car
commercial! The advertisement was basically to build your
status by buying this car/suv and they used only the
instrumentals from that Who song as the background. But when
you listen to the lyrics of the song, they are decrying people
who 'put on' a front that is all about status!
There are plenty of artists that throw up their hands in
frustration at American audiences.
#Post#: 13989--------------------------------------------------
Re: Take on Me
By: Nikola Date: April 1, 2019, 4:44 pm
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@Neal
I know what you mean. It's like hearing little kids sing The
Pogues' Fairytale of New York at Christmas.
#Post#: 13991--------------------------------------------------
Re: Take on Me
By: SHL Date: April 1, 2019, 5:00 pm
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[quote author=Nikola link=topic=943.msg13985#msg13985
date=1554150346]
Thank you everyone.
And thank you, Neal, for pointing out that they were a Norwegian
band. I didn't know that. The whole thing makes more sense now.
Yeah, I know, poetic license and all, but still, making up a
phrasal verb, building the lyrics around it and using it in the
song title when you're not even a native speaker of the language
the song's in... And native speakers seem to love the song
regardless. It's crazy :)
[quote author=SHL link=topic=943.msg13977#msg13977
date=1554141142]
Nikola, the last thing I‘d worry about is what „take on me“
means.[/quote]
SHL, I nearly, very nearly fell for it. I thought you were still
determined to tell others what they should or shouldn't worry
about, even after the extensive discussion we'd had, but then I
realised it was just an Aprilscherz. You got me there :)
[/quote]
Nikola, your question was interesting. I go a website for song
translations from English to German (songtexte.com) and they
don`t always translate all songs. But, they translated this one.
Your question of „take on me“ was translated into German as
„Vertrau mir, lass mich auf dich ein“, which you may know means,
“trust me, get involved with me.“ But then this sentence was
footnoted „1. andere Möglichkeiten, take me on bedeutet
dasselbe, ist bloß ein Wortspiel=„nimm mich an.“ „Other
possibilites, take me on means the same as, it`s just a play on
words= accept me (literally take me on).“ Alternatively, Duden
lists a colloquial phrase „Jdn (hart) annehmen“, attack someone.
It also can be used in hunter´s speech to mean to attack an
animal or person.
So what the artist meant with this lyric remains a mystery.
Songtext usually does a good job with translations, but where
they came up with this one is a mystery.
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