The Sun Always Shines On T.V. by a-ha Lyrics Meaning – Peeling Back the Layers of Pop Culture Gloss
Lyrics
How can it be
Believe me
The sun always shines on TV
Hold me
Close to your heart
Touch me
And give all your love to me
To me
I reached inside myself and found
Nothing there to ease the
Pressure of my ever worrying mind
All my powers waste away
I fear the crazed and lonely
Looks the mirror’s sending me these days
Touch me
How can it be
Believe me
The sun always shines on TV
Hold me
Close to your heart
Touch me
And give all your love to me
Please don’t ask me to defend
The shameful lowlands of the way I’m drifting
Gloomily through time
I reached inside myself today
Thinking there’s got to be some way
To keep my troubles distant
Touch me
How can it be
Believe me
The sun always shines on TV
Hold me
Close to your heart
Touch me
And give all your love to me
Hold me
Close to your heart
Touch me
And give all your love to me
To me
In the pantheon of ’80s pop anthems, a-ha’s ‘The Sun Always Shines on T.V.’ reigns as an anomaly – a track that at once captures the zeitgeist of its era’s glossy sheen and offers a stark commentary beneath its synth-pop veneer. As the follow-up to their infectious hit ‘Take on Me,’ a-ha cemented their place in music lore with a song that digs deeper than its catchy chorus might suggest.
The Norwegian trio, led by vocalist Morten Harket, didn’t just ride the new wave; they steered it into introspective waters. ‘The Sun Always Shines on T.V.’ is a voyage into the soul of the MTV generation, marrying the era’s grandiosity with an existential longing that echoes far beyond its decade.
A Charade of Euphoria – Dissecting the Irony
On the surface, the title ‘The Sun Always Shines on T.V.’ seems to evoke a sense of perpetual bliss, a promise of eternal happiness through the glowing box. But beneath the shimmering synths and Harket’s soaring vocals lies a stark incongruity. The song juxtaposes television’s fabricated reality with the complexity of human emotion, painting a picture of the artificial sun that is at odds with the authentic self.
This anthem taps into the dissonance between appearance and reality, hinting at how media portrayals can mask our inner turmoil. The contrast is palpable – the idea of the golden T.V. sunshine is revealed as a facade, a metaphor for the futility in seeking solace from an illusion of perfection.
The Labyrinth of Self-Exploration
‘I reached inside myself and found nothing there to ease the pressure of my ever worrying mind.’ With these introspective lyrics, a-ha challenges listeners to consider the internal battle of contemplation and uncertainty. Harket articulates a sentiment known all too well: the search for inner peace amidst the chaos of one’s thoughts.
The internal struggle is as relevant today as it was in 1985, a timeless reflection of self-discovery’s trials and tribulations. As we peer through the looking glass of a-ha’s apprehensive verse, we may find uncomfortable parallels with our own reflections.
Inescapable Nostalgia – Unlocking the Song’s Hidden Meaning
While heavily cloaked in idealistic tropes, ‘The Sun Always Shines on T.V.’ is a clever nod to the inescapable pull of nostalgia. The yearning for connection (‘Hold me close to your heart’) belies a truth about the human condition: our innate desire to cling to moments of love and warmth, often glorified in retrospect.
This song encapsulates the power of memory and its ability to cast a glow on past experience, perhaps shining more brightly than the reality ever did. It ponders on whether the glow we chase is still within reach or lost in the golden haze of televised make-believe.
The Penance of Pop – ‘Please don’t ask me to defend…’
‘Please don’t ask me to defend the shameful lowlands of the way I’m drifting gloomily through time.’ Here lies one of the song’s most memorable lines, a confession of the difficulty in justifying one’s path when it feels aimless or devoid of joy. It’s a lyrical invitation to accept the imperfections, to acknowledge the grit that lies beneath the gloss.
The poignant plea asks for redemption or, at the very least, understanding. It recognizes the complexity of our journey and the unrealistic expectations to always shine, to always be on – just like the television sets of their anthem’s namesake.
The Echo of an Era – Why It Still Resonates
As nostalgic reverberations of ‘The Sun Always Shines on T.V.’ still chime in the annals of pop history, its themes remain shockingly relevant. It’s a song that perfectly bridged the technology-infused optimism of the ’80s and the emerging awareness of the medium’s limitations in reflecting human truth.
A-ha managed to create an enduring masterpiece that speaks to the heart of every generation that has since grappled with the dichotomy of light and dark, reality and fantasy, scrutiny and acceptance. The sun they sing of may not always be shining, but its light continues to reveal the depth and complexity of our human experience.
