Take On Me | Chords + Lyrics
Intro
||: N.C | N.C :||
||: Bm9 :|| x4
||: Bm | E | A | D C#m :||
| Bm | E | Bm | E |
Verse 1
| Bm | E | A | D C#m |
We’re talking away, no, I don’t know what I’m to say,
| Bm | E | A | D C#m |
I’ll say it anyway, today’s another day to find you,
| Bm | E | F#m | D |
shying away. I’ll be coming for your love, okay?
Chorus 1
| A | E/G# | F#m | D |
Take on me (take on me).
| A | E/G# | F#m | D |
Take me on (take on me).
| A | E/G# | F#m | D | (half time)
I’ll be gone,
| A | E/G# | D | E | (original count)
in a day.
Verse 2
So needless to say, I’m odds and ends but I’ll be,
stumbling away, slowly learning that life is okay.
Say after me, it’s no better to be safe than sorry.
Chorus 2
Take on me (take on me).
Take me on (take on me).
I’ll be gone,
in a day.
Solo
||: C#m | C#m | G | G :||
| Bm | Bm | E | E |
| Bm | E | Bm | E | (half riff repeated)
||: Bm | E | A | D C#m :||
| Bm | E | Bm | E |
Verse 3
Oh, the things that you say, yeah, is it life or just to play my,
worries away? You’re all the things I’ve got to remember,
you’re shying away, I’ll be coming for you anyway.
Chorus 3
||: A | E/G# | F#m | D :||
Take on me (take on me).
Take me on (take on me).
I’ll be gone,
in a day. (take on me, take on me)
(take me on, take on me)
I’ll be gone (take on me, take on me)
In a day (take me on, take on me)
(Take on me, take on me)
(Take me on, take on me)
(Take on me)
Take On Me Chords: Understanding the Key Changes and Solo Structure
Surprisingly, Take On Me is great fun to play on guitar. I’ve tabbed out that iconic intro and main riff, which you’ll need to get just right to impress keyboard players.
Here’s a link to the TAB lesson: Take On Me – Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Once you’ve mastered that, all you need is the chord chart below to guide you through the song. Let’s break down each section using Roman numerals. In the key of A, the intro looks like this:
||: Bm (II) | E (V) | A (I) | D (IV) C#m (III) :||
Starting on chord II with the I chord in the middle of the progression gives it a feeling of continuous motion—very clever songwriting.
The chorus, by contrast, feels like it slows down, partly due to the beat and the chord progression, which follows I – V/3 – VI – IV. This progression feels more resolved as the I chord begins the journey:
| A (I) | E/G# (V/3) | F#m (VI) | D (IV) |
After repeating this twice, we slow down on the third iteration, playing at half tempo. When the verse returns, we feel revitalised and ready for what comes next.
The final line of the chorus ends with a IV – V, like this:
| A | E/G# | D | E |
Next, we tackle the most unusual part of the song: the solo section. It starts with C#m (III), then transitions to G, which functions as a bVIIx. After this, we cycle through a series of II – V progressions before returning to the riff. Here’s the solo progression:
||: C#m (III) | C#m | G (bVIIIx) | G :||
| Bm (II) | Bm | E (V) | E |
| Bm | E | Bm | E | (half riff repeated)
||: Bm | E | A (I) | D (IV) C#m (III) :||
| Bm | E | Bm | E |
Here’s a chord chart with all the sections and structure. Bring this to your gig, and make sure you’ve got the TAB you practised memorised!
Take On Me Chord Chart | PDF + iReal Pro
Should you want to download this chart, here’s a PDF: Take On Me chord chart PDF.
This chord chart was created using iReal Pro, here’s a link to that file: Take On Me chord chart iReal Pro. Using this and the iRealPro app, you can change the key.
Take On Me: How A-ha’s Rerecorded Song and Iconic Music Video Made Them Superstars
A-ha‘s Take On Me became a worldwide sensation, reaching the top spot in eleven countries. However, this success was not immediate. The song was recorded and released twice, accompanied by a groundbreaking music video before it finally took off. Once it did, the band became globally famous almost overnight.
While the rerecording undoubtedly played a role in its success, the video was likely the key factor. Directed by Steve Barron, who also worked on Money for Nothing, Summer of ’69, Billie Jean, Run to You, Electric Avenue, and many more, Take On Me might just be his finest work.
The video, set in a world that alternates between animation and reality, features Morten Harket and Therese Bunty Bailey falling in love while being pursued by a sinister motorcycle gang. The video took 16 weeks to complete using rotoscoping—a technique where animators trace over film frames. For Take On Me, a total of 3,000 images were created.
In the playlist above, you’ll find a three-part documentary that tells the story of how the Take On Me video was made by the people behind it.
Take On Me Chords: Continue Learning
Take On Me | Guitar Lesson + TAB
Want to master this song? Check out the full TAB lesson here: Take On Me (A-ha) Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Alternatively, here are five similar tunes you might enjoy: