"Forever Not Yours" is a song by Norwegian

synth-pop Synth-pop (short for synthesizer pop; also called techno-pop; ) is a music genre that first became prominent in the late 1970s and features the synthesizer as the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s b ...

band

A-ha A-ha (often stylised as ''a''-h''a''; ) is a Norwegian synth-pop band formed in Oslo in 1982. Founded by Paul Waaktaar-Savoy (guitars and vocals), Magne Furuholmen (keyboards, guitars and vocals), and Morten Harket (lead vocals), the band ros ...

, released as the lead single from their seventh studio album, '' Lifelines''. It was sent to radio stations in parts of Europe on 22 February 2002 (15 April in Belgium) and was released commercially on 2 April. The cover of the commercial release features a closeup shot of the black front end of a 1950s

Cadillac Cadillac Motor Car Division, or simply Cadillac (), is the luxury vehicle division (business), division of the American automobile manufacturer General Motors (GM). Its major markets are the United States, Canada and China; Cadillac models are ...

standing on flatland.

Background

Band vocalist

Morten Harket Morten Harket (; born 14 September 1959) is a Norwegian singer who is the lead vocalist of the synth-pop band A-ha. A-ha has released 11 studio albums as of 2024, and topped the charts internationally after their breakthrough hit "Take On Me" i ...

described the song as "one of those songs that sums us up. Melancholy, and at the same time uplifting – soaring." The phrase "forever not yours" is a play on the

love letter A love letter is an expression of love in written form. However delivered, the letter may be anything from a short and simple message of love to a lengthy explanation and description of feelings. History One of the oldest references to a l ...

sign off "forever yours".

Music video

The song's music video, filmed on location in Cuba, was directed by

Harald Zwart Harald Zwart (born 1 July 1965) is a Dutch-Norwegian Film director, director, writer and producer. Early life Although born in the Netherlands, Zwart was raised in Fredrikstad, Fredrikstad, Norway. By age eight, he had started making short films ...

. The theme of the video is based on the Biblical floods and Noah's Ark. There are many famous faces entering the 'VIP entrance' in this video, including look-a-likes for

Desmond Tutu Desmond Mpilo Tutu (7 October 193126 December 2021) was a South African Anglican bishop and theologian, known for his work as an anti-apartheid and human rights activist. He was Bishop of Johannesburg from 1985 to 1986 and then Archbishop ...

Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone ( ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Referred to as the "Queen of Pop", she has been recognized for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, ...

Lenny Kravitz Leonard Albert Kravitz (born May 26, 1964) is an American singer, musician, songwriter, record producer, and actor. His debut album ''Let Love Rule (Lenny Kravitz album), Let Love Rule'' (1989) was characterized by a blend of Rock music, rock ...

, and

Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. ...

''MTV Unplugged'' appearance

In 2017, A-ha appeared on the television series ''

MTV Unplugged ''MTV Unplugged'' is an American television series on MTV. It showcases recorded live performances of popular music artists playing acoustic instrument, acoustic or "unplugged" variations of songs. The show aired regularly from 1989 to 1999. F ...

'' and played and recorded acoustic versions of many of their popular songs for the album '' MTV Unplugged – Summer Solstice'' in

Giske Giske may refer to: Places *Giske Municipality, a municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway *Giske (island), a island within Giske Municpiality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway *Giske (village), a village within Giske Municpiality in Møre ...

, Norway, including "Forever Not Yours".

Track listing

* CD: WEA / 0927 44859-2 Europe #"Forever Not Yours" – 4:08 #"Differences" (original demo) – 2:49 #"

Hunting High and Low ''Hunting High and Low'' is the debut studio album by the Norwegian synth-pop band a-ha, first released on 1 June 1985 by Warner Bros. Records in Norway and the United States, and then released in the United Kingdom and Europe on 28 October 1985 ...

" (live in Oslo) – 7:07 #" Manhattan Skyline" (live in Oslo) – 6:14

Charts

Personnel

*Words by

and Ole Sverre Olsen *Music by

Magne Furuholmen Magne "Mags" Furuholmen (born 1 November 1962) is a Norwegian musician and visual artist. Also known by his stage name Mags, he is the keyboardist of the synth-pop band A-ha and co-wrote hits such as "Take On Me", "Stay on These Roads", " Manhat ...

and

*Produced by

Stephen Hague Stephen Hague (born 1960) is an American record producer most active with various British acts since the 1980s. Early life Hague was born in Portland, Maine, in 1960. Early career Hague started his musical career in the mid-1970s as a session ...

and

Martin Landquist Martin Landquist is a Swedish music producer, recording artist, remixer and songwriter working under the name Nåid. He has produced albums for artists such as a-ha, Jay-Jay Johanson, Linda Sundblad and Kent, and has remixed tracks for artists inc ...

*Additional arrangement by Keller, Schroeder *Recorded at Lydlab Studios, Oslo and Strongroom, London

References

{{Authority control 2002 singles 2002 songs A-ha songs Number-one singles in Norway Number-one singles in Poland Songs written by Magne Furuholmen Song recordings produced by Stephen Hague Songs written by Morten Harket Warner Music Group singles Desmond Tutu Cultural depictions of Elizabeth II Cultural depictions of Madonna