Songfacts®:

• During an online webchat, guitarist and principal songwriter Paul Waaktaar-Savoy explained: "The title is a direct translation of the Norwegian word; 'skyggesiden,' and the best line is, 'The shadowside, where I go/ I'm never where I'm needed so.'"
• Waaktaar-Savoy commented in publicity materials that this song, "feels quite Norwegian – in the melody, the chords and the mood."
• Waaktaar-Savoy told Dagbladet June 5, 2009 that vocalist Morten Harket's singing ability allows him huge flexibility in his songwriting for the band. He explained that in this song, "there is a vocal range of five different keys, and few other vocalists would be able to pull that off. When I'm writing specifically for a-ha, I know what I have to work with vocally, whom I can trust will achieve it."