♫ Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This) ♫ (Redux)

Posted on by under Bits 'n Pieces, History, music, Social commentary

I typically save the music posts for last thing before going to bed, which is why sometimes there isn’t one … either I’m too tired or too down to care.  But, most often they help me transition from the dark world of politics and relax me enough to sleep (sometimes, anyway).  I cannot remember how I happened on this one earlier today, but I did and I bookmarked it for ‘later’.  Well, now it’s ‘later’.

This is a song written and performed by the British new wave music duo Eurythmics. The song is the title track of their album of the same name and was released as the fourth and final single from the album in early 1983. The song became their breakthrough hit, establishing the duo worldwide. Its music video helped to propel the song to number 2 on the UK Singles Chart and number 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. It was the first single released by Eurythmics in the U.S.

The Eurythmics are Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart, who were a couple for about three years while they were members of a band called The Tourists. They only wrote one song together in this time (an instrumental), but when The Tourists broke up, they formed Eurythmics as a duo and began writing together. A short time later, Lennox and Stewart broke up.  According to Stewart …

“When we broke up as a couple for some strange reason it was like we were always going to be together, no matter what. We couldn’t really break that spell so we just carried on making music. This causes many problems, yet through all of this we ended up writing a lot of great songs, some were about ‘our’ relationship and some were about our relationship with the world around us. Whatever we wrote always had a dark side and a light side and in a way I describe it as ‘realistic music,’ full of the ups and downs of real relationships and life itself.”

Stewart and Lennox had very little money, and were thrilled when a bank gave them a loan to buy some equipment and make a record. They made the most of their meager budget, using an 8 track recorder and a complicated drum machine Stewart drove 200 miles to procure. They made the most of their 8 tracks, with Stewart’s Roland synthesizer and Lennox’ Kurzweil keyboard added to the drum pattern Stewart created, forming the basis for the song.

The cow, while very eye-catching, posed a logistical problem because most studios can’t accommodate a cow! Eurythmics found a basement studio in London with an elevator big enough to transport the animal. Lennox recalls the shoot with the bovine walking around as being one of the more surreal experiences of her life. Regarding what it all meant, she said in the book I Want My MTV:

“The video is a statement about the different forms of existence. Here are humans, with our dreams of industry and achievement and success. And here is a cow.”

The video is a little weird for my taste, but … I like the music.

Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)
Eurythmics

Sweet dreams are made of this
Who am I to disagree?
I travel the world
And the seven seas,
Everybody’s looking for something.

Some of them want to use you
Some of them want to get used by you
Some of them want to abuse you
Some of them want to be abused.

Sweet dreams are made of this
Who am I to disagree?
I travel the world
And the seven seas
Everybody’s looking for something

Hold your head up
Keep your head up, movin’ on
Hold your head up, movin’ on
Keep your head up, movin’ on
Hold your head up
Keep your head up, movin’ on
Hold your head up, movin’ on
Keep your head up, movin’ on

Some of them want to use you
Some of them want to get used by you
Some of them want to abuse you
Some of them want to be abused.

Sweet dreams are made of this
Who am I to disagree?
I travel the world
And the seven seas
Everybody’s looking for something

Sweet dreams are made of this
Who am I to disagree?
I travel the world
And the seven seas
Everybody’s looking for something

Sweet dreams are made of this
Who am I to disagree?
I travel the world
And the seven seas
Everybody’s looking for something

Sweet dreams are made of this
Who am I to disagree?
I travel the world
And the seven seas
Everybody’s looking for something

Songwriters: Annie Lennox / David Allan Stewart
Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This) lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

38 thoughts on “♫ Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This) ♫ (Redux)”

  1. I loved this song when it came out. I’ve since become quite fond of Marilyn Manson’s version. I used it once in my spin class and a woman called it ‘violent’. I’d say powerful. The style more closely matches the lyrics than the Eurythmics somewhat sunny take on the song. Regardless, I haven’t listened to this version in years. Thanks for the reminder of a great song.

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    • I’m so glad you liked it! I wasn’t aware of Marilyn Manson’s version … I shall have to check it out, but if it is violent it’s not likely to appeal as much as the Eurythmics one, for I rather like the ‘sunny take’ … especially these days when the world seems a rather dark place. 😊

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  2. Hello Jill. I like the song. I like the video. I thought about adding it to my iTunes library. Then as often happens, my mind wandered. I got thinking what if this song was paired with a book based on traveling the world & seven seas for sweet dreams. And down the rabbit hole I went for a while thinking of all the grand ideas such a book of worldwide sweet dreams could be about. I enjoyed the trip but sadly I must get back to reality with all the bitterness to be combated. Thanks for the grand interlude. Hugs

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    • Awwww, Scottie … that makes my heart sing to know that one of my music posts gave you a nice break and a trip through dreamland! Maybe you should bookmark it to play again when you next need a respite? Hugs

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  3. Well, I have a cow about cows but still enjoy the song. A good thing since my daughter played it constantly back in the ’80’s and songs do have a habit of being stuck in my head forever after I hear them. This one is thousands of times better than the worst song in history goy stuck there 30 to 40 years ago and still pops up to torture me again. “Swangin!” Wish I could get rid of that one forever but I think it will take 10 years after I die to erase that one. Annie Lenox sure is a refreshing change from John Anderson but why that darn song keeps invading my brain like a cancer stumps me! Anyway, I love this one Jill. If you ever come across that other one and put it up here though that could very well jeopardizes my mental health for the rest of my life. Totally stupid reply but I’m crazy and enjoying it at the moment and not much is making sense. Must be having another TIA!

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    • Surely you cannot mean that you don’t like cows! How could you resist those big, sweet eyes? OH NO!!! “Swangin'”??? Really? I shudder to even think about it! Yes, some songs stick in one’s head, but usually for me they only stick around a day or two … I don’t think they like all the other detritus floating around in there! 🤣 I’m so glad you enjoyed the song, dear friend! And no worries … you won’t hear that other one on my blog!!!

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    • Any time you want to REALLY know about cows I’ll be glad to take you out to the farm and let you get to know a few hundred. After chasing those bloody beasts a few thousand miles in my lifetime I don’t even want to eat beef! Such dumb animals could be bearing a gene that will turn beef-eaters into the same stupid they are. Nope, no beef in my kitchen. And to think turkeys have the name of being the dumbest livestock just because they can drown in a rain shower! At least they stay home while doing it. And thank you for never playing that other one. I don’t think my brain could handle it right now!

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      • When I was a child … I think around age 8 or 9 … I spent a summer on an uncle’s farm and I got on quite well with the cows! But then, there were only 3 or 4 at a time, not an entire herd. I had no idea about turkeys drowning in a rain shower!

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        • That’s a real problem with turkeys. But cows are dumber, especially when you are chasing 50 plus up and down the road. They know where they got out and most of them want to go back in but the lead cow continues on the road so the rest go back out to the road and follow the leader. OMG, I just realized a few things about certain people who follow the leader too. A herd of cows! Add the bulls as well and that leader could well be a turnip!

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          • Ha ha … as I was reading your comment about cows who knew where they wanted to go but instead just followed the leader, I thought … yep, cows must be Republicans, then! Or … Republicans are cows! Which came first, the chicken or the egg! 🤣🤣🤣

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            • They both arrived simultaneously! And I am rather sure the cows are Republicans. They have that snotty look about them and are both expensive to maintain. Wonder how a coat made of cowhide would feel and look. Leather naturally but stupid leather? Hmmm!

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              • I’ve met some cows that had a warm, loving look … those simply cannot be Republicans! But as for the rest … I think you’re probably right! I don’t think I could wear a coat made from the skin of an animal … any animal. Overall, I have more empathy and respect for all critters than I do for humans! Geee … I wonder why?

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                • Animals only injure if they are hungry or threatened. Most humans are like that but then there are the human predators who injure for “sport”. Those are the ones we all have to look out for. I know there are animal predators but as long as humans back off and leave them alone they will leave them alone. Most of the time. But sorry, cows are tricky. And Republicans! Ya just can’t trust them, but then again there are humans you can’t trust, soooo……

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                  • Indeed so! I’ve long said that animals don’t kill another animal because they don’t like the colour of its fur … they kill only for food or when they feel threatened. I would literally rather take my chances with a black bear or a tiger — or yes, even a cow! — than a ‘man’ with a gun. Sigh. I tell ya … next time I’m coming back as a wolf, my spirit animal! Awwwwwooooooooooooo 🐺

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  6. A real pop classic. I’m not a great fan of synthesiser music as a rule but Annie Lennox’s voice elevated their songs way above the norm for that genre. I love the video too: the cow is very cute, and I think every video should have one 🤣

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