“Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)”

Artist: Eurythmics

Music / Lyrics by Annie Lennox and David A. Stewart

Label: RCA, (1983)

In the early 1980’s, pop studio technology came into the hands of musicians interested in using it for a variety of thoughtful, sometimes dark and sometimes decadent expressive visions, layered over highly-produced, repetitive, synthesized rhythmic grooves. Eurythmics singer Annie Lennox and programmer/multi-instrumentalist Dave Stewart crafted a sound that melded together passionate, intense white-soul vocals, gothic / romantic lyrics, avant-garde elements, and slinky, synthesized techno-tracks. “Sweet Dreams,” and the gender-bending video that accompanied it, sent Eurythmics climbing to the top of the charts. MTV, then only in its second year of existence, was beginning to exert considerable influence on the public’s reception of new music, and listeners found Annie Lennox’ short, spiky orange hair and menswear suit at least as memorable as the song’s well-crafted, catchy refrain.

Musical style notes

The repetitive structure of “Sweet Dreams” works in tandem with the repetitive, rhythmic pulse of the synth tracks. There are essentially two verses to “Sweet Dreams,” and both have the same melody. For the sake of distinction, I have labeled the one that begins with the title lyric as the “Refrain,” especially since this is the verse that repeats several times in succession at the end of the song. The verses are separated by short instrumental interludes that feature a synth track with girl-group style “oo’ background vocals, and improvised, free-form vocals layered over it. (These are all multi-track layers of Annie Lennox’s vocals.)

The combination of repetitive phrase structure and layers of electronically-generatedelectronically generated sound is typical of 1980’s synth-pop. Annie Lennox’s improvisatory skill, warm voice and technical flexibility add variety and depth of expression to the sonic texture.

Musical “Road Map”

Timings / Comments / Lyrics
0:00-0:08 / Introduction
– Ssynth track.
0:08-0:23 / Refrain
– Annie Lennox solo voice. / Sweet Dreams are made of this
Who am I to disagree…
0:23-0:38 / Verse
, “Hharmonized” (singer is double-tracked). / Some of them want to use you;
Some of them want to get used by you…
0:38-0:50 / Interlude
, Wwith background singers and improvised lead vocals . / (Ooooo…)
0:50-1:05 / Refrain / Sweet Dreams are made of this
Who am I to disagree…
1:05-1:16 / Interlude
, Wwith background singers and improvised lead vocals. / (Ooooo…)
1:16-1:31 / Bridge
– Mmultiple layered vocals. / Hold your head up (movin’ on)
Keep your head up (movin’ on)
1:31-1:47 / Synth solo, over musical structure and synth track of verse
1:47-2:03 / Verse, “harmonized” / Some of them want to use you;
Some of them want to get used by you…
2:03-2:14 / Interlude
, Wwith background singers and improvised lead vocals. / (Ooooo…)
2:14-2:30 / Refrain
, “Hharmonized,” with improvised vocals. / Sweet Dreams are made of this
Who am I to disagree…
2:30-2:45 / Refrain
, “Hharmonized,” with improvised vocals.
All instruments drop out except drum synth track. / Sweet Dreams are made of this
Who am I to disagree…
2:45-3:34 / Refrain
Oover instrumental track, drums and improvised vocals; repeats until fade at 3:34. / Sweet Dreams are made of this
Who am I to disagree…

Angela Mariani would like to thank Dr. Chris Smith of Texas Tech University for his contribution to this Listening Guide.