June 29, 2023 • 8 mins
Everybody's looking for something... The Eurythmics were looking for a way out of debt and despair when "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" -- an experimental electronic song with no chorus -- surprised them and their record label to become a worldwide hit in 1983.
A playlist starting with "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" and including 19 more songs by The Eurythmics and Annie Lennox can be found here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1nbLhTcxRqqFBe4XZVSwpM?si=1a8ca0ad052544a3
You can also read The Best Song Ever (This Week) for free at bestsong.substack.com. Recommended if you like footnotes. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
A playlist starting with "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" and including 19 more songs by The Eurythmics and Annie Lennox can be found here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1nbLhTcxRqqFBe4XZVSwpM?si=1a8ca0ad052544a3
You can also read The Best Song Ever (This Week) for free at bestsong.substack.com. Recommended if you like footnotes. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:02):
The Shark Deck. Hello and welcometo the best song ever this week.
A short deep dive into a songand one makes it special. The best
song ever this week this week isSweet Dreams Are Made of This by The
Rhythmics. I'm Scott Frampton. Wewon't be listening to the song together here,
(00:36):
let alone explode it. In theshow notes, there's a link to
a playlist with Sweet Dreams and othersongs by the Rhythmics and Annie Lennox.
One we hope you'll enjoy. Solet's begin. Annie Lennox was curled up
on the floor in a fetal position. She was living her dream as an
artist, only it was one ofthose anxiety dreams of being unable to find
(00:59):
the place you know you need tobe. Her band, the Tourists,
had broken up on tour in Australia, and she and Dave Stewart broke up
as romantic partners on the flight home. The pair resolved to continue making music
together, however, taking the nameThe Arrhythmics, and even convinced a sympathetic
music loving bank manager to lend themfive thousand pounds for new equipment about eighteen
(01:21):
thousand dollars today. But her experiencewith the music business had left her broke
and maybe broken. Stewart was strugglingto make that new equipment work. The
two were fighting. Stewart was onspeed and Lennox later pressed on the floor
of the studio. In the wakeof the tourists split, the duo decided
to embark on a more experimental electronicdirection. Stewart put the bank loan toward
(01:45):
a movement MCA percussion computer, ashort lived British made drum machine, and
a rolland sh one O one,an analog synth, both of which were
brand new to the market. Whatthe hell is that, Lennox said,
managed to produce what's a now familiarbeaten riff? She stood up and went
to another synth, a borrowed Oberheimobix, and began to play it sustained
(02:08):
strings. It worked, and sheimprovised a vocal line, a dispassionate rand
about being caught in the gears ofan unfair system. Sweet Dreams Are Made
of This was the title track toThe Rhythmics nineteen eighty three second album.
Still their record label RCA said therewas no chorus and didn't see it as
(02:29):
a single, releasing three other tracksfirst. It was only after a radio
DJ in Cleveland gave it a singlespin, causing request lines to light up
and earning the song consistent airplay,that the label released Sweet Dreams as a
single. The song went on tobe a global top ten hit, reaching
number two in the UK and numberone in Canada, France in the US,
(02:52):
The tension between the Rowland riff thatpulled Linux off the floor and her
revenge as a dish best served coldvocal phrasings gives the song its compelling edge.
Lennox vocal isn't stride it. Shesings beautifully, but there's something menacing
in her restraint. Real power isnot having to use it, and there
are moments in the song where youhear the heights lennox voice can reach,
(03:15):
which furthers the song's authoritative tone.She's calmly explaining how things are as if
you are hopelessly naive to believe otherwise. Much of synthpop succeeds by exploiting the
man machine dichotomy. Human voice iscontrasting with silicon driven sounds. Here,
Lennox has a different machine in mind, not one driven by circuit boards,
(03:38):
but one of men and the musicbusiness. This being a hit song in
nineteen eighty three, it's impossible tofully divorce the music from the images of
its MTV blanketing music video, Lennoxwears a business suit, claiming the power
of the boardroom and presenting herself asStuart's equal, the antithesis of the girls
(04:00):
singer sidekick. Her close cropped hairhas dyed the color of a traffic cone,
and her ice blue eyes stared straightdown the barrel of a camera.
She mimics the beat of the drummachine snare by tapping a writing crop in
her bomb. It's clear who's incontrol, and it's not the audience.
Here's where the lack of course worksin the song's favor. There's no central
(04:21):
hook for the audience to hang onto. The opening verse is catchy,
if unsettling. The second, withLennox opening up her verbrato touch, is
even more so, especially as shesings about desires to abuse or be abused.
Armchair interpretation of song lyrics seldom amblesoff the twin paths of sex and
(04:41):
drugs. In the deployment of theriding crop in the music video only further
assumptions that the song is about BDSM. The users and abusers lennox sings of,
however, are most certainly exacts andopportunists in the music business. That
The Rhythmics went on to a longand successful career and Lennox's solo records the
paras hold over eighty three million albumsdoesn't change the urgency that putting Lennox on
(05:05):
the studio floor that day, shefelt the weight of a system designed to
put artists in debt. Stewart hadthe idea to counter the darkness of these
lyrics with the keep your head up, hold your head up, moving on
bridge. It is a respite andperhaps therein lies hope. But the jarring
effect of those uplifting lyrics sung byLennox as a pop music angel is whip
(05:28):
sawing, and in that is thereal hook of Sweet Dreams. It's disregard
for the pop song rule buck forall's doses of pop pleasure. The song
leaves some assembly required on the partof the audience, which is a way
of making its truths your own.It's not a normal song so much as
a weird mantra that goes round andround. Any Lenic set of Sweet Dreams
(05:51):
are made of this but somehow itbecame our theme song. It became the
rhythmics theme song because they made anot normal song so compelling that it went
mainstream. There's great power in that. You can hear it on Oldie's radio
now. Its edges weren't smooth bynostalgia. The song's mantra, however,
(06:11):
remains as true as it ever wasin our anxiety, dreams and perpetual seeking.
Everybody is still looking for something.Listening through the Rhythmic's career from the
austere electronic sounds of Sweet Dreams onthrough their rocked up R and B of
What I Lie to You, letme thinking about Carsonization, the name given
(06:32):
to the phenomenon of animals evolving intocrabs or crab shapes. It's happened at
least five times. It's an exampleof convergent evolution where different groups independently evolved
the same traits. I mentioned thisbecause of so many artists evolving into R
and B, especially live and nomatter what they started. As their bands
(06:54):
become bigger, they had a hornsection. Take Bruce Springsteen with where the
Street Band Is Now Apple, TheStones are more rhythm than blues. Paul
Weller took the jam in that direction. Rod Stewart certainly before whatever it is
he did to the Great American songbook. K Sheering kind of does it this
way now. The reason for thisis I think simple. It's because they
(07:15):
can if you have the means.It's fun to have a big band behind
you. It's fun to sing alongwith a big groove rather than shout to
be heard. Or maybe I'm justbecoming an old crab. Thanks for listening.
Please do give us a follow onwherever it is you enjoy podcasts.
We very much appreciate it. Thanksagain, see you next week. I'm
(07:55):
Johnny Mack, host of Daily ComedyNews. Do you like the little Letterman
homage there on the music? Yeah? Start your mornings with a quick ten
minute recap of Late Night, NotDave, All, Late Night and the
latest on Dave Chappelle, Chris Rock, John Muliney, Ticknataro, Eliza's Lessenger,
Amy Schumer, Joe Rogan, MarkMaron, all your favorite comedians.
It's Daily Comedy News. It's aneasy way to start your morning, and
(08:16):
I promise I'll keep it clean.Daily Comedy News wherever you get your shows
The Shark Deck. Hello and welcometo the best song ever this week.
A short deep dive into a songand one makes it special. The best
song ever this week this week isSweet Dreams Are Made of This by The
Rhythmics. I'm Scott Frampton. Wewon't be listening to the song together here,
(00:36):
let alone explode it. In theshow notes, there's a link to
a playlist with Sweet Dreams and othersongs by the Rhythmics and Annie Lennox.
One we hope you'll enjoy. Solet's begin. Annie Lennox was curled up
on the floor in a fetal position. She was living her dream as an
artist, only it was one ofthose anxiety dreams of being unable to find
(00:59):
the place you know you need tobe. Her band, the Tourists,
had broken up on tour in Australia, and she and Dave Stewart broke up
as romantic partners on the flight home. The pair resolved to continue making music
together, however, taking the nameThe Arrhythmics, and even convinced a sympathetic
music loving bank manager to lend themfive thousand pounds for new equipment about eighteen
(01:21):
thousand dollars today. But her experiencewith the music business had left her broke
and maybe broken. Stewart was strugglingto make that new equipment work. The
two were fighting. Stewart was onspeed and Lennox later pressed on the floor
of the studio. In the wakeof the tourists split, the duo decided
to embark on a more experimental electronicdirection. Stewart put the bank loan toward
(01:45):
a movement MCA percussion computer, ashort lived British made drum machine, and
a rolland sh one O one,an analog synth, both of which were
brand new to the market. Whatthe hell is that, Lennox said,
managed to produce what's a now familiarbeaten riff? She stood up and went
to another synth, a borrowed Oberheimobix, and began to play it sustained
(02:08):
strings. It worked, and sheimprovised a vocal line, a dispassionate rand
about being caught in the gears ofan unfair system. Sweet Dreams Are Made
of This was the title track toThe Rhythmics nineteen eighty three second album.
Still their record label RCA said therewas no chorus and didn't see it as
(02:29):
a single, releasing three other tracksfirst. It was only after a radio
DJ in Cleveland gave it a singlespin, causing request lines to light up
and earning the song consistent airplay,that the label released Sweet Dreams as a
single. The song went on tobe a global top ten hit, reaching
number two in the UK and numberone in Canada, France in the US,
(02:52):
The tension between the Rowland riff thatpulled Linux off the floor and her
revenge as a dish best served coldvocal phrasings gives the song its compelling edge.
Lennox vocal isn't stride it. Shesings beautifully, but there's something menacing
in her restraint. Real power isnot having to use it, and there
are moments in the song where youhear the heights lennox voice can reach,
(03:15):
which furthers the song's authoritative tone.She's calmly explaining how things are as if
you are hopelessly naive to believe otherwise. Much of synthpop succeeds by exploiting the
man machine dichotomy. Human voice iscontrasting with silicon driven sounds. Here,
Lennox has a different machine in mind, not one driven by circuit boards,
(03:38):
but one of men and the musicbusiness. This being a hit song in
nineteen eighty three, it's impossible tofully divorce the music from the images of
its MTV blanketing music video, Lennoxwears a business suit, claiming the power
of the boardroom and presenting herself asStuart's equal, the antithesis of the girls
(04:00):
singer sidekick. Her close cropped hairhas dyed the color of a traffic cone,
and her ice blue eyes stared straightdown the barrel of a camera.
She mimics the beat of the drummachine snare by tapping a writing crop in
her bomb. It's clear who's incontrol, and it's not the audience.
Here's where the lack of course worksin the song's favor. There's no central
(04:21):
hook for the audience to hang onto. The opening verse is catchy,
if unsettling. The second, withLennox opening up her verbrato touch, is
even more so, especially as shesings about desires to abuse or be abused.
Armchair interpretation of song lyrics seldom amblesoff the twin paths of sex and
(04:41):
drugs. In the deployment of theriding crop in the music video only further
assumptions that the song is about BDSM. The users and abusers lennox sings of,
however, are most certainly exacts andopportunists in the music business. That
The Rhythmics went on to a longand successful career and Lennox's solo records the
paras hold over eighty three million albumsdoesn't change the urgency that putting Lennox on
(05:05):
the studio floor that day, shefelt the weight of a system designed to
put artists in debt. Stewart hadthe idea to counter the darkness of these
lyrics with the keep your head up, hold your head up, moving on
bridge. It is a respite andperhaps therein lies hope. But the jarring
effect of those uplifting lyrics sung byLennox as a pop music angel is whip
(05:28):
sawing, and in that is thereal hook of Sweet Dreams. It's disregard
for the pop song rule buck forall's doses of pop pleasure. The song
leaves some assembly required on the partof the audience, which is a way
of making its truths your own.It's not a normal song so much as
a weird mantra that goes round andround. Any Lenic set of Sweet Dreams
(05:51):
are made of this but somehow itbecame our theme song. It became the
rhythmics theme song because they made anot normal song so compelling that it went
mainstream. There's great power in that. You can hear it on Oldie's radio
now. Its edges weren't smooth bynostalgia. The song's mantra, however,
(06:11):
remains as true as it ever wasin our anxiety, dreams and perpetual seeking.
Everybody is still looking for something.Listening through the Rhythmic's career from the
austere electronic sounds of Sweet Dreams onthrough their rocked up R and B of
What I Lie to You, letme thinking about Carsonization, the name given
(06:32):
to the phenomenon of animals evolving intocrabs or crab shapes. It's happened at
least five times. It's an exampleof convergent evolution where different groups independently evolved
the same traits. I mentioned thisbecause of so many artists evolving into R
and B, especially live and nomatter what they started. As their bands
(06:54):
become bigger, they had a hornsection. Take Bruce Springsteen with where the
Street Band Is Now Apple, TheStones are more rhythm than blues. Paul
Weller took the jam in that direction. Rod Stewart certainly before whatever it is
he did to the Great American songbook. K Sheering kind of does it this
way now. The reason for thisis I think simple. It's because they
(07:15):
can if you have the means.It's fun to have a big band behind
you. It's fun to sing alongwith a big groove rather than shout to
be heard. Or maybe I'm justbecoming an old crab. Thanks for listening.
Please do give us a follow onwherever it is you enjoy podcasts.
We very much appreciate it. Thanksagain, see you next week. I'm
(07:55):
Johnny Mack, host of Daily ComedyNews. Do you like the little Letterman
homage there on the music? Yeah? Start your mornings with a quick ten
minute recap of Late Night, NotDave, All, Late Night and the
latest on Dave Chappelle, Chris Rock, John Muliney, Ticknataro, Eliza's Lessenger,
Amy Schumer, Joe Rogan, MarkMaron, all your favorite comedians.
It's Daily Comedy News. It's aneasy way to start your morning, and
(08:16):
I promise I'll keep it clean.Daily Comedy News wherever you get your shows
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