One of my favorite songs (and this is a rather recent addition) is a song called “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)” by Eurythmics.

It all began (my fascination with it (or rather with music from the 80’s)) with a simple TV series called “Stranger Things” (based on a novel by Stephen King). And like with any film, tv show, fanfic based on a Stephen King book – it included music (and other time capsule-like objects) from those times, or that were popular during those years when the book is centered. After happily binge-watching the episodes, always a few behind my mother – who does not work and can binge-watch TV series and films at a faster rate than a college student can (seriously it becomes a race (only in my mind – she doesn’t know she’s in one)), I obviously found the playlist on Spotify and put it on loop. Now, for my mother the music brought on a sort of nostalgia, after all, she lived through those years and danced to the music, while I was not even born yet. And yet, we like the same songs.

Other than, as one may have noticed if one watched the above-mentioned TV series, it not being featured in it, what’s interesting about this piece of music, as with any song, is both the story of how it was made and with what instruments.

Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart wrote the lyrics of the song at a time when they had both broken up as a couple and had just formed the group Eurythmics together. The group was looking to find their new sound and so the song expresses and transitions between feelings of hopelessness and depression and trying to move on. This gives the music and lyrics a bittersweet feeling – sort of uplifting but also nostalgic.

The music is described to be inspired by both classical music and sixties British and American pop. Not only genres were mixed but also instruments as they included electronic sounds, such as a synthesizer riff and acoustic, such as playing on glass bottles with sticks. This is reflected well in the official music video as they use contrasting images, such as the computers in the business office and a cow in a field.

My favorite moment is the first few seconds of the synthesizer riff – the main beat of the song. There is something about it that reels me in, it has a sort of vibrancy to it, while the lyrics both calm and energize me. Just the right thing after a stressful day of classes. It’s just one song of many my playlist(s) is/are comprised of. But it is one of my favorite.

-L.L.L.