"Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" (or simply "Sweet Dreams") is a song by pop music duo Eurythmics, written by David A. Stewart and Annie Lennox. It was released as a single and was the title track of their album Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This). It is notable as the song which provided the group with their breakthrough into commercial success. Its striking music video helped to propel the song to number two on the UK singles chart, and number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in 1983. It was the fourth single released from the Sweet Dreams album in the UK and the first single released by Eurythmics in the United States.

"Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" is arguably Eurythmics' signature song and it is their only chart-topper in the U.S. Following its success, their previous single, "Love Is a Stranger", was re-released and also became a worldwide hit. On Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time issue in 2003, "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" was ranked number 356: it was the group's only song on the list. The lyrics of the song allude to a search for fulfillment, and the "Sweet Dreams" are the desires that motivate us. Because of her accent, many mistakenly believe that Lennox is singing "Sweet dreams are made of these."

The original recording's main instrumentation featured a sequenced analog synthesizer riff, which Stewart discovered accidentally in the studio when he played a bass track in reverse. Apart from the synthesizer, the arrangement also uses Movement Systems Drum Computer, piano in the middle eight, and Lennox's multitracked harmony vocals.

Eurythmics have regularly performed the song live in all their live sets since 1982.

In 1991, the song was remixed and reissued to promote Eurythmics' Greatest Hits package. It re-charted in the UK, reaching number 48. It was also a moderate hit in dance clubs. Another remix by Steve Angello was released in France in 2006, along with the track "I've Got a Life" (peaking at number ten). It was also used as the theme song for The Apprentice: Martha Stewart.

Track listings

7"

• A: "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)"
• B: "I could give you a mirror" [alternate version] *

12"

• A: "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" [extended version]
• B1: "I could give you a mirror" [alternate version] *
• B2: "Baby's gone blue"

* this version is different from the one found on the album "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)"

Music video

The music video for "Sweet Dreams" received heavy airplay on the then-young MTV channel and is widely considered a classic clip from the early-MTV era. Lennox's striking androgynous visual image, with shaved, orange-colored hair, men's suit and cane and detached yet soulful vocal delivery immediately made her a household name. Her gender-bending image would be further explored in other Eurythmics videos such as "Who's That Girl?" and "Love Is a Stranger".

Chart performance

Chart (1983)	Peak position
UK	2
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	1
U.S. Hot Dance Club Play	2
Ireland	2
Germany	4
Australia	6
Switzerland	8
South Africa	5
Austria	9
Chart (1991)	Peak position
UK singles chart	48

Marilyn Manson cover

"Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" is Marilyn Manson's cover version and is their first single taken from their remix album, Smells like Children. This version became an MTV-staple and helped to establish the band in the mainstream. It was also the only track from Smells Like Children appearing on the band's 'Greatest Hits' album, Lest We Forget. This version is in the soundtrack of the movie "House On Haunted Hill" (1999). In Manson's autobiography, The Long Hard Road Out of Hell, he states that Nothing did not want to release this as a single. They wanted to release their cover of Screamin' Jay Hawkins' I Put a Spell On You, which, according to Manson, "was far too dark, sprawling and esoteric, even for some of our fans."

Formats and track listings

Australian CD single

1. "Sweet Dreams (are made of this) - 4:25
2. "Dance of the Dope Hats" (Remix) - 4:46
3. "Down in the Park" - 4:58
4. "Lunchbox (Next Motherfucker)" - 4:47U.S. promotional CD single
5. Sweet Dreams (are made of this) - 4:25

Other cover versions

• Norwegian artists Jørn Hoel & Steinar Albrigtsen covered the song for their 1997 album Get Together
• Ska-Core band Choking Victim recorded a version with rewritten politically conscious lyrics.
• Another ska band called Thumper recorded a cover for their 1997 album Hellfire and Damnation. Their version adds the word "fuck" to the chorus of the song.
• Actress Maria Bello performed the song in the movie Duets (2000), which is included on the soundtrack.
• The 2000 covers compilation Tokahits contains a cover by No. On.
• "Sweet Dreams" was covered by Geri Halliwell, who mixed it with her song, "Scream If You Wanna Go Faster," in late 2004.
• Club for Five recorded a cover of the song.
• Brazilian singer Badi Assad covered the song for her 2006 album Wonderland.
• German singer Thomas Anders (formerly of Modern Talking) recorded a jazzy, lounge cover of the song for his 2006 solo album Songs Forever.
• Tanghetto, the neo-tango band based in Buenos Aires recorded and released the song as part of their El Miedo a la Libertad album in 2008. Their cover is an instrumental version, where the bandoneon takes the "role" of the lead voice.
• Other artists who have covered the song include Automatic, Marthav, The Returners, and DJ Silver.
• Wykked Wytch, the metal band based in Miami, Florida recorded and released the song as part of their Memories of a Dying Whore album in 2008. Their cover is an Black metal version, with female Screamo chant. The cover by Wykked Wytch can be found on Terrorizer Magazine's Fear Candy CD, Volume 43, the song was promoted with an Promo Trailer
• Cradle of Filth and HIM covered the song in 2002.
• The song appears as a cover done by the company Wavegroup on the game Karaoke Revolution Presents: American Idol Encore
• Drum-and-bass group NOISIA has made a remix of the song
• American Christian rock singer Krystal Meyers covered the song on the Japanese release of her third cd Make Some Noise.
• American pop singer Britney Spears used a sample of the song on the song "Everybody" which appered as an iTunes and Japan bonus track of her 2007 album Blackout. The song was produced by JR Rotem.

Live cover performances

• Tori Amos covered the song live in 2003.
• Ashlee Simpson covered the song in her 2006 U.S.A. L.O.V.E. Tour.
• Mika included a live cover performance of the song from a Hong Kong concert as part of the B-side of his single, "Big Girl (You Are Beautiful)."
• Bat for Lashes recorded a cover for Jo Whiley's Live Lounge in February 2008.
• Reba McEntire and Kelly Clarkson covered the song as the opening song during the first leg of their 2 Worlds, 2 Voices Tour 2008 tour.
• Sophie Patterson performed it on Australian Idol Season 6 '80's songs episode.

Sampling

• Producer Jonathan Rotem sampled it for Britney Spears' "Everybody," a bonus track from her 2007 album Blackout, and later B-side of her hit single "Break The Ice".
• Rapper Nas also prominently sampled "Sweet Dreams" in his 1996 hit "Street Dreams".
• Rapper Lil' Kim sampled "Sweet Dreams" in a demo of her 1996 song "Big Momma Thang." She was forced to throw out the idea after Nas used it in his song "Street Dreams." She would eventually sample the song again in another unreleased track recorded in 1999 titled "Nobody Do It Better."
• Stefy's song "Chelsea," features a sample of "Sweet Dreams", and was featured in the soundtrack for the film John Tucker Must Die.
• P!nk and Redman used "Sweet Dreams" in a remix of P!nk's hit, "Get the Party Started".
• The rap duo Play-n-Skillz samples "Sweet Dreams" in their song "Get Freaky". The sample is slightly sped-up and played in a different key signature.
• The remix version of George Nozuka's "Last Time" uses a different riff heavily based on "Sweet Dreams", presumably to avoid licensing costs.
• Petey Pablo samples "Sweet Dreams" in his song "Get Me Out Of Jail".
• UK artist M.I.A. mashed "Sweet Dreams" with Pretty Tony's "Fix It in the Mix" and her own "10 Dollar" to produce the seventeenth track off Diplo and her Piracy Funds Terrorism mixtape.

External links

• YouTube - Eurythmics' music video
• YouTube - Live rehearsal 2007
• YouTube - Marilyn Manson's music video
• http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0185371/soundtrack

References