I travel the world and the seven seas,
Everybody’s looking for something…
The Eurythmics’’ “Sweet Dreams” is a song about hopefulness and perseverance. Despite the sinister sounding keyboards, pounding bassline, and suggestive lyrics, Annie Lennox is really just hoping that everyone finds what they are looking for in life—whatever that might be.
The world might seem frightening, but it really isn’t. Everyone is just looking for happiness Are you looking for x? Are you looking for not-x? “Go for it”, is her message. This is what she is trying to convey in her sometimes-misinterpreted lyric:
Some of them want to abuse you;
Some of them want to be abused.
Ultimately, everyone is looking for something, and who is she to tell anyone they are wrong to want what makes them happy? The song has both hedonistic and libertarian ideals at its core: “pleasure is good” and “do what you want as long as it doesn’t interfere with me”. Of course, these are not explicitly stated.
The lasting greatness of the song comes from the synthesizer, the driving beat and Lennix’s amazing, unique vocal performance. It is the quintessential 80s sound. I did always think the song was called “Sweet Dreams are Made of These”.
Sweet Dreams (are made of this) Lyrics
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
written by Annie Lennox and David Stewart