The 'love is' mini-theme today moves onto to a different genre – early 80s electronica pop, served up by the enigmatic Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart. It's strange now to recall that for for a pair who had such enormous commercial and critical success, this song failed to sell when first released in 1981, nor did their first album, In The Garden. But this title track, re-released as a single when it appeared on 1983's album Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This), as well as the worldwide hit title track, changed everything. It's also easy to forget that Stewart, from Sunderland, and Lennox, from Aberdeen, had been trying to break through for years, being in the rock/pop band The Tourists from 1976 to 1980, and they were approaching 30 by the time their new project was beginning to blossom. Here they were then, finally hitting a successful formula with stripped-back pop, witty synth embellishments and vocal overdubs on that long love metaphor, and of course those personas - Stewart as a bearded oddball, Lennox as a Bowie-like and statuesque, whom many thought was a man who sometimes in a wig. They became mainstream and darlings of the industry of course, but, even in a culture that had seen punk and more, were regarded as much stranger at the time.
Love is a stranger
In an open car
To tempt you in
And drive you far away (2x)
And I want you
And I want you
And I want you so
It's an obsession (2x)
Love is a danger
Of a different kind
To take you away
And leave you far behind
And love love love
Is a dangerous drug
You have to receive it
And you still can't
Get enough of the stuff
It's savage and it's cruel
And it shines like destruction
Comes in like the flood
And it seems like religion
It's noble and it's brutal
It distorts and deranges
And it wrenches you up
And you're left like a zombie
And I want you
And I want you
And I want you so
It's an obsession
It's guilt edged
Glamorous and sleek by design
You know it's jealous by nature
False and unkind
It's hard and restrained
And it's totally cool
It touches and it teases
As you stumble in the debris
And I want you
And I want you
And I want you so
It's an obsession (4x).
Want to suggest songs for Song of the Day or to say anything about it? Does this song make you think of something else? Then feel free to comment below, on the contact page, or on social media: Song Bar Twitter, Song Bar Facebook. Song Bar YouTube. Please subscribe, follow and share.
New to comment? It is quick and easy. You just need to login to Disqus once. All is explained in About/FAQs ...