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Danielle Wagner

Professor Kretzer

ENG 1201

03 July 2021

Sweet Dreams

Music is uniquely capable of evoking emotion. An artist’s lyricism is the basis for this

ability, but other aspects, such as tone, style, or visual components, contribute heavily. Two

different interpretations of the same lyrics can have dramatically different messages. The song,

"Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)" by Eurythmics and its reinterpretation, sung by Emily

Browning for the motion picture Sucker Punch, both convey that the path to reaching our dreams

is unpredictable and tumultuous. However, Emily Browning's version, by presenting this song in

its own distinctive style, takes a different (and much darker) approach than the poppy and

lighthearted original.

The original version by the Eurythmics conveys the jarring and complicated journey of

working towards our dreams. The official music video features the two members of Eurythmics,

Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart. Initially set in a conference room, Annie and Dave are shown

wearing suits, an obvious homage to the professional realm. Their suits and the professional

setting are in contrast with her short bright orange hair and smokey eye makeup and his shaggy

brown hair and beard. Annie is at the head of the conference table, like she is giving a

presentation and she is holding a maestro’s baton, implying that she is a person of authority in

this setting. As the video goes on, weird things start to happen. The scene completely changes

and Annie and Dave, now wearing masks and playing cellos, are in a pasture with cows. The two

different scenarios start to merge as the song grows in intensity and continue changing until the
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video ends by showing Annie waking up from a dream, which explains the increasing absurdity

of the video and ties back to the title of the song. The song and its video help back up the

message that the lyrics work to convey. The visuals represent Annie and Dave’s struggle in the

music industry and the absurdity within the dreams shows that things don’t always go as

expected and don’t always make sense. Dreams often combine aspects of fantasy and reality in

nonsensical ways as portrayed in the video. The story told through this video and the song’s

lyrics captures the viewers’ attention and appeals to their emotions by evoking the feelings of

frustration and confusion that come with trying to reach our dreams in life. The jarring

abnormality of the video conveys the chaos while the poppy style of the song helps balance out

the absurdity and make the song catchy. This work was made for anyone who is working

towards their dreams and has experienced chaos or obstacles along the way. The emotional

appeal, tone, and visual aspects make the lyrics, and their point, more compelling for the viewer.

The version sung by Emily Browning, conveys the same message as the original; the path

to reaching our dreams is unpredictable and tumultuous. However, its approach is different. This

version, produced for the motion picture Sucker Punch, is an immersive experience. At the

beginning of the song, Babydoll, the main character, is shown sitting on her bed. A man, who

appears to be a doctor, stands in her doorway, and shakes his head at her. She runs out of her

room and enters what appears to be her mother’s room as a nurse pulls a sheet over her. She is

joined by her little sister, who breaks down upon discovering their mother is dead. After her

funeral, their stepfather opens her will and discovers that the inheritance only goes to the two

girls. Angry and drunk, he provokes an altercation between himself and Babydoll. She fights

back, scratching his face, so he locks her in her room. He then goes after her little sister who has

locked herself in a nearby closet. Desperate to get back to her sister’s side and ensure her safety,
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she scales the side of their house and returns with a gun. She attempts to shoot him but misses

and the stray bullet hits and kills her sister. He calls the police and they take her into custody,

where she is then brought to an insane asylum. The sadness and severity of the situations that

Babydoll finds herself in evokes an emotional response from the viewers. Babydoll’s only dream

was for her and her sister to be safe and in attempting to reach that, their lives are taken away

from them. Anyone who is struggling along the path to their dreams can relate to and understand

the message being conveyed, especially if those struggles are heavier topics like abuse, grief,

addiction, or mental health issues. 

These two versions both have similar messages, which can be understood by examining

the lyrics and overarching message. However, both the differences in visuals and the style of the

music, show two different approaches to dealing with uncertainty in life. The original song is a

synthetic pop style tune, with a lighthearted interpretation. The underlying comedy of the absurd

situations help keep a very serious and real message palatable. In stark contrast, the Sucker

Punch version is much darker. Although it is also focused on conveying the struggle involved in

accomplishing one’s dreams, it uses struggles that are sad and dark rather than absurd.

Reinterpreted in a rock style, the song has a lot of variation in tempo and tone to match what is

taking place in the video. Both versions are compelling; however, the darkness of the subject

matter and immersive experience that the reimagined version provides makes for a more

effective emotional appeal. 

In conclusion, the two songs are both visually compelling and work to evoke the viewers

emotions. However, how they evoke those emotions and their respective approaches are very

different. As the two interpret the same lyrics, the content and the styles of the stories being told

dictate who the story is for and how effective the appeal ultimately is.
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Works Cited

Eurythmics. Eurythmics, Annie Lennox, Dave Stewart - Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)

(Official Video). YouTube, 25 Oct. 2009, www.youtube.com/watch?v=qeMFqkcPYcg.

Accessed 29 June 2021.

WarnerBrosPictures. Sucker Punch - Soundtrack Sweet Dreams. YouTube, 31 Mar.

2011, www.youtube.com/watch?v=nSG-6xc-T4U. Accessed 29 June 2021.