Imagine the mid-1980s. Eurythmics, the dynamic duo of Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart, are already global stars, but a shift is brewing. They’re shedding some of the electronic sheen of their earlier work, leaning into a more robust, live “rock band” sound. And at the heart of this evolution, pulsating with raw emotion and undeniable hooks, is “Thorn in My Side.”
This wasn’t just another pop song; it was a visceral outpouring from Annie Lennox’s soul. Co-written with Dave Stewart, its lyrics are a direct, cutting rebuke to an unfaithful lover, born from the dissolution of her first marriage in 1984. When Lennox stepped to the microphone, something extraordinary happened. Dave Stewart recounts how she channeled her anger, delivering the searing lines – “Thorn in my side you know that’s all you ever were” – with an “icy cold yet burning with passion.” Astonishingly, she laid down the entire vocal in a single take. This wasn’t just a performance; it was a raw, immediate capture of pain, transforming personal experience into universal resonance.
“Thorn in My Side” found its home on Revenge, Eurythmics‘ fifth studio album, released in 1986. This album was a strategic masterstroke, a conscious pivot towards conquering the American market with “old fashioned rock & roll”. To achieve this, much of Revenge was recorded live in the studio with their touring band, a deliberate move to ensure they were primed for the “stadium rock band” approach they envisioned for their upcoming tour. This wasn’t just an artistic whim; it was a calculated gamble to broaden their appeal.
“Thorn in my side / You know that’s all you ever were / A bundle of lies / You know that’s all that it was worth”
And the gamble paid off, particularly in Europe. “Thorn in My Side” soared, becoming Eurythmics‘ ninth Top 10 single in the UK, peaking at number five. In Ireland, it hit number two. But here in Sweden, the song found an especially warm embrace. It spent four weeks on the Swedish radio chart “Trackslistan” or “Tracks,” peaking at a triumphant number one, and ended up at number 42 on the year-end list for 1986. The Revenge album itself reached number one on the Swedish Albums Chart, and their Greatest Hits later achieved Platinum certification, selling 100,000 units. Sweden, it seems, had a special connection with Eurythmics.
The song’s impact extended beyond the airwaves. Its music video, co-directed by Chris Ashbrook and Dave Stewart, visually amplified their new rock-oriented image. Featuring the duo in their now-signature black and leather stage costumes, set in a studio bar, it even included a “gang of Hells Angels” in the audience, solidifying their edgier aesthetic. This visual branding was crucial in the MTV era, aligning perfectly with their musical direction and helping them appeal to a broader, rock-oriented audience.
But perhaps one of the most intriguing connections to Sweden comes from a fan’s perspective. An unofficial double bootleg vinyl album titled “Sensing The Storm” captures a live Eurythmics performance during their Revenge tour in Sweden in 1986. A fan who attended these concerts asserted that this bootleg better captured the “REAL energy” of the tour than the official live video, suggesting the official release’s “post-production special effects and audio overdubs” inadvertently diminished the raw power of the live show. This anecdote offers a fascinating glimpse into the fan’s pursuit of authenticity, highlighting the tension between polished commercial releases and the unvarnished immediacy of live performance.
“Thorn in My Side” stands as a testament to Eurythmics‘ dynamic evolution. It’s a song fueled by personal anguish, delivered with scorching passion, and wrapped in a commercially savvy pop-rock package. Its enduring appeal lies not just in its infectious melody, but in the palpable emotional depth Annie Lennox poured into every note, making it a truly memorable statement in their illustrious career.
My copy: 7″, 45 RPM, Europe, 1986, RCA
Trackslistan (Swedish radio chart): 4 weeks, peaked at #1, #42 on year-end list 1986
