I Saved the World Today

On the way home yesterday afternoon after a delightful day caring for our youngest grandson, today’s selection played on Apple CarPlay in the car.

I always smile when I hear the song as it came up on random play in early September 2022 when I was working late into the night on that election campaign I mention in yesterday’s post. It was a challenging night, as they often were, pulling together information for an announcement the following day, and things were not coming together easily. After a lot of work and collaboration back and forth with three of us working remotely and simultaneously in Google Documents, my colleagues were happy with the direction I was going with the press release. They claimed I “saved the day.” It was about that time that the song played, and I laughed out loud at the playful notion of having saved the world with my work.

“I Saved the World Today” is an exquisite piece of music with a sense of hope that builds through the song. And the video is remarkable, too; I don’t recall seeing it before. The video starts in darkness, with light coming up to show Eurythmics members Annie Lennox (b. 1954) and Dave Stewart (b. 1952) and their backing band in a sepia-toned presentation. After the first chorus, the lighting on the band and backup singers (doing that distinctive 1980s club dance move) spreads to reveal an orchestra, and we notice men in military uniforms playing the instruments. At one point, senior officers in dress uniforms stand up and walk off the stage to a table where Lennox and Stewart are seated while signing a peace treaty to end “the bad thing.”

“Monday finds you like a bomb
That’s been left ticking there too long
You’re bleeding
Some days there’s nothing left to learn
From the point of no return
You’re leaving

Hey Hey I saved the world today
Everybody’s happy now
The bad thing’s gone away
And everybody’s happy now
The good thing’s here to stay
Please let it stay

There’s a million mouths to feed
And I’ve got everything I need
I’m breathing
And there’s a hurting thing inside
But I’ve got everything to hide
I’m grieving

Hey Hey I saved the world today
Everybody’s happy now
The bad thing’s gone away
And everybody’s happy now
The good thing’s here to stay
Please let it stay

Let it stay
Let it stay
Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo the good thing

Hey Hey I saved the world today
Everybody’s happy now
The bad thing’s gone away
And everybody’s happy now
The good thing’s here to stay
Please let it stay

Hey Hey I saved the world today (Everybody’s happy now)
Everybody’s happy now
The bad thing’s gone away (Everybody’s happy now)
And everybody’s happy now
The good thing’s here to stay
Please let it, oh let it”

“I Saved the World Today,” by Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart.
Lyrics retrieved from notes section of the YouTube video post.

During the signing, there’s an unexpected occurrence, adding some drama. I wonder if it means they didn’t actually save the day, though I prefer to think of it as a kind of homage to the losses many would have suffered. Ending a war never negates the suffering caused by it.

As the video progresses, that hopeful mood becomes more evident as Lennox and the backup vocalists dance and sing joyfully. At the end of the video, she stares into the camera as if to ask the listener, “What are YOU going to do to save the world today?” It’s an important question that I think underscores the beauty of the song and video.

“I Saved the World Today” comes from the band’s eighth studio album, Peace (1999).

Now you know a little about why this is my Song of the Day for Today. Thanks for joining me here.

Please enjoy the official music video from the Eurythmics YouTube channel:

Did you notice Lennox and Stewart were wearing matching sunglasses with “Annie” on one side and “Dave” on the other? Pretty cool.

In peace,

Steve