Eurythmics, Song by Song Ross Larkin’s debut book sees him on a deep dive into every Eurythmics song.
Eurythmics, Song by Song Ross Larkin’s debut book sees him on a deep dive into every Eurythmics song.
For lifelong Eurythmics fans, the idea of a book that explores every officially recorded song might sound like a dream project. For Ross Larkin, it became a reality that was as revealing as it was obsessive.
A fan since childhood, Ross has lived with these songs for decades. Yet even with years of collecting, listening and reading behind him, writing Eurythmics Song by Song still took him by surprise. I had the chance to speak with Ross about his book a week after it was released.
“It felt like an indulgence I couldn’t resist”
Ross says he had been circling the idea of doing something substantial around Eurythmics for some time, even if the final format was not immediately obvious.
“When this project came along, it just felt right,” he explains. “To be given a platform to languish over every single Eurythmics recording was an indulgence I couldn’t resist.”
What started as a passion project quickly became a deep and highly focused piece of research. Even for someone who already knew the catalogue inside out, there were moments of genuine discovery.
“There were plenty of times where I thought, how did I miss that for all these years? That was part of the excitement. After all this time, to still be learning new Eurythmical details is pretty fun.”
Because the book concentrates specifically on backstories, composition, meaning and context, Ross found himself looking in places that had often been overlooked.
“The research was very specific,” he says. “That is what led to finding so much new and genuinely intriguing information, especially around the obscure tracks and B sides.”
Unpacking a vast and varied catalogue
Covering every song Eurythmics officially recorded is no small task. Some tracks revealed far more than Ross expected, particularly those that were already known for their complexity.
“Beethoven ended up being the longest section in the book,” he says. “There was just so much to unpack. It is a unique track with layers upon layers, and the video alone gives you endless material to work with.”
The video analysis runs throughout the book wherever visuals exist, further expanding the scope beyond sound alone.
“The Savage album in general was probably the most interesting to write about,” Ross adds. “There is so much darkness and poetic symbolism there. And then you have the early B sides like Baby’s Gone Blue, which were absolutely fascinating to dissect.”
Feeling the shifts from album to album
One of the defining features of Eurythmics’ career was their constant evolution. Writing the book made those changes even more pronounced.
“Yes, completely,” Ross says when asked if he could clearly feel those shifts while writing. “Each album chapter became a very different experience. The book ends up charting that journey through each individual song in a way that feels quite visceral.”
That sense of progression also fed into Ross’s enjoyment of the deeper cuts.
“I actually preferred writing about the lesser known tracks,” he admits. “A lot has been said about the hits over the years, but very little has been formally discussed when it comes to those experimental pieces from the early years. It felt like a privilege to be the first to do that in an official context.”
Letting Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart speak for themselves
A key strength of the book is how heavily it draws on Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart’s own words. For Ross, this was essential.
“It was vital,” he says. “A huge part of the research was sourcing relevant and interesting quotes from Annie and Dave.”
What surprised him most was how rarely interviews had gone deep into the songs themselves.
“So many interviews focus on touring, fame, or their personal lives. Very few really dig into the meaning behind the songs or how they were written and constructed. Whenever I found an interview that did go there, it was refreshing and made for great content.”
dave and annie in the studio
Why Eurythmics still feel overlooked
Despite the scale of their success and innovation, Ross believes Eurythmics still do not receive the recognition they deserve.
“It is kind of infuriating,” he says. “People under about 35 often have no idea who they are, yet at the same time you see huge renewed interest in artists like Fleetwood Mac, Kate Bush and Bowie.”
He points out that countless documentaries have been made about other acts from the same era, many of whom achieved far less commercially or culturally.
“When you look at what Annie and Dave achieved, the range of styles they mastered and the number of awards they won, it seems criminal that they now exist in the shadows. Their musical terrain was incredibly diverse and handled with absolute confidence.”
Writing without being overwhelmed
Approaching such a detailed, song by song structure could easily become overwhelming, but Ross found a way to keep it manageable.
“It became a part time job rather than a full time one,” he says. “I wrote a lot of it while lounging by a pool in Bali, so I survived.”
Balancing objectivity with emotion was another challenge.
“Sometimes it was hard not to let my own feelings come through too strongly,” he admits. “I had to restrain myself, although there are definitely moments where my stance is clear.”
Listening with fresh ears
Now that the book is out in the world, Ross hopes readers will return to the music with renewed perspective.
“For me, writing the book made me listen again with fresh ears,” he says. “I hope it does the same for readers, especially casual fans or people who are less familiar with the band.”
Ultimately, his wish is simple.
“I would love it if the book inspires people to explore more of Annie and Dave’s rich and diverse discography.”
page from eurythmics song by song
Eurythmics Song by Song
Title: Eurythmics Song by Song
Author: Ross Larkin
Publisher: Fonthill Media
Formats: Hardcover and eBook (Kindle)
ISBN: 9781036152758
Availability: Available now in the UK and Europe; worldwide release April 28th, 2026
Explore the songs. Rediscover the story.
Click below to purchase Eurythmics Song by Song and keep scrolling to read our full unedited interview with Ross.
OUR INTERVIEW WITH ROSS LARKIN ON THE RELEASE OF HIS BOOK Eurythmics Song by Song
UEA: You’ve been into Eurythmics since you were a kid. At what point did you think, “Right, I actually want to write a book about these songs”?
RL: I had wanted to do something for a while but wasn’t entirely sure what, so when this project came along, it felt right. To be given a platform to languish over every single Eurythmics recording was an indulgence I couldn’t resist.
UEA: Even as a mega fan and collector, you’ve said you discovered things you did not know during your research. Was there a moment where you thought, how did I miss that for all these years?
RL: There were many moments like that, which made it all the more exciting. To think I can still be learning new Eurythmical details after all these years is pretty fun and it really enhanced the research side of things. Given that the book is distinctly about the backstories, compositions and meanings behind each and every song (some of which are of course obscure and rare B-sides), meant that the research was very specific, which I think was the reason for discovering so much new and intriguing information.
UEA: Covering every song the band officially recorded is a big task. Did you have a favourite track to research, or one that just kept revealing new layers?
RL: Beethoven is the longest segment because there was so much to unpack there considering it is such a unique track with so many layers but the book also analyses music videos for the songs where one exists and of course, the Beethoven video is ripe with juicy fodder on that front, so I spent plenty of time discussing it. But the Savage album in general was probably the most interesting to write about with all its darkness and poetic symbolism. The early B-sides such as Baby’s Gone Blue were also really fascinating to dissect. Eurythmics changed their sound so much over the years.
UEA: When you were writing the book, could you clearly feel those shifts happening from album to album?
RL: Yes, completely. It meant that each album’s chapter became a vastly different experience and the book really charts that journey through each song in a way that feels like quite a visceral progression. Some Eurythmics songs are massive hits that everyone knows, while others are much deeper cuts.
UEA: Did you enjoy digging into the lesser known tracks as much as the big singles?
RL: I preferred it. Plenty has been said over the years about the hits and even some of the album tracks but very little has been formally discussed in relation to those curious little experimental pieces the band delighted us with in those early years, so it felt like quite the privilege being the first to do that in a more official context. Trying to analyse some of the meanings within them as well as the way they were made was a real treat.
UEA: Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart have spoken about their work many times over the years. How important was it for you to include their own words alongside your analysis?
RL: It was vital and a huge part of the research was sourcing relevant and interesting quotes. I realised that the majority of interviews over the years have tended to cover the same topics over and over such as touring, fame and the duo’s personal lives and very few would delve deeply into the actual meaning behind the songs or how and why they were written and constructed. So when I did stumble upon the occasional interview that did drift into that territory, it was refreshing and made for great content.
UEA: You mention that Eurythmics do not always get the critical credit they deserve. Why do you think their music is still sometimes misunderstood or overlooked?
RL: I wish I knew. It’s kind of infuriating. People under about 35 usually have no idea who they are. Yet, so many younger people these days are obsessed with Fleetwood Mac all of a sudden, while others are now discovering Kate Bush and Bowie, for example. Meanwhile, major documentaries have been made about virtually every ‘80s artist you can think of including the likes of Sparks, Devo, Culture Club and Beastie Boys - all of whom had far less success than Eurythmics. When you look back at all that Dave and Annie achieved and the diverse musical terrain they broached with absolute acumen, not to mention the multitude of awards, it seems criminal that they now seem to exist in the shadows.
UEA: Writing in a song by song format can be quite intense. How did you stop the process becoming overwhelming?
RL: It became a part time job rather than full time. I actually wrote a lot of it while lounging by a pool in Bali, so … I survived. As both a journalist and a lifelong fan, was it hard at times to separate your emotional connection from the more analytical side of writing? Sometimes. I had to restrain myself from injecting my opinion too much although there are moments when it’s clear what my own stance is.
UEA: Now the book is finally out and reaching readers around the world, what do you hope fans will see or hear differently when they go back and listen to these songs again?
RL: I know that, for myself, writing the book actually made me listen to the tracks again with a fresh ear and a renewed perspective, so hopefully it will have a similar impact on readers, particularly if it manages to reach more casual fans or those who are less familiar with the band. I would love it if it inspires those sorts of people to seek out more of the duo’s rich and diverse discography.
