Hall & Oates, You Make My Dreams (Come True) | Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶

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In the 192^nd edition of Throwback Vibez (2023), we recollect and reflect on “You Make My Dreams Come True” by Daryl Hall & John Oates.

The vibes, the vibes, those Throwback Vibez ! Throwback Vibez is a column that celebrates awesome songs from the past. The records that grace this column are older, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re ancient – no fossils ! All genres of music are welcome. In the 192^nd edition of Throwback Vibez (2023), we recollect and reflect on “You Make My Dreams (Come True)”, performed by Hall & Oates.

“What I want / You’ve got, and it might be hard to handle / But like a flame that burns the candle / The candle feeds the flame, yeah, yeah.” YEAH! Iconic lyrics right there! Grammy-nominated duo, Hall & Oates – Daryl Hall and John Oates – had a magical career run, PERIOD. Among their most magical songs is the smash, “You Make My Dreams (Come True)”, from their 1980 album, Voices. The infectious, tuneful “You Make My Dreams (Come True)” was penned by Hall, Oates, and Sara Allen. Allen, notably, was previously in a relationship with Daryl Hall – “Sara Smile” like, hello! Anyways, Hall and Oates also produced the 1981, no. 5 hit on the Billboard Hot 100.

“You Make My Dreams (Come True)” is a pop song that speaks for itself. No extensive analysis is necessary. The vocals are exuberant – filled with spirit. Something that stands out is how those lead vocals cut through. Beyond cutting leads, the melodies are tuneful from start to finish, with the chorus taking the cake:

“Oh, yeah, well, well, you (Ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh)

You make my dreams come true

You (You, you, you, ooh-ooh-ooh, you)

Well, well, well, you (Ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh)

Oh, yeah, you make my dreams come true

(You, you, you, ooh-ooh-ooh, you).”

Decadent! There is no shortage of personality, captured marvelously by the repeated lyrics, most notably, those oohs! The fun factor propels the eighth track from Voices. Another selling point? The production exemplifies the pop/rock aesthetic of the early 1980s – the guitars, keys, etc. It’s a shame that Hall & Oates are experiencing a feud at this point in their illustrious career. At least, their many classics of old, including “You Make My Dreams (Come True)”, speak to the greatness of their heyday and overall legacy.