Songfacts®:

• In this song, Eurythmics frontwoman Annie Lennox finds her strength, recounting how she felt confined and put-down by a man who has place a chill in her heart, but is now ready to move on to a love that's nurturing and real.
  
  Lennox has written some songs that were inspired by specific relationships, notably "Missionary Man," but she hasn't assigned this one to any particular person. The theme applies to any woman who feels unloved and unappreciated, particularly housewives:
  
  A woman's just too tired to think
  About the dirty old dishes in the kitchen sink
  
  Lennox' most famous female empowerment song is "Sisters Are Doin' It For Themselves," which carries lots of blunt force, but "You Have Placed A Chill In My Heart" is more nuanced and poetic, a great example of her lyrical dexterity.
• Dave Stewart, Lennox' partner in Eurythmics, created the track using various synthesizers, drum machines and other electronic devices. This was a time when he and Olle Romo, a Swedish musician he often worked with, were doing a lot of musical experimentation. They had recently purchased a digital synthesizer/sampler called a Synclavier, which opened up new possibilities.
• This song is best understood in context with two other singles from the "Savage" album: "Beethoven (I Love to Listen To)" and "I Need A Man." In "Beethoven," Annie Lennox plays a woman who goes off the rails from frustration and boredom; in "I Need A Man," she fulfills her carnal desires. "You Have Placed A Chill In My Heart" finds her in a better place, ready to move on with a clear vision of her desires and sense of self-worth.
  
  The songs are tied together with their music videos, all directed by Sophie Muller. The "Beethoven" video starts with Lennox as a demurely dressed, frustrated housewife and ends with her as a blonde bombshell ready to hit the club. In "I Need A Man," she's at the club, performing the song with newfound confidence. "You Have Placed A Chill In My Heart" starts with her more natural look and is set in the desert, where many go to find their true selves. It has a happy ending, with Lennox embracing a man as fireworks go off.
• A curious line in this song is "Show me the color of your right hand." The video offers a clue to its meaning, as when Lennox sings it, she holds up her hand to reveal both a heart and a dollar sign. This makes it a test to see if the guy is interest in love or money.
• In 2021, Lennox did a solo acoustic performance of "You Have Placed A Chill In My Heart" on piano to benefit Tibet House US.