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Sinead O’Connor, the Irish singer/songwriter whose voice was powerful not only in song, but in protest as well, has died at the age of 56.
She started her music career at the age of 15 when she sang with the band In Tua Nua’s song “Take My Hand” however the band thought she was too young to join the band. She bounced around to other bands, eventually signing a record contract. Soon after she was signed, she provided the vocals for the song “Heroine”, which she co-wrote with U2’s guitarist the Edge for the soundtrack to the film Captive.
A year later, O’Connor released her debut solo album, The Lion and the Cobra. It’s in my top 20 of debut albums of all time. A regal, sweeping, gorgeous album filled with indie-rock and synth-filled tracks, it’s really the 21-year old’s voice that is the most prominent instrument. It’s the first thing we hear on the opening track “Jackie”. O’Connor sings from the perspective of a dead woman who returns to wander the shores where her lover allegedly drowned. “Mandinka” is as straight up a rock song as you’ll get from O’Connor. Her voice goes from a serenade to a scream in seconds - there’s a clear punk-ness about it. The lead single was “Troy” (based on Yeats poem No Second Troy. There’s not a bad song on the album. Other favorites are the tongue in cheek song about sex, “I Want Your (Hands On Me)” and “Just Like U Said It Would B”.
Three years later, O’Connor’s second album, I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got was released to great acclaim. Led by the amazing cover of Prince’s song “Nothing Compares 2 U”, the album went on to sell seven million copies worldwide. The music and lyrics showed more maturity in her writing and producing. The songs are full of lost love, religion and politics - O’Connor wasn’t afraid of any subject. “I Am Stretched Out On Your Grave” is a 17th century Irish poem translated to English sung over music including a loop of “Funky Drummer” by James Brown. “The Emperor's New Clothes” contains one of my favorite lyric lines: “I will live by my own policies - I will sleep with a clear conscience.” The standout to me is the heartbreakingly beautiful middle finger at the Thatcher government and the death of a black youth at the hands of the police - “Black Boys on Mopeds”. The album remains a beacon to so many artists who followed her, while ensuring her legacy as an outspoken singer-songwriter.
In what may be the most famous story about O’Connor, she appeared on Saturday Night Live in 1992 as the musical guest. In one of the most punk moves ever, O’Connor delivered an a cappella rendition of Bob Marley’s song “War”. The song was a deeply poignant one and was delivered as an attempt to protest the widespread sexual abuse of children in the Catholic Church - It flipped Marley’s original war on racism and focus on child abuse. Delivering the lyrics, “We have confidence in good over evil”, O’Connor held up a photo of Pope John Paul II and tore the photo up, throwing it at the camera and stating, “Fight the real enemy”.
The fallout from that performance was a huge blow to any future commercial success. However, O’Connor saw it as “a blessing”, arguing that her criticisms helped prompt the discussion around historical child sex abuse in America. “An artist’s job is sometimes to create difficult conversations that need to be had”.
Singer Kathleen Edwards tweeted, “Sinead O’Connor is a hero to every woman for her determination to be herself and to speak her truth.”
Sinead O’Connor left an amazing mark on the music industry - a powerful woman who stated whatever she wanted to and created music that was moving and thoughtful. She will be missed.