Top Ten Female Vocalists – #4 – Sinéad O’Connor
My fourth ever Song of the Day was a Sinéad O’Connor tune — ‘Jealousy‘ from her great 2000 album Faith and Courage — which should give some indication of the esteem in which I hold the bald Irishwoman.
O’Connor’s lilting, ethereal voice first came to my attention on the mostly acoustic I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got, on which she teased the emotion out of delicate tracks such as ‘Black Boys on Mopeds,’ ‘The Last Day of Our Acquaintance’ and ‘Nothing Compares 2 U.’ And I considered her a phenomenal vocalist based on that album alone.
But when I heard her debut album, The Lion and the Cobra, I gained a whole new appreciation for her vocal talent. Not only could she break your heart with a gentle ballad, she could navigate an aural freak-out on some of the most emotionally wrenching songs I’d ever heard.
The best example is probably ‘Troy,’ which I featured on the blog this past July. But ‘Just Like U Said It Would B’ is another. O’Connor draws out the ends of her lines, plays cat and mouse with the string section, delivers the words in both whispers and screams.
Like most of her songs, this is a tour de force.
And feel religion within
I will learn how to run with the big boys
I will learn how to sink and to swim
And there’s talk in the houses
And people dancing in rings
Ah, when you close my eyes, babe
I can see most everything
I can see most everything
It’s just like u said it would b
It’s just like u said it would b
It’s just like u said it would b
It’s just like u said it would b
I can see too many mouths open
Too many eyes closed, ears closed
Not enough minds open
Too many legs open
Tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me, do
Why isn’t it why why
I don’t see why I listen, why, why
When I’ve walked in the garden
When I’m walking off stage
When everything’s quiet
Will you stay?
Will you be my lover?
Will you be my mama?
I said will you be my lover?
I said will you be my babe?
When I lay down my head
At the end of my day
Nothing would
Nothing would please me better
Than I find that you’re there
When I lay down my head
At the end of my day
Nothing would
Nothing would please me better
Than I find that you’re there when I wake
Just like u said it would b
Just like u said it would b
Just like u said it would b
Just like u said it would b
Will you be my lover?
Will you be my mama?
Just like u said it would b
Just like u said it would b
Just like u said it would b
Just like u said it would b
Meet Me In Montauk 
This is probably the best voice to test Dana’s theory from the other thread. I appreciate O’Connor’s voice and consider it among the very best technical voices I have ever heard, yet I don’t know if I would list it as a favorite.
As I am the one most guilty of the “warm blanket” school of favorite voice selecting, I’m not sure I feel that sense of comfort when I listen to Sinead.
Still, her voice is undoubtedly one of the most riveting I’ve ever heard, so… I’m very confused 😉 Best voice? Yes. Favorite? I’m still working on my list, so we’ll have to see 😉
I kinda have a similar reaction to Amy on Sinead. She certainly has a great voice, but I wouldn’t list it amongst my favorites. I think it’s because I’m not a big fan of her more shrill singing (not really present on this song at all, oh wait….there it is near the end…yeah, not crazy about that at all)
By the way, it’s interesting how many British women you are ranking on your list. Guess you favor a voice like a nice wool blanket from Wales:)
I’ve always admired her voice, I’m not so crazy about this song, but she has real emotion and range in her singing.