Irish singer-songwriter Sinéad O’Connor passed away last week, ending a chaotic, troubled life and robbing us of one of popular music’s most distinctive and beautiful voices.
I’ve given O’Connor a decent amount of coverage on the blog in the past, but now is a sadly appropriate time to give her a proper deep dive, featuring songs from each of her 10 studio albums. Consider the next two weeks my tribute to a unique and special talent we lost way too soon.
O’Connor’s 1987 debut, The Lion and the Cobra, is one of the most bracing and original starts to any pop career in memory. It found the then 21-year-old singer tackling heady material with equal parts ferocity and grace.
The album spawned a hit single in ‘Mandinka,’ an indie pop blast that showcased O’Connor’s whisper-to-a-scream vocal range. Inspired by a description of an African tribe in Alex Haley’s Roots, its success promised more thoughtful, gripping songs to come.
The rest of The Lion and the Cobra is as good or better than ‘Mandinka,’ whether it’s the sexy dance pop of ‘I Want Your (Hands On Me),’ the art-funk of ‘Jerusalem,’ the grungy sea shanty ‘Jackie,’ or the epic confessional ‘Troy.’ Every song here is fascinating and infectious. It’s hard to think of a better opening argument for one of her generation’s most compelling new talents.
Well, you tell us that we’re wrong
And you tell us not to sing our song
Nothing we can say will make you see
You got a heart of stone you can never feel
[Pre-Chorus]
You say, “Oh, I’m not afraid, it can’t happen to me
I’ve lived my life as a good man
Oh no, you’re out of your mind, it won’t happen to me
‘Cause I’ve carried my weight and I’ve been a strong man”
[Chorus]
Listen to the man in the liquor store
Yelling, “Anybody want a drink before the war?”
[Verse 2]
And your parents paid you through
You got a nice big car, nothing bothers you
Somebody cut out your eyes, you refuse to see, ah
Somebody cut out your heart, you refuse to feel
And you live in a shell, you create your own hell
You live in the past and talk about war
And you dig your own grave, yeah, but it’s a life you can save, oh
So stop getting fussed, it’s not gonna happen
And you’ll cry, but you’ll never fall, no, no, no, you’re building a wall
Gotta break it down, start again
[Pre-Chorus]
No, no, no, it won’t happen to us
We’ve lived our lives, basically we’ve been good men
So stop talking of war ’cause you know we’ve heard it all before
Why don’t you go out there and do something useful?
[Chorus]
Oh, listen to the man in the liquor store
Yelling, “Anybody want a drink before the war?”
[Outro]
Anybody want a drink before the war? Ah-ah
Anybody want a drink before the war?
Meet Me In Montauk 
I appreciate all of the songs, old and new, you highlight in your blog. Thanks for this particular trip down memory lane.
Such a talented woman and such a tragic life!
She really should have been inducted into the Rock Hall, and I assume she will be posthumously. In the meantime, I look forward to your deep dive into her career, which I candidly stopped following decades ago.
She is definitely worth a deep dive. Always loved her voice.
Catching up with the blog and so glad to see you’re doing this deep dive! Looking forward to reading about her career on here.