Six years separated Sinéad O’Connor’s fourth and fifth studio albums, with Faith and Courage dropping in 2000, exactly a decade after I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got.
O’Connor suffered plenty of personal and professional turmoil during those ten years, but she managed to emerge from it with what I consider her best album. A strong case can certainly be made for The Lion and the Cobra and I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got — and those are her career-defining albums, no doubt — but song for song I find this one even better.
Faith and Courage has everything you want in a Sinéad O’Connor album: elegiac ballads, aggressive bangers, incredible vocal flourishes, frank examinations of sexual dynamics, references to old Ireland, you name it. And for an artist who often favors languid dirges, a whole lot of springy, infectious songcraft.
It’s a real shame that this album didn’t spark a comeback for O’Connor’s career. Faith and Courage sold fewer copies than its predecessor, Universal Mother, continuing the ten-year slide in her commercial popularity. It is also the last of her albums that I know well.
Next week I’ll cover her final five studio releases.
Delicate man it needn’t be that bad
You sit with me and I will listen
You’ll feel much better when you open
You said all you wanted was a good time
Like a big hill you have to climb
And you got to be willing
You stand tall and you be strong
You have ruthless compassion
For yourself and for everyone
Yeah it’s hard but it can be done
I know you’ve every right to feel grief
You’ve not had anything that you need
But you put your head on my shoulder
‘Til I whisper you something
‘Til I whisper you something
It don’t take much to have a good time
A lot of lovemaking and a little wind
And u got to be willing
You stand tall and you stand strong
You try ruthless compassion
For yourself and for everyone
Yeah it’s hard but it can be done
But you put your head on my shoulder
‘Til I whisper you something
‘Til I whisper you something
It’s a long walk towards a good time
It’s a big hill you have to climb
And you got to be willing
It don’t take much to have a good time
A lot of lovemaking and a little wind
And you got to be willing
If you’ve never seen a good time
If you’ve never seen a good time
If you’ve never seen a good time
How would you recognise one
How would you recognise one, how would you?
How would you even find one?
How would you, if you’ve never seen a good time?
If you’ve never seen a good time
If you’ve never seen a good time
How would you recognise one?
Meet Me In Montauk 
I had no idea Sinead released such a good quality album after her first two commercial successes. Will have to check this one out as well.