The Farr Side: O'Connor will be remembered for music, activism
When news broke that Irish singer Sinead O’Connor had passed away last week, my mind immediately saw her beautiful face, up close as she sang those heartfelt lyrics of “Nothing Compares 2 U.” O’Connor passed away at her home. She was 56.
But, it was the memories that surfaced next that prompted me to reach out to an old friend. I distinctly remember this day well. All through school I had a locker near my friend, Amy Frost. You can attribute that to our last names due to them both beginning with the same letter. In the spring of our junior year, Amy came up to my locker and handed me a cassette single. She said I needed to take it home and listen to it. It was “Nothing Compares 2 U” By Sinead O’Connor.
I didn’t wait till I got home to play it. I went to my car at lunchtime and popped the cassette in. I was blown away by Sinead’s incredible voice and how moving the words to the song sounded to me. She sang with such conviction and feeling that you just knew she had gone to a place of sorrow to deliver those lyrics the way she did.
I returned the cassette to Amy the next day, but not after I had played it repeatedly.
Amy knew what a great talent Sinead was and she felt compelled to share with others.
I messaged Amy shortly after I saw that Sinead had passed. She hadn’t heard yet, but seemed touched that I had remembered such a thing. How could I not? Music has always had a special place in my heart. I later saw a post on social media and several people had shared similar thoughts with Amy about Sinead O’Connor. This is another testament to the power of music.
“Nothing Compares 2 U” was written by Prince and appeared on Sinead’s second album, “I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got.” The song topped the Billboard Hot 100 for four weeks in 1990. It also hit No. 1 in countries all across the globe. It was named the No. 1 world song of the year.
Known for her shaved head, she first popped on the scene with her album “The Lion And The Cobra.” It spawned a couple of hits including “Mandinka” and “I Want Your (Hands On Me).” What the album did was introduce this Irish singer to the world. Her striking image may have gotten your attention, but her voice kept it.
When “Nothing Compares 2 U” (the video) debuted on MTV, it was a game-changer. No fancy pyrotechnics or stylish dancers were needed. The video featured her face up close. She was bald, but her face was so beautiful. The hurt in her voice was only accentuated when some tears ran from her eyes. It was an image unlike anything ever seen on the music video network before.
I loved the song, but “I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got” was just an amazing album for the times. Here was a singer who didn’t quite fit into any other moulds of the times, and yet, this album just resonated with so many music fans.
Sinead was an activist and her music often spoke of poignant matters such as “Three Babies,” “Black Boys On Mopeds” and “I Am Stretched on Your Grave.”
Sinead released 10 albums during her colorful career. I find it necessary to mention her gorgeous version of “Don’t Cry For Me Argentina” from her album “Am I Not Your Girl.” Sadly, artists like Patti LaPone and Madonna’s versions of the song get all the attention. Sinead’s version is stunning.
Her fearfulness sometimes was mistaken as her being controversial, but she never wavered in her beliefs. I can still remember seeing her rip up a picture of Pope John Paul II on “Saturday Night Live.” Perhaps the imagery shook the public, but she wasn’t afraid to communicate her thoughts. To my knowledge, the singer never apologized for doing that on live TV.
Her battle with mental illness only escalated after the loss of her son last year. Details of her death will become more public once an autopsy is completed.
— David T. Farr is a Journal correspondent. Email him at farrboy@hotmail.com.
This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: The Farr Side: O'Connor will be remembered for music, activism
