The 500 - #408 - I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got - Sinéad O'Connor

I was inspired by a podcast called The 500 hosted by Los Angeles-based comedian Josh Adam Meyers. His goal, and mine, is to explore Rolling Stone's 2012 edition of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. 

Album # 408

Album Title:  I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got
Artist: Sinéad O'Connor
Genre: Rock, Folk Rock
Recorded: S.T.S Studios, Dublin, Ireland
Released: March, 1990
My age at release: 24
How familiar was I with it before this week: Somewhat
Song I am putting on my Spotify Mix: The Emperor's New Clothes

It is difficult to quantify the impact Sinéad (Shin-Aid) O'Connor made when she exploded on the commercial music scene of 1987. Her shaved head and black combat boots made her stand out in a time when teased hair and mini-skirts dominated the female music scene. However, it was her voice that captured the attention of many, including me. Perfectly pitched and effortlessly fluctuating from the hauntingly ethereal to a powerful, primal scream. There was no denying her talent and mystique.

I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got - Sinead O'Connor

Her second record, the platinum-selling album I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got , was a commercial juggernaut - propelled mainly by her emotional performance of the Prince song Nothing Compares 2 U. However, as I listened to it this week, it was a deeper cut on the record that captured my attention.

"These are dangerous days,

To say what you feel, is to dig your own grave."

Those fifteen simple words, from the song Black Boys on Mopeds, certainly resonate today. They are words that would prove prophetic for O'Connor. Two years after the release of this record, she made what was construed as a provocative attack on the Catholic Church. The backlash resulted in an immediate decline in her career. It would be two decades before she would experience some redemption, as people began to understand the precise nature of her criticism which really concerned sexual abuse of children within the church. O'Connor's experience is a good example of what is now called Cancel Culture.

Cancel Culture: A modern internet phenomenon where a person is ejected from influence or fame by questionable actions. 

(Urban Dictionary)

On October 3, 1992, O'Connor appeared on Saturday Night Live as the evening's musical guest. During her second song, an 'a cappella' version of War by reggae legend Bob Marley, she produced a picture of the, then Pope, John Paul II, and displayed it to the camera. She then tore the picture three times and flung it forward, with the statement: "Fight the real enemy." There was silence as the program went to commercial. The video can be seen here.

O'Connor on Saturday Night Live - tearing the picture of Pope John Paul II

Even in a time before social media, the backlash was loud and ferocious. A nationwide audience had seen the event and NBC received thousands of complaints by telephone and mail. News networks covered the story, and powerful celebrities, particularly devout Catholics such as Madonna and Joe Pesci, spoke out against her. O'Connor's efforts to continue with performances and a recording career were gravely impacted by her outrageous choice -- long before the term existed, she had been "cancelled".

The question about why the Irish singer made this controversial choice wasn't heard above the angry din. Her message, the signal, had been lost in the noise of outrage. a risk one takes when choosing a bold act of rebellion to make a point. The few reporters who chose to dig deeply heard her rationale; however, the general public wasn't listening and many began to label her "crazy".

Twenty-five years later, started to pay attention. The Ryan Report by the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse had been released in Ireland. It painfully detailed the history of sexual and physical abuse in the Irish Catholic school system -- a system in which sexual predators had been shuttled from parish to parish and school to school whenever scandal arose. Interviews with O'Connor at the time reveal that this was the "enemy" she was railing against. However, that signal could not escape the noise created by her bombastic choice. These events and their connection to the incident on Saturday Night Live are covered in greater depth in the 2012 Atlantic magazine article: "The Redemption of Sinead O'Connor". 

I am hesitant to wade any more deeply into the waters of any of the issues, beyond what I have shared above. To those who many consider a similar brazen act in a time of cancel culture, one must tread carefully. Because...

"These are dangerous days,

To say what you feel, is to dig your own grave."