Ever have that one song that you heard multiple times (and by happenstance) during your childhood, but you never knew the name of it until many years later? Well, that was the exact case for me one day back in late-May 2018 via being in a New Hampshire mall, as I used the Shazam app on my iPhone to attempt to find out which artist was responsible for that one song (heard by happenstance yet again) from my childhood. And of course, that attempt was a successful one, as I found out that it was the Sinead O’Connor song “Nothing Compares 2 U”. And my goodness, what a perfectly put together song across the board because you can feel the power of it throughout its entirety. As a matter of fact, it’s a song that plays in my head constantly because of that unforgettable power throughout.
But of course, as I much as I love to reminisce about this particular part of nostalgia, I also write this entry with a heavy heart, as the song’s vocal magician, Sinead O’Connor, died recently. She was 56 years old.
Of course, I knew four other things about Sinead O’Connor way before her tragic death, with them being that 1] She was born in Ireland, 2] She was referenced in the Saved By The Bell episode “Jessie’s Song”, 3] She was known for that shaved head of hers and 4] Dr. Phil had her as a guest on his show to try to help her get her life back together. But what I didn’t know was that A] She was very adamant about her cause for the well-being of children, B} She converted to more than just one religion at various stages of her life, C] She performed on Saturday Night Live back in early October of 1992, D] She ripped up a picture of Pope John Paul II during that performance, E] She was born in Dublin and F] Her version of Nothing Compares 2 U was inspired by the then-little known Prince song of the same name.
Yes, Sinead O’Connor had a turbulent life and one can argue that it was way more turbulent compared to others. But who hasn’t had turbulence in their life? And while it is natural for any one of us to speculate about the exact cause of her tragic death, I refuse to speculate about that via this blog entry and/or in any other type of public setting, as that’s just disrespectful to both her memory and those who are most devasted by this tragedy. Furthermore, I want to let it be known that citing certain facts about her isn’t me throwing dirt on her, especially when certain members of the media (i.e. Malika Andrews) disgustingly fixate on one negative aspect about a deceased person instead of seeing the big picture. So, with all of this paragraph being said, I like to think that I’m seeing the picture about Sinead O’Connor.
The talented vocalist from Dublin, Ireland is no longer with us on this planet, but she no doubt leaves a legacy that will never be forgotten. And as a fan of her most well-known song, I end this entry, by saying, “Thank you for letting us hear your wonderful singing voice, Sinead O’Connor, and nothing will ever make us forget the nostalgia that you brought into our lives!”