Since then, while maintaining her singing career, she has occasionally encountered controversy, partly due to her statements and gestures—such as her ordination as a priest despite being a woman with a Roman Catholic background—and her strongly expressed views on organised religion, women's rights, war, and child abuse.
In addition to her ten solo albums her work includes many singles, songs for films, collaborations with many other artists and appearances at charity fundraising concerts.
Since converting to Islam in 2018 she has changed her name to Shuhada Sadaqat.
In December 2019 she gave her first UK concert in five years at the Shepherd's Bush Empire, London.
On 26 July 2023, O'Connor's family issued a statement that she had died at the age of 56, without indicating the date or cause.
In the statement, the singer’s family said: “It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved Sinéad. Her family and friends are devastated and have requested privacy at this very difficult time.”
The acclaimed Dublin performer released 10 studio albums, while her song “Nothing Compares 2 U” was named the number one world single in 1990 by the Billboard Music Awards. Her version of the ballad, written by musician Prince, topped the charts around the globe and earned her three Grammy nominations.
John I Love You
Sinéad O'Connor Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm ever so fond of you
Will you wait for me
'Til I am heavenly
Oh there's much work to do
But I love you
Oh you're tender
I let tears fall like rain
Apple-sized they were
All over her
And through all of those times
When you could have died
This is what you find
There's life outside your mother's garden
There's life beyond your wildest dreams
There hasn't been any explosion
We're not spinning like Dorothy
If you look now then you'll see why
Don't be afraid to cry
This time don't let yourself fly
Child
Pick up those dancing shoes
Kick off those wedding blues
These are the ways
You can choose
Child you're tender
Your name's a whisper
There's life outside your mother's garden
There's life beyond your wildest dreams
There hasn't been any explosion
We're not spinning like Dorothy
If you look now then you'll see why
Don't be afraid to cry
This time don't let yourself fly
Child
Pick up those dancing shoes
Kick off those wedding blues
These are the ways
You can choose
Child I love you
I'm ever so fond of you
The song "John I Love You" by Sinéad O'Connor is a love letter to a person named John. The singer expresses her love for him and her desire for them to be together eventually in heaven. She acknowledges that there's much work to be done, but that her love for him remains constant. The phrase "your name's a whisper" indicates that their love is something intimate and private.
The second part of the song tells the story of a woman who has been through tough times and has cried a lot, represented by the tears falling like apple-sized raindrops. Despite this, she has come to realize that there's more to life than what she knew in her mother's garden. Sinéad encourages the person to look around and see that there's life beyond their wildest dreams and that they need to pick up their dancing shoes and choose a different path. The repeated phrase "child, you're tender" can be interpreted as both a term of endearment and an acknowledgement of vulnerability.
Overall, the song is about the power of love, hope, and transformation. Despite the hardships of life, the singer insists that there's always a way forward, and that love provides a beacon of light in the darkness.
Line by Line Meaning
John I love you
The singer expresses their love for John
I'm ever so fond of you
The singer has a deep affection for John
Will you wait for me
The singer wants John to wait for her
'Til I am heavenly
The artist wants to become better before being with John
Oh there's much work to do
The artist acknowledges there is work to be done before being with John
But I love you
The singer reiterates their love for John
Oh you're tender
The singer describes John as being gentle
Your name's a whisper
The artist refers to John's name being soft and delicate
I let tears fall like rain
The artist cries heavily
Apple-sized they were
The artist's tears were large in size
All over her
The singer is crying all over herself
And through all of those times
The artist is reminiscing on past experiences with John
When you could have died
John was in danger at some point
This is what you find
Despite the danger, the singer and John are still together
There's life outside your mother's garden
There is more to life than just staying in one place
There's life beyond your wildest dreams
There are endless possibilities and opportunities in life
There hasn't been any explosion
Life isn't always dramatic; sometimes things happen quietly
We're not spinning like Dorothy
Life isn't a fairytale where everything happens perfectly
If you look now then you'll see why
The singer wants John to see the beauty in life
Don't be afraid to cry
It's okay to show emotions
This time don't let yourself fly
The artist wants John to stay grounded in reality
Child
The artist is calling John "child" as a term of endearment
Pick up those dancing shoes
The singer wants John to have a good time and enjoy life
Kick off those wedding blues
The artist suggests John forget any past heartbreaks and live in the moment
These are the ways
The singer lists ways to enjoy life
You can choose
It's up to John to choose how to live his life
Child I love you
The singer repeats their love for John
I'm ever so fond of you
The artist has deep affection for John
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: SINEAD O'CONNOR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
K. Maczák
on Troy
The song is about her abusive mother, who locked her out of the house, and she sitting in the long grass in summer keeping warm , while her mother turned off the light inside the house , and she screamed . etc.