Sinéad did not enter the Fame Academy in the same way as the other contestants. The first eleven contestants were picked by the show's judges, but the final contestant was picked through a public vote in the first programme of the series. Sinéad, David Sneddon and Paul MacDonald sang in this vote but Sinéad won the public's support. She gained 51% of the votes and won her place in the Fame Academy.
The fan base Sinéad built up in the first programme stayed with her during the whole series, and allowed her to reach the final. During this time she sang a range of songs from Macy Gray's "I Try" and Garth Brook's "If Tomorrow Never Comes" to "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" and "Don't Speak".
In the final, Sinéad was up against David Sneddon (who had entered the Academy at a later date due to Naomi Roper pulling out due to illness) and Lemar Obika. She finished second with 2.5 million of the 6.5 million votes cast. Although missing out on the guaranteed record deal and living the "lifestyle of a star" for a year, she had the attention of the music industry.
Within a week of leaving the Fame Academy, Sinéad signed a £1 million, five album record deal with Mercury Records.
Her debut single, "I Can’t Break Down", was released 10 February 2003. It reached number 2 in the British charts, being beaten to the top spot by t.A.T.u.. The single sold around 70,000 copies, finishing in 65th place for the top selling UK singles of 2003.
Sinéad's follow up single "What You Need Is" only reached number 19 in the charts, and her self-written album, Ready To Run, peaked at number 48.
Sinéad's only other releases to date was on the Fame Academy Album alongside all the other Fame Academy contestants and guest vocals on fellow contestant Malachi Cush's debut album.
Both before and after Fame Academy, Sinéad was a keen songwriter and performer. The show allowed her to develop her song writing talents and provided her with her first ever singing lessons. The Fame Academy Tour, which followed the series, gave Sinéad her first major public performances outside a TV studio.
In the three years since leaving the Fame Academy, Sinéad has had a regular list of public performances. With the backing of a guitar based group she went on a University tour in 2003. She has played to a full-house at Music Live 2003 at the National Exhibition Centre and in 2005 she supported Children in Need with a performance and sang at the switch-on of Christmas lights in Coventry. She has also taken part in RTÉ's TV show - "The Lyrics Board" and on New Year's Eve, 2005, she performed on another RTÉ television show - "Everyone's A Winner", singing Sheryl Crow's song - "Everyday Is A Winding Road".
Also in 2005 Sinéad was invited by the Irish President, Mary McAleese, "to a reception to celebrate (her) contribution to the entertainment industry in Ireland" at the Presidents official residence, Áras an Uachtaráin.
Sinéad has been touring with SSVC performing for the British Armed Forces around the world. Of note is the fact that while in Cyprus a special "Going Out Tonight" show was put on for those living on the RAF Akrotiri base, unusual because this meant it was open to anyone living on the base, including families of forces members, whereas these shows are normally reserved for servicemen on operations.
Sinéad played the role of Beth in the 2007 live tour of Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War of the Worlds. Also in 2007 she performed at and judged each of the nine regional finals for Girl Guiding UK's talent competition 'Guiding Star' and also appeared at the Grand Final in Sheffield on 30 June 2007 as a performer and a judge.
Whilst she's concentrated on smaller intimate gigs in 2008, mainly in smaller locations in London, she'll be the support act for Lulu at the Chichester Festivities in July.
Don't Speak
Sinéad Quinn Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We used to be together
Every day together
Always
I really feel
Like I'm losing my best friend-kt and laura
I can't believe this could be the end
You're letting go
And if its real well I don't want to know
Don't speak
I know just what your saying
So please stop explaining
Don't tell me cause it hurts
Don't speak
I know just what your thinking
And I don't need your reasons
Don't tell me cause it hurts
Our memories
They can be inviting
But some are altogether mighty
Frightening
As we die
Both you and I
With my head in my hands I sit and cry
Don't speak
I know just what your saying
So please stop explaining
Don't tell me cause it hurts
Don't speak
I know just what your thinking
And I don't need your reasons
Don't tell me cause it hurts
Its all ending
You gotta stop pretending
Who we are
You and me
I can see us dying
Are we?
Don't speak
I know just what your saying
So please stop explaining
Don't tell me cause it hurts
Don't speak
I know just what your thinking
And I don't need your reasons
Don't tell me cause it hurts
The song "Don't Speak" by Sinéad Quinn is about the end of a relationship between two people who were close friends. The opening lines suggest that the two used to be together every day and that they were best friends. However, the singer feels that she is losing her best friend and cannot believe that their relationship could come to an end. She can see her friend letting go, and she doesn't want to know if it's really happening.
The chorus, "Don't speak, I know just what you're saying," indicates that she has a good idea of what her friend is thinking and feeling but does not need them to explain it. She does not want to hear their reasons for the relationship's end because it hurts too much. The memories they shared are both inviting and frightening, and as they both end, the singer is left sitting and crying with her head in her hands.
The song's last lines, "I can see us dying, are we?" suggests that they may have been in denial about their relationship ending and were pretending that nothing was wrong. The song captures the feelings of a relationship that ends abruptly, leaving one person hurt, confused, and shocked.
Line by Line Meaning
You and me
Referring to the singer and their partner
We used to be together
They were once in a romantic relationship
Every day together
They were constantly in each other's company
Always
The relationship seemed like it would last forever
I really feel
Expressing the artist's emotions and vulnerability
Like I'm losing my best friend
The partner was not just a lover, but also a close friend
I can't believe this could be the end
The singer is in disbelief that the relationship could be over
It looks as though
The visual appearance suggests
You're letting go
The partner seems to be distancing themselves emotionally
And if its real well I don't want to know
The artist would rather not face the truth if their suspicions are correct
Don't speak
A plea for the partner to stop talking
I know just what your saying
The artist understands the partner's words or actions
So please stop explaining
The singer doesn't want to hear any more justification or excuses
Don't tell me cause it hurts
Knowing the truth will cause emotional pain
I know just what your thinking
The singer believes they understand the partner's thoughts and motives
And I don't need your reasons
The artist doesn't require the partner to explain why they are ending the relationship
Our memories
Recalling moments from their past together
They can be inviting
Some memories are appealing and pleasant to remember
But some are altogether mighty
However, some memories are incredibly painful to recall
Frightening
These memories cause fear and anxiety
As we die
The end of the relationship can feel like a sort of death
Both you and I
Both the artist and the partner
With my head in my hands I sit and cry
The singer is overwhelmed with sadness and grief
Its all ending
The end of the relationship is inevitable
You gotta stop pretending
The partner needs to stop faking and be honest about their feelings
Who we are
The relationship is ending and the partners may no longer recognize themselves or each other
I can see us dying
The end of the relationship seems imminent and inevitable to the singer
Are we?
Questioning whether or not the relationship is actually ending
Contributed by Samuel Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
andrew green
I bought her album. I thought she was fantastic. She deserved to win
Android18uk
She sounds amazing, I really don't think her debut single was strong enough though.
Sparky McDoogle
my fave contestant from all the reality things
BluebirdintheSky
I saw Sinead as Beth, the Parson's wife, on the live tour of Jeff Wayne's 'The War of the Worlds' at the end of last year. She was great. Shame that John Payne,the guy playing Parson Nathaniel was awful.
JJ Whitehead
awesome. She's got sass!
Abhishek Menon
i get lost looking into her eyes..!!i loooove her eyes!
Joyce Graham
she is just as i remember.................how is her carreer going? please tell me she as done good xxxx
Sparky McDoogle
she was good on here, but i hate to break it to you.....but how many times have you seen her name mentioned in the top 10 since 2002?...once. i still like her tho
thelucy53
She was awesome, what happened to her??
Tracy Austin
me and Sinead are part of Electric Umbrella, which is a charity for adults who have disabilities in the UK.