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.
I Can't Break Down
Sinéad Quinn Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I close my mouth and clench my fist,
I've lived this day in a thousand ways,
But there's a flaw to add to my list,
Go on squeeze a little more,
Cause if you scream I'll just ignore you,
I've rehearsed this scene in a million dreams,
You're gettin closer, to my core.
And I'm so damn frustrated,
Losing breath and now I'm shaking,
Gotta keep myself from breaking down,
Someone get me out
Tear don't you fall, eyes don't you cry,
Need to get me round this corner,
I can't break down, break down.
Pride don't cave in, head don't let go,
While I'm open and you can read me,
I can't break down, break down,
Break down, break down.
Blocked it out for long enough,
Got really good at playing rough now,
I've been prepared and not really cared,
But being brave is getting tough.
Chin don't start to quiver,
Hands now don't you shiver,
Gotta keep myself from breaking down,
Someone get me out
Someone let me out
Tear don't you fall, eyes don't you cry,
Need to get me round this corner,
I can't break down, break down.
Pride don't cave in, head don't let go,
While I'm open and you can read me,
I can't break down, break down.
You smile like the cat who's got the cream,
I'm vulnerable and I know you see me,
There's so much I want to say,
But this lump in my throat makes me walk away
Away
Away
Away
Away
Tear don't you fall, eyes don't you cry,
Pride don't cave in, head don't let go.
Tear don't you fall, eyes don't you cry,
Need to get me round this corner,
I can't break down, break down.
P
In Sinéad Quinn's "I Can't Break Down", the lyrics express a sense of frustration and vulnerability in the face of adversity. The singer acknowledges that she has faced similar challenges before but is still struggling to overcome them. She urges herself to remain composed and hold back tears and emotions, even though it's getting increasingly difficult. The chorus is a plea for someone to help her out of this situation, but ultimately she feels the need to walk away.
The opening lines suggest a sense of determination to face the challenges ahead, even though the singer knows they will be difficult. She's prepared herself for the worst but still feels the pressure building within. The lyrics imply that the person she's facing is trying to provoke a reaction from her, and she's doing her best to remain composed. The repetition of the line "I can't break down" underscores the pressure the singer is under to remain stoic.
The middle section of the song is where the singer's resolve begins to waver. She can no longer hold back the tears and feels like she's losing control. Despite her best efforts to remain strong, she needs someone to help her through this difficult time. The final lines of the song suggest that she's reached her limit; the lump in her throat is too much to bear, and she's forced to walk away.
Overall, "I Can't Break Down" is a powerful song about the struggle to remain resilient in the face of adversity. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of someone struggling to hold it together, but ultimately finding the strength to keep going.
Line by Line Meaning
Now I know I can handle this,
I am confident in my ability to handle this situation.
I close my mouth and clench my fist,
I am controlling my emotions and trying to remain calm.
I've lived this day in a thousand ways,
I have experienced similar situations before.
But there's a flaw to add to my list,
There is a weakness or problem in my approach.
Go on squeeze a little more,
The other person is trying to push me to my breaking point.
Cause if you scream I'll just ignore you,
I am trying to block out any negativity or hostility.
I've rehearsed this scene in a million dreams,
I have thought about how to handle this scenario many times.
You're gettin closer, to my core.
The other person is getting to the heart of the matter.
And I'm so damn frustrated,
I am feeling extremely annoyed and overwhelmed.
Losing breath and now I'm shaking,
The stress is physically affecting me.
Gotta keep myself from breaking down,
I am trying to remain composed despite the difficulty of the situation.
Someone get me out
I need help to get through this.
Tear don't you fall, eyes don't you cry,
I am trying not to show any signs of weakness or vulnerability.
Need to get me round this corner,
I need to get past this obstacle or challenge.
I can't break down, break down.
I cannot afford to lose control or give up.
Pride don't cave in, head don't let go,
I am trying to maintain my dignity and mental resilience.
While I'm open and you can read me,
I am being honest and transparent with the other person.
Blocked it out for long enough,
I have been avoiding this issue for a long time.
Got really good at playing rough now,
I have become adept at handling difficult situations through experience.
I've been prepared and not really cared,
I have been emotionally detached and focused on getting through the situation.
But being brave is getting tough.
It is becoming more difficult to remain brave and composed.
Chin don't start to quiver,
I am trying to maintain a strong and composed facial expression.
Hands now don't you shiver,
I am trying to prevent any tremors or physical signs of stress.
Someone let me out
I need help getting out of this situation.
You smile like the cat who's got the cream,
The other person appears smug or satisfied with themselves.
I'm vulnerable and I know you see me,
I am aware that the other person can tell I am struggling.
There's so much I want to say,
There are things I need to express, but I am struggling to do so.
But this lump in my throat makes me walk away
The stress and emotions are making it difficult for me to communicate, so I leave the situation.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: PETER WILFRED GLENISTER, DARIUS DENESH, DENI LEW
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@oookaypal3046
Been looking for this song for like 15 years
@RachaelLouiseGerrard
This Is An Amazing Song 😀
@Billyboy571
Timeless classic, amazing👌🎶
@LastDreamer7
This song spent 10 weeks on the top of my chart in 2003.
@petermcdonald5694
2020 and I still love this tune!
@zacmcnulty
Same 🙂
@senyum76
2021 and it sounds as fresh as EVER !
@happymatt2013
She put Irvinestown on the map..... around 10 miles away from where I lived in N Ireland at the time. This was a big hit for Sinead and although she didn't win Fame Academy, I thought that she had a better voice than the guy who won. I bought her album Ready To Run as well which had some other good songs, lovely melodies but a few non-listens as well. It's a shame her career never really took off and I guess it wasn't meant to be for Sinead
@senyum76
@Matt Bewers I can't agree with you enough that not only she had a better voice, she sings with great conviction & had a better stage presence than the the guy who won. (we shan't put a name lest we be called rude). I truly believe it should have been a massive No. 1 upon its release but personally, its a fabulous No. 1 each & every time I listen to it.
@happymatt2013
@SHAMSURI ADAM It was a #1 watched video actually on the music channel 'The Hits UK' on the week it launched. I watched the channel endlessly when I was a teen so have a good memory!