There blow a lily fair
The twilight gleam is in her eye
The night is no her hair
And like a love-sick lenanshee
She hath my heart in thrall
Nor life I owe, nor liberty
for love is lord of all
and often when the beetles horn
Hath lulled the eve to sleep
I steal unto here shielding lorn
And thro' the dooring peep
There on the cricket's singing stone
She makes the bog wood fire
And hums in sad sweet undertone
The song of heart's desire
Sinéad O’Connor (8 December 1966 – 26 July 2023) was an Irish singer, songwriter, and activist. Her debut studio album, The Lion and the Cobra, was released in 1987 and achieved international chart success.
The Dublin performer released 10 studio albums. Her 1990 album, I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got, was her biggest commercial success, selling over seven million copies worldwide, 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.
Consistently, O'Connor drew attention to issues such as child abuse, human rights, racism, organised religion, and women's rights. During a Saturday Night Live performance in 1992, she tore up a photograph of Pope John Paul II to protest against abuse in the Catholic Church, sparking controversy. She would refuse to play the US national anthem before her concerts, drawing further public scorn. Throughout her musical career, she openly discussed her spiritual journey, activism, socio-political viewpoints, and her experiences with trauma and struggles with mental health.
After converting to Islam in 2018, she adopted the name Shuhada' Sadaqat while continuing to perform and record under her birth name.
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