Based on my 20 years of living as a citizen of the United States, I have found that the two most romanticized decades of our country’s history are the 1950s and the 1980s.
From both these decades branched movements of musical rebellion that was condemned by parents and politicians alike. For the 1960s, it was the British Invasion, and for the 1990s, it was the grunge and industrial movements.
Behind the towering legacies of Kurt Cobain, Eddie Vedder and Trent Reznor, we often forgot it was a Joan of Arc, not a Spartacus, who was first at the frontlines of this revolt.
Sinéad O’Connor is one of the most different and curious artists to come out of the United Kingdom in the past 30 years. She’s also one of the bravest female singers I have ever known.
When only a young Dubliner artist in 1990, O’Connor recorded her version of Prince’s “Nothing Compares 2 U,” a cover known to make even the most macho men cry.
Shortly after gaining tremendous success, O’Connor was quoted insulting U2 and calling Bono a phony, an act I’m surprised isn’t still considered an act of treason in Ireland.
It only went downhill from here.
In October 1992, O’Connor performed an angry a cappella cover of Bob Marley’s “War” on Saturday Night Live. The lyrics of the classic song were modified to protest against the sexual abuse against children in the Catholic Church.
To top it all off, she pulled out a picture of Pope John Paul II while singing the word “evil” and proceeded to rip it apart. She then shouted to the camera “Fight the real enemy” before throwing the shredded photo at the camera.
Two weeks after her SNL appearance, O’Connor was set to perform a cover of Bob Dylan’s “I Believe in You” at the Bob Dylan 30th Anniversary Concert Celebration.
Things didn’t quite go as planned.
Upon entering the stage, O’Connor was met by both cheering and jeering. She stood patiently while the audience continued.
Her band began to play “I Believe in You,” until O’Connor indicated for them all to stop. She then broke out into an abridged version of “War.”
“Everywhere is war,” she sang as a final thought to the audience. She then stood and stared at them for a moment before running off stage.
It would bring me great joy to write that this was where O’Connor’s troubles ended and that in the next following years, she regained her pop status and was able to make the world a better place.
Unfortunately, I am obligated to tell facts, and facts regarding O’Connor are despairing at best.
On Sunday morning, she went missing in Chicago and wasn’t found until more than 24 hours later. Authorities stated O’Connor was safe, but fans speculated otherwise.
On Monday evening, O’Connor posted a lengthy post on Facebook addressing her family, who she said she believes abandoned her because of her suicidal tendencies. She said in the post that, if she doesn’t kill herself first, she will sue all of them.
It’s uncertain whether or not O’Connor will actually commit suicide, but it’s always important to take suicide threats seriously. 2016 doesn’t deserve anymore tragedies like David Bowie, Prince and Merle Haggard.
Regardless, O’Connor is a true fighter and will get through this. I didn’t use the Joan of Arc metaphor lightly. When you draw the comparisons between these two women, it’s stunning just how similar they were.
Both of these female warriors risked their lives, or in O’Connor’s case her career, in order to fight against the injustices she saw in their worlds. Joan was burned at the stake by the English, and O’Connor practically tarnished her celebrity status.
She’s what being a punk is about. More than Sid Vicious. More than Henry Rollins. More than Joe Strummer.
Austin Faulds
afaulds@umail.iu.edu | @a_faulds9615
