Craic agus Ceol: Sinéad O' Connor
- Izzy Duff
- 3 hours ago
- 9 min read
Scríofa ag Isabel Duff . Comhfhreagraí Gaeilge . 24/12/25
Tá an t-alt seo scríofa i nGaeilge. A short English summary is included below.
Editor’s note: This piece forms part of Craic agus Ceol, An Seomra Ceol’s Irish-language column. It reflects on Sinéad O’Connor’s I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got and its lasting emotional, cultural and political resonance.
Is é I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got le Sinéad O’Connor albam na bliana domsa. D’fhás mé suas leis an albam seo ach fós, gach uair a chloisim é tharraing sé m'aird iomlán arís.
Tá fhios agam go bhfuil an albam seo 35 bliain d’aois ach tá sé fós tábhachtach dúinn inniu. Sa bhliain 2025, ó a bhog mé go dtí an Fhrainc, táim beagnach go heisiach ag éisteacht le ceoltóirí Éireannacha, go háirithe Sinéad O’Connor.
Bhí guth draíochtúil, cumhachtach aici a ligeann dúinn ár bpian a mhothú agus áilleacht agus míshástacht an domhain a thaithí. Bhí íogaireacht mhothúchánach aici. Ceoltóir neamhleithscéalach ab ea í agus ní bheidh a leithéid arís ann. .
ENGLISH CONTEXT
I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got is my album of the year. I grew up listening to this album, yet every time I hear it I am once again transfixed by Sinéad O’ Connor's magical voice and powerful lyricism. Even 35 years later, this album is as relevant as ever, and still one I always turn to, especially being homesick abroad. Sinéad O’ Connor was an unapologetic musician and there will not be the likes of her again.
Is é I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got an dara albam Sinéad O'Connor, tar éis rath a céad albam The Lion and the Cobra. Le linn na tréimhse ama idir scaoileadh.
The Lion and the Cobra i 1987 agus I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got i 1990 tharla go leor eachtraí i saol O’Connor, lena n-áirítear bheith ina máthair agus a lán cáineadh géar. Is léir go bhfreagraíonn sí an chonspóid agus an tráma seo ar bhealach atá chomh láidir ach chomh mothúchánach freisin san albam seo.
ENGLISH CONTEXT
Between the release of The Lion and the Cobra and I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got, O ‘Connor became a mother and also faced a lot of harsh criticism from the media. It's clear she addresses these things and confronts a lot of past trauma in this album.
MO RANGÚ
Black Boys On Mopeds
Albam polaitiúil is é I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got go háirithe leis an amhrán Black Boys on Mopeds a thugann goineog do rialtas Thatcher chomh maith le bás óige gorma de bharr na bpóilíní.
Cé go scaoileadh an t-albam seo 35 bliain ó shin, níor athraigh an comhrá. Fós, tá rialtais fimíneach againn. An rialtais a cháinann marú roinnt daoine ach a bhfuil ionadh orthu faoina marú daoine eile, féach ar an gcinedhíothú i bPalaistín mar shampla.
Chomh maith leis sin, fós maraítear daoine gorma gan chúis ag lámha na bpóilíní ar fud an domhain, mar sin is amhrán tábhachtach tochtmhar é inniu. Ní fheidir é a sheanadh gur liriceoir cróga ab ea Sinead O’Connor. Osclaíonn an amhrán leis an líne,
'Margaret Thatcher on TV
Shocked by the deaths that took place in Beijing
It seems strange that she should be offended
The same orders are given by her'.
Ba dhílis í Síneád dá luachanna agus níor chuimhnigh sí ar meas na daoine santach cumhachtacha sa domhan. Bhí grá aici do dhaoine, ealaín agus cothromaíocht, is é a spiorad agus nach féidir linn dearmad a dhéanamh orthu air.
ENGLISH CONTEXT
This album is certainly political, especially the song Black Boys on Mopeds which is a not so subtle dig at Thatcher's hypocritical government at the time, and the deaths of innocent young black people at the hands of the police. These themes are certainly still relevant today! Sinead had strong morals and didn't care about appeasing the powerful selfish hypocrites of the world. She had love for people, art and equality and it's her spirit and her strength that we can't ever forget.
The Emperor's New Clothes
Is albam macánta é I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got agus gan dabht faighimid íogaireacht mhothúchánach ó Sinéad. É sin ráite, tuigtear gur bean láidir í Sinéad O’Connor agus tá sé sin soléir ina guth agus a cuid thuairimí.
Cuireann sí ceisteanna ar rudaí agus téann sí i ngleic le creideamh coitianta. I mo thuraim féin, ní feidir a shéanadh go bhfuil an albam bunaithe ar choinbhleacht. Cloistear coinbhleacht idir mothúcháin atá nasctha le máithreachas agus grá caillte.
Iniúchann sí an dóchúlacht go dtiocfadh coimhlint le cumhacht níos airde , b'fhéidir an rialtas, an tsochaí agus fiú Dia.
Is é The Emperor's New Clothes ceann de mo amhráin is fearr. Is breá liom cé chomh feargach atá sé. I ndeireadh na 80idí, rinne na meáin a bearta a mhionscrúdú, go háirithe nuair a dhóigh sí pictiúr an Phopa, ba léir gur tharraing sé seo conspóid di.
Ach, arís is arís, bean neamhleithscéalach ab ea Sinead O’Connor. Taispeánann na liricí The Emperor's New Clothes a cuid frustrachas agus ag an am céanna fanann sí láidir agus bródúil dá cuid gníomharthaí agus creidimh. Tá buille tapa agus rithim tógálach ag an amhrán seo. Is amhrán saghas spraoiúil agus beoga é. Is é an líne,
‘Maybe it sounds mean
But I really don't think so
You asked for the truth and I
Told you’
dochreidte agus teiripeach chun screadadh go hard, agus is féidir í a chur i bhfeidhm i go leor cásanna sa saol, go háirithe mar bhean sa lá atá inniu ann.
ENGLISH CONTEXT
I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got is an honest album which displays Sinéad O’ Connor’s innate emotional rawness. Undoubtedly, she was a strong woman who questioned things and went against many common beliefs of how a woman should behave. I believe this album is based on conflict.
Conflict in emotions regarding motherhood, love lost and higher powers such as governments and even God. The Emperor's New Clothes is one of my favourite songs. I love how angry it is. She expresses her frustration at the world, at the media who criticise her and the way she lives her life and people who have let her down. This song is fun and has an infectious beat. It's one to scream in the car to and unleash your frustration at the world, this one is for the misunderstood girlies.
I Am Stretched Out on Your Grave
Ba clúdach é an dara amhrán ar an albam, léiriú O’Connor ar dhán gan ainm ón 17ú haois i nGaeilge’, táim sínte ar do thuama / I Am Stretched On Your Grave. Tá áit faoi leith ag an amhrán seol inár gcultúr.
Cuireann an dán seo téamaí dúil agus cuimhne in iúl dúinn. Téama coitianta i bhfíochán na hÉireann atá le feiceáil fós inniu. Tá stair ag Éirinn de dhóchas agus éadóchas, a athraíonn uair i ndiaidh uair go áilleacht. Tá sé seo soléir san amhrán I Am Stretched Out on Your Grave.
Cruthaíonn an grúpa ceol Scullion ceol do na aistriúchán Béarla don dán i 1979. Chuir O’Connor sampla de ‘Funky Drummer’ le James Brown lena meascán. Bhí a fuinneamh agus a cumas amhrán a chaitheamh ina cóir draíochtúil. Bhí sí go hiomlán í féin. Ba léir go raibh rud éigin ina guth, ina iompar fisiciúil agus a guth a bhí chomh tarraingteach.
ENGLISH CONTEXT
"Sinéad took the spirit of the song, the heart of it, the soul of the song and performed it with that rhythmic undercurrent of power and despair, of love lost forever,” a dúirt Philip King (láithreoir clár raidió the South Wind Blows ar RTÉ Raidió ). “It’s in the Irish tradition of great sean-nós songs of lost love like Dónal Óg, and she nailed it. She translated that sense of Irishness in an uncanny and instinctive way. She had empathy for things that were pure, pagan and came out of the tradition.”
The second track on this album I Am Stretched On Your Grave is a cover. It's a translation of a 17th century Irish poem 'Táim sínte ar do thuama’. This poem expressed themes of longing and remembrance, common themes in Irish lyrism still today. This song is an example of Ireland's history of despair and longing which transforms time and time again to beautiful poignant music. Sinéad lends this poem new life, new pain and her haunting voice.
Nothing Compares 2 U
Bhí an-tóir ar an amhrán Nothing Compares 2 U. Athraíonn saol Sineád O Connor an nóiméad a scaoileadh an bhailéad sin agus a físeán tharraingteach, a imríodh ar MTV an t-am ar fad i 1990. Shroich an singil an uimhir 1 sna cairteacha ceoil ar fud an domhain, fiú sa Ríocht Aontaithe agus san Mheiriceá.
Bhí a hainm ar bhéal gach duine. Amhránaí cáiliúil ba ea í ansin. Is clúdach é an t-amhrán seo i ndáiríre. Is amhrán é Nothing Compares 2 U a scríobh Prince do a ghrúpa ‘The Family’ i 1985, ach tá i bhfad níos mó rath ag an an leagan Sinéad O'Connor.
Dar liom, chuir sí a stíl féin ar an amhrán go hiomlán leis a guth draíochtúil mothúchánach. Bailéad grá caillte é. Ní gá dom tús a chur le cur síos ar chomh cumhachtach agus atá a guth sa t-amhrán seo. Tá a fhios ag gach duine! Creidim go láidir gur clasaic nua aimseartha í anois. Ba í an t-amhrán seo réamhrá dá cuid tallainne tarraingíse d’fhormhór na ndaoine. Bhí sé ceannródaíoch ag an am.
ENGLISH CONTEXT
Nothing Compares 2 U is the standout hit of this album. The moment it was released, along with its captivating video that played over and over again on MTV in the 90s, life was never the same again for Sinéad O’ Connor. Prince composed this ballad but with O Connors raw powerful voice she made it her own. It was a lot of people's first introduction to Sinéad O ‘Connor and now I feel it's a modern classic.
Feel So Different
Osclaíonn an albam leis an amhrán seo. Ar dtús, cloistear creathán ina glór agus a pian agus a leochaileacht. Níl móran eile le chloisteal ar dtús seachas a guth cumhachtach.
Tá gach aird againn uirthi. Mothaím saghas mícompordach nuair a chloisim a guth uaigneach lom ina coinne ceol chiúin na hordchilte. Amhrán meallacach uaigneach is é Feel So Different’.
Shín O’Connor amach focail cosúil le “so” agus “different” go dtí go raibh sé míchompordach é a chloisteáil Tugann sé léargas dúinn ar chuid eile den albam agus ar na deacrachtaí a bhí Sinéad ag dul tríd ag an am. Tá tionchar ag an t-amhrán seo orm ar leibhéal chomh hard sin. Braitheann mé uaigneach nuair a chloisim é, mothaím imníoch.
ENGLISH CONTEXT
The album opens with Feel So Different. This tune stops me in my tracks. O'Connor's pain is so visible to us, we can hear it in her shaky voice. Her voice paired with the orchestra music is so haunting, it makes me feel so lonely. She lets us into the hardship she was going through at the time.She stretches out the words ‘so’ and ‘different’ with such beautiful control when she sings, it’s confronting and makes me feel anxious and almost uncomfortable. That's the power of her voice.
I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got
Críochnaíonn an albam leis an amhrán I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got. Labhraíonn sí linn go mín agus roinneann sí a ciall. Is amhrán machnaimh é seo.
‘I have water for my journey
I have bread and I have wine
No longer will I be hungry
For the bread of life is mine?’
Ghlac sí de réir a chéile leis a saol agus an méid atá aici. Is amhrán álainn agus draíochtúil é seo chun críoch a chur leis an albam. Thug sí léiriú ar fhearg, brón agus pian domhain tríd an albam agus anois níl aon rud fágtha aici ach síocháin agus buíochas. Amhrán simplí, macánta agus cliste é seo. I mo thuraim is cosúil le paidir nó le mantra é, is amhrán machnaimh agus slánú é ach freisin dóchas. Dóchas don chéad chaibidil eile.
ENGLISH CONTEXT
The track I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got concludes this work of art. She shares her wisdom with us. This is a song of reflection and redemption but also of hope. She has expressed her deep pain and anger and now there is nothing left but hope for the next chapter. This song is like a prayer or a mantra to me, a prayer for peace, a prayer for gratitude.
Nuair atá an deireadh ní ráite níl aon ‘skips’ ag an albam I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got. Feictear cumhacht agus tallann Sinéad O’ Connor sna hamhráin Last Day of Our Acquaintance, Jump In the River agus Three Babies. Sna hamhráin sin tá na liricí macánta, mothaimid mothúcháin O’ Connor agus cloisimid a guth laidir agus cumhachtach. Is breá liom an albam seo go hiomlán. Tá áit lárnach ag I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got i mo chroí agus i mo shaol.
Tá báis Sinéad O’Connor coscrach do gach uile dhuine in Éirinn. Fanann sí ar cheann de na guthanna is uathúla agus cumhachtaí a chuala an oileán riamh. Cloistear a ceol ar fud an domhain agus is méala mór a bás dá gach grúpa aoise. Tugann sé daoine le chéile. Ní bheidh a leithéid arís ann. Tallann ar leith í Sinéad O’Connor.
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