Nothing Compares 2 U

I didn't post about her passing yesterday, but I surely was thinking about Sinead O'Connor. I listened to Nothing Compares 2 U somewhere in the range of a billion times when I was a teen, full of angst and anger and unrequited love. I didn't know what Sinead was singling about, necessarily, but I felt it. I listened to her sing and I cried, internally or externally, my gloom of teenage tears.

Later on I learned that this song, Sinead’s song, was actually a cover, and that Prince had written it. Which seemed like such an odd match of two completely different artists. But you know, it was really as much Sinead’s song as it was Prince’s song as it was my song. She just felt it the most.

In 2015, I went to see Chris Cornell on his Higher Truth tour. It was him and his guitar, that was it. He played a cover of Nothing Compares 2 U and though no longer a teen, I may have cried a bit. For past me, past heartbreak, for past Sinead, and I didn't know it then, but for future Chris.

In 2018, Prince or I guess his estate released his version of Nothing Compares 2 U. Ironic but not the first time that a songwriter's version of their own song was the least famous. (I'm sure there are a zillion other NC2U covers out there, but you know what I mean.) It is still a fantastic song, though, his version of it. But it’s the third best version.

But about Sinead.

You know I saw somewhere, not bothering to click on the link, but Morrissey said something along the lines of, You praise her now that she's gone, underlying message: you're a hypocrite. While I am no Morrissey fan, in this instance he's not necessarily wrong - a lot of people f'ing hated Sinead back in the day, especially after that SNL performance. But also, while you're still here, Morrissey, let me say this: fuck off already.

I don’t really know anything about Sinead O’Connor other than what I’ve read here and there. But I will forever feel a connection to her because of that song, and how she sang it. It was like her voice transcended the laws of science as we know them, to ascend to magic, something with no explanation, that we can only witness in awe.

I started singing the song after I saw Chris Cornell play it, but in my mind I’m always singing Sinead’s version. And probably will sing it to her tonight.

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A post by Rob Harvilla on Nothing Compares 2 U.