Black Boys on Mopeds

Wow! How did I miss this song? Growing up, I always thought Sinéad was cool because she had the balls to stand up to her country and her religion and to challenge the constructs of gender, sexuality and music. All of this meant that she could have conceivably lost everything and everyone she had in her life at the hands of the gossip-starved media. Until recently (2006), I only knew one Sinéad song. I'll let you guess which one.

I met a girl while I was living in Prague who adored Sinéad and this caused me to investigate. I copied several random songs from her few cd's, including the aforementioned song. I listened to them and enjoyed them. But they never stuck.

Then, last year at my favorite record shop, I found I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got for free in the old cardboard box by the door. I grabbed it quick and clutched it tight as I sauntered out the door. Somehow I knew I would find a hidden gem on this record.

I took it home and intended for weeks to listen to it. Instead, it found its way onto my shelf and stayed there wedged in between NOFX and the Old 97's. It would be weeks before I actually dug into it. Rather than start at song one, I read the playlist and went straight to number five: 'Black Boys On Mopeds'.

Given my childhood recollection of her, I was confident that this song would be a standout just by the name. Not only is it a standout on this record, it's a standout in musical history. I challenge anyone to listen to this song and not be moved.

Using only a guitar and her shimmering, angelic voice, Sinéad weaves a wrenching acoustic tale of late 80s-early 90s UK racial and political unrest in a dreamy, angsty, soul-stirrer. The power and honesty of her unwavering voice is impossible to resist.

I am quite sorry to have missed this at the time, but am quite happy to have it now! For anyone unfamiliar with this song...This is truly one for the ages!