Illusion of Life in Sinead O’Connor’s “Drink Before the War” | By Kate Reiner

 

Photo Credit: Pitchfork

In 2023, the music industry lost one of its greats with the passing of Sinead O’Connor. Even those who aren't as familiar with her work will still undoubtedly recognize her distinctive voice when heard. An influential singer and songwriter, O’Connor is known for her songs about life, autobiographical in many cases, observatory in others, and for her role as a social activist and women’s rights advocate. 

In a 2022 documentary about her personal life and accomplishments as an artist, O’Connor reflected on the start of her career and the release of her first album, telling interviewers, "They wanted me to grow the hair long and wear short skirts and high heels, makeup, and the whole works — write songs that wouldn't challenge anything," she recalled. "But then I come from a country where there used to be riots in the streets over plays. That's what art is for" (O’Connor as cited in Ahlgrim, 2023, para. 10). Her debut album, The Lion and the Cobra, is full of songs about life and humanity with themes that challenge the status quo. But there’s one song in particular that I want to discuss here as it contains several elements that fit with an illusion of life perspective (Sellnow, 2018). 

The musical and lyrical structure of O’Connor’s song “Drink Before the War” delivers what Sellnow (2018) describes as a “congruent tragic release pattern” (p. 177). Congruent tragic release pattern songs represent emotions such as “inner feelings of despair and a desire to be heard and valued by others” (Sellnow, 2018, p. 177). These attributes contribute to the song's ability to engage the listener in an illusion of a lived experience. 

From the start, the musical pattern in O’Connor’s song conveys a sense of time passing, an effect Sellnow (2018) calls virtual time. The slow creeping melody also creates a sense of reverence, lament, and waiting for something, like an eerie calm before a storm, or war. Paralinguistic cues (O'Connor's range of vocal intensity) then command the emotional tones of the song, giving off a sense of building frustration and exasperation, like a storm breaking or battle waged. The song ends with music and vocals fading out, an exhausted conflict left unresolved.

In terms of the song's meaning, the lyrical content contains overarching themes that touch on socioeconomic status and an age-old disconnect between the young and hopeful and the old and cynical. It’s also about the hypocrisy one sees in those who complain about the world or their circumstances but turn a blind eye to doing something to better it, instead choosing to drown their sorrows or hide behind the comforts of their material possessions or beliefs. To the discerning listener, the song may call into question what kind of person you are.  

With this interpretation, the song functions rhetorically in its representation of actual life experiences and emotions. The combined effect of the musical and lyrical elements of the song come together to form a virtual experience that is couched in the artist’s perspective but relatable to the listener (Sellnow, 2018). And though the experience itself is an illusion, its implications may be arguably real. 

Songs like O’Connor’s make you take pause and think about life differently, the illusion of life they invoke provides a lens through which real life can be observed, understood, and even influenced. And they are the songs that seem timeless and always relevant.

I can think of so many occasions in my life where songs like this one have been a tool for self-expression, understanding, inspiration, connection, or even healing. Do you have a song, or songs, in your music library that stand out to you for similar reasons? If so, did it change your perspective on life, yourself, or a situation you’ve experienced? 

References

Ahlgrim, C. (2023, July 28). Sinéad O'Connor said she never wanted to be a 'pop star' and only became a musician because she 'wanted to scream'. Business Insider. https://www.businessinsider.com/sinead-oconnor-didnt-want-pop-star-life-2023-7

Sellnow, D. D. (2018). The rhetorical power of popular culture: considering mediated texts (3rd Ed). Sage Publications.