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Old 04-03-2012, 09:27 AM   #1102 (permalink)
Trollheart
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At first these two artistes would seem to have very little in common, but when you look closer there are similarities. Matt Johnson has always raged at the machine, so to speak, warning us of the influence everything from religion to the USA exert over our lives, and constantly angry and in despair that things are not as they should be. Sinead O'Connor, of course, has a real problem with the Catholic Church, many forms of authority and warmongerers. She sees many things happening in the world today as almost a personal affront, perhaps not to her but to God, or whatever supreme intelligence she believes in. Can't fault that, to be fair.

Both have written of and sung of the bleakness that can exist in love, the often desperate way we cling to one another, trying to shut out the darkness we know will eventually claim us, trying to stave off the inevitable. So they're actually a perfect match, really, for this ode to loveless love, despair and desperation that appeared on The The's third album, “Mind bomb”.

Matt Johnson and Sinead O'Connor --- Kingdom of rain


Not really billed as a collaboration, or indeed a duet, and to my knowledge, not even released as a single, it's nevertheless a coming together of minds and philosophies and ideas, where the emotion (or lack of) expressed throughout the song and characterised in the lyric is perfect fodder for each of the protagonists. Matt sings of how he thought he'd be with Sinead forever (”You were the girl I wanted to cry with/ You were the girl I wanted to die with”) but then saw that relationship sour and turn ugly as Sinead sings ”You were the boy who turned into a man/ Broke my heart and let go of my hand.” It's a dour, bitter song as both ask the question ”I would lie awake and wonder/ Is it just me?/ Or is this the way love is supposed to be?”

It's no love song, and yet in some ways it's more sincere and honest than many a ballad written to glorify love and romance. Chances are that most of us, though we may start off thinking in terms of “I only wanna be with you” or thereabouts, end up singing this song, or a variant of it, unless we're very lucky. It's a reminder that in the end the flowers start to die, the chocolates taste of dust as the relationship sours and falls apart, and everything turns to ashes.

Now! Aren't you glad to took the time to read this article? Feeling better? No? Well, take it as a cautionary tale if you will: this could happen to you, if you don't treat him or her better, or try to work out the problems in your own relationships.

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