John I Love You

Album: Universal Mother (1994)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • The John in this song is John Stokes, who was Sinéad O'Connor's piano teacher. She sings his praises, letting him know she loves him and thinks the world of her.

    Although Sinéad was madly in love with him, he resisted her advances. "He wasn't interested in me at all because he was quite sensible and knew that I was completely out of my mind," she wrote in her memoir Rememberings. "Still, we were friends and I was really fond of him, loved him very, very much."
  • Many fans thought this song was about O'Connor's brother John, or her first husband, John Reynolds, who played drums on the track.
  • The piano that lead the song is by Phil Coulter. There's also a cello in the mix, played by John O'Kane.
  • The song is part of O'Connor's Universal Mother album, released in 1994 four years after her breakthrough I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got. She had a much lower profile by this time, especially in America where she accumulated some bad press for tearing up a photo of the Pope on live TV.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Queen

QueenFact or Fiction

Scaramouch, a hoople and a superhero soundtrack - see if you can spot the real Queen stories.

Grunge Bands Quiz

Grunge Bands QuizMusic Quiz

If the name Citizen Dick means anything to you, there's a chance you'll get some of these right.

Tom Johnston from The Doobie Brothers

Tom Johnston from The Doobie BrothersSongwriter Interviews

The Doobies guitarist and lead singer, Tom wrote the classics "Listen To The Music," "Long Train Runnin'" and "China Grove."

Deconstructing Doors Songs With The Author Of The Doors Examined

Deconstructing Doors Songs With The Author Of The Doors ExaminedSong Writing

Doors expert Jim Cherry, author of The Doors Examined, talks about some of their defining songs and exposes some Jim Morrison myths.

Bass Player Scott Edwards

Bass Player Scott EdwardsSong Writing

Scott was Stevie Wonder's bass player before becoming a top session player. Hits he played on include "I Will Survive," "Being With You" and "Sara Smile."

Who Did It First?

Who Did It First?Music Quiz

Do you know who recorded the original versions of these ten hit songs?