The Lion and the Cobra

Untitled

The Lion and the Cobra is the 1987 debut album by Irish singer Sinéad O'Connor. O'Connor, age 20 at the time, recorded the album while very pregnant with her first child. She scrapped the original version of this album because she felt her record company was pushing for it to be "too Celtic", so she produced it herself.

The photograph of O'Connor on the album cover was taken by Haysi Fantayzee member Kate Garner. The U.S. cover differed from the European release, as it was felt a more subdued pose would present a "softer" image of O'Connor.

The video for "Mandinka" was shown heavily after debuting January 24, 1988 on 120 Minutes on MTV. "I Want Your (Hands On Me)" debuted in May 1988 on the same show, featuring a rap interlude by MC Lyte. This song was also featured in the horror film A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master. "Mandinka" was also a mainstream pop hit in the UK, peaking at #17 in the singles chart, as well as her native Ireland.

The album featured prominent session musicians John Reynolds on drums and former Adam and the Ants and Siouxsie & the Banshees guitarist Marco Pirroni.

The title of the album is from Psalm 91:13 "you will tread upon the lion and cobra", and the track "Never Get Old" opens with a recital of Psalm 91 in Gaelic by singer Enya.

The album sold 2,500,000 copies worldwide.

Track listing

1. "Jackie" (O'Connor) – 2:28
2. "Mandinka" (O'Connor) – 3:46
3. "Jerusalem" (O'Connor/McMordie/Clowes/Reynolds) – 4:20
4. "Just Like U Said It Would B" (O'Connor/Wickham) – 4:32
5. "Never Get Old" (O'Connor) – 4:39 (spoken-word intro by Enya)
6. "Troy" (O'Connor) – 6:34
7. "I Want Your (Hands on Me)" (O'Connor/Clowes/Reynolds/Dean/Hollifield) – 4:42
8. "Drink Before the War" (O'Connor/Clowes/Reynolds) – 5:25
9. "Just Call Me Joe" (O'Connor/Mooney/Winer) – 5:51

Personnel

• Sinéad O'Connor: Vocals, Electric Guitar, Producer, Arranger

• Kevin Mooney: Producer, Bass, Engineer, Mixing
• Marco Pirroni: Electric and Acoustic Guitars
• Spike Hollifield: Bass
• Rob Dean: Electric and Acoustic Guitars
• John Reynolds: Drums, Programming
• Mike Clowes: Synthesizer, Keyboards, String Arrangements
• Gavyn Wright: Orchestra Director
• Enya: Speaking Part
• Teeroy Morris: Arranger, Mixing
• Fachtna O'Ceallaigh, Chris Birkett, Lloyd Philips: Mixing
• Jack Adams: Mastering
• Kate Garner, Kim Bowen: Photography
• John Maybury, Steve Horse: Art Direction, Cover Art