The Lion and the Cobra

The Lion and the Cobra
Studio album by Sinéad O'Connor
Released	1987
Recorded	1986-1987
Genre	Rock/Alternative
Length	42:21
Label	Ensign/Chrysalis
Producer	Sinéad O'Connor Kevin Mooney
Professional reviews
All Music Guide link Robert Christgau A- link Rolling Stone link Slant link
Sinéad O'Connor chronology
— The Lion and the Cobra [1987) I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got (1990)
Alternate cover
Original cover art

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. The album featured prominent session musicians John Reynolds on drums and former Adam and the Ants and Siouxsie & the Banshees guitarist Marco Pirroni, as well as a guest vocal performance on the track "Never Get Old" by Irish 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 Moloney: 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