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

Barry Dean ("Pontoon," "Diamond Rings And Old Barstools")

Barry Dean ("Pontoon," "Diamond Rings And Old Barstools")Songwriter Interviews

A top country songwriter, Barry talks about writing hits for Little Big Town, Tim McGraw and Jason Aldean.

Glen Phillips of Toad the Wet Sprocket

Glen Phillips of Toad the Wet SprocketSongwriter Interviews

The "All I Want" singer went through a long depression, playing some shows when he didn't want to be alive.

Petula Clark

Petula ClarkSongwriter Interviews

Petula talks about her hits "Downtown" and "Don't Sleep In The Subway," and explains her Michael Jackson connection.

History Of Rock

History Of RockSong Writing

An interview with Dr. John Covach, music professor at the University of Rochester whose free online courses have become wildly popular.

Ramones

RamonesFact or Fiction

A band so baffling, even their names were contrived. Check your score in the Ramones version of Fact or Fiction.

Let Me Be Your Teddy Bear: Teddy Bears and Teddy Boys in Songs

Let Me Be Your Teddy Bear: Teddy Bears and Teddy Boys in SongsSong Writing

Elvis, Little Richard and Cheryl Cole have all sung about Teddy Bears, but there is also a terrifying Teddy song from 1932 and a touching trucker Teddy tune from 1976.