Thank You for Hearing Me

"Thank You for Hearing Me" is a song by Irish singer-songwriter Sinéad O'Connor, released in 1994 by Chrysalis and Ensign as the first single from her fourth album, Universal Mother (1994). Co-written by her with John Reynolds and based on her recent breakup with English art pop singer Peter Gabriel,[1] they also co-produced the song with English musician, composer and record producer Tim Simenon. It received positive reviews from music critics and was a sizeable hit in Europe. In Iceland, the song peaked at number five, and was a top 10 hit also in Poland, while it peaked at number 13 in the UK and number 14 in Scotland. The song's music video was directed by Richard Heslop.

"Thank You for Hearing Me"
Single by Sinéad O'Connor
from the album Universal Mother
Released1994
Genre
Length6:30
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Sinéad O'Connor singles chronology
"You Made Me the Thief of Your Heart"
(1994)		 "Thank You for Hearing Me"
(1994)		 "Fire on Babylon"
(1994)
Music video
"Thank You For Hearing Me" on YouTube

Critical reception

J.D. Considine from The Baltimore Sun complimented "Thank You for Hearing Me" as the "crowning glory" of Universal Mother, which with its "bone-simple melody and deep, hypnotic pulse, expresses a gratitude so heartfelt and self-effacing it seems more like a prayer than a song."[2] Larry Flick from Billboard declared it as an "ethereal hip-hop track", adding that "it should intrigue those who prefer their pop with vigilant melodies and a smart passion."[3] Steve Baltin from Cash Box named it one of "her best moments" of the album, and a "stunning conclusion".[4] In a separate single review, he described it as "passionate, emotive, firey, beautiful. This single is a wonderful reminder of why audiences fell in love with O'Connor before all the controversy. It conveys emotion with the sincerity only she can give, using a rising crescendo before slipping into a hushed whisper near the end."[5] Michael R. Smith from The Daily Vault wrote that the singer herself "is left with a surprising feeling of appreciation, especially for those who had stood by her through it all, and she shows her gratitude with the inspiring closer".[6]

In his weekly UK chart commentary, James Masterton felt that it "achieves almost hymn-like proportions with Sinead singing like the angel you always suspected she was. Exactly how commercial it will be remains to be seen, she has made spine-tingling records that have flopped in the past, but for the moment it is good to welcome her back to the heights."[7] Pan-European magazine Music & Media commented, "Gloria in excelsis deo, Sinead is singing a prayer on a dance rhythm."[8] Alan Jones from Music Week gave it four out of five, writing that "this is an odd track; it's very simple, extremely repetitive and almost hymnal in it quiet gentleness, apart from a sinewy bassline." He concluded with that "its success as a single is assured".[9] Dele Fadele from NME praised it as "the glorious finale" of the album, saying the song is "even more groovy, music-wise as she lists a lot of good things to thank an un-named suitor for, before slipping in thank you for breaking my heart whilst a celestial backing track rolls into the horizon."[10] Joy Press from Spin deemed it "a post-suicide-attempt song that hums with lush gratitude for life's little favors."[11] David Yonke from Toledo Blade remarked that the singer "offers an olive branch to those who have given her a chance."[12]

Chart performance

The song charted in both Europe and Australia. In Iceland, it was a top 5 hit, peaking at number five in February 1995. In Poland, it peaked at number ten, while in the UK, it reached number 13 in November 1994. It entered the UK Singles Chart at number 18, and the last entry was at number 72 on 1 January 1995. In Scotland, the single peaked at number 14 in its first week on the Scottish Top 100. The last position was at number 92 on 22 January. On the Eurochart Hot 100, it reached its highest position as number 51 in December 1994. In Australia, it only reached number 114.

Music video

The music video for "Thank You for Hearing Me" was directed by British film director Richard Heslop.[13] It was later made available on YouTube in 2012 and had generated more than 1.6 million views as of July 2023.[14]

Track listing
  • Europe, CD maxi (1994)
  1. "Thank You for Hearing Me" – 6:30
  2. "Fire on Babylon" (Remix) – 13:27

Charts
Chart (1994–1995) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[15] 114
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[16] 51
Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40)[17] 5
Scotland (OCC)[18] 14
UK Singles (OCC)[19] 13

References
  1. Chilton, Louis (29 May 2021). "Sinead O'Connor describes past romance with Peter Gabriel: 'I was basically weekend p***y'". Independent. Retrieved 2 June 2021.
  2. Considine, J.D. (20 September 1994). "It isn't the words but the music that makes Phair and O'Connor worth a listen" (PDF). The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved 7 March 2020.
  3. Flick, Larry. Billboard.
  4. Baltin, Steve (24 September 1994). "Pop Albums — Reviews: Picks of the Week" (PDF). Cash Box. Retrieved 5 March 2022.
  5. Baltin, Steve (15 July 1995). "Pop Singles" (PDF). Cash Box. p. 7. Retrieved 10 November 2022.
  6. Smith, Michael R. (24 February 2008). "Universal Mother - Sinead O'Connor". The Daily Vault. Retrieved 7 March 2020.
  7. Masterton, James (20 November 1994). "Week Ending November 26th 1994". Chart Watch UK. Retrieved 9 September 2021.
  8. "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. 26 November 1994. Retrieved 26 April 2018.
  9. Jones, Alan (12 November 1994). "Market Preview: Mainstream - Singles" (PDF). Music Week. p. 14. Retrieved 22 April 2021.
  10. Fadele, Dele (17 September 1994). "Long Play". NME. p. 50. Retrieved 22 October 2023.
  11. Press, Joy (1 October 1994). "Spins". Spin. Vol. 10, no. 7. p. 107. Retrieved 4 March 2020.
  12. Yonke, David (10 November 1994). "Sinead's emotionally piercing but political". Toledo Blade. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
  13. "Thank You for Hearing Me (1994) by Sinéad O'Connor". IMVDb. Retrieved 21 October 2019.
  14. "Sinéad O'Connor - Thank You for Hearing Me [Official Music Video]". YouTube. 16 March 2012. Retrieved 25 December 2022.
  15. "Response from ARIA re: chart inquiry, received 12 September 2016". Imgur.com. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
  16. "Eurochart Hot 100" (PDF). Music & Media. 10 December 1994. Retrieved 26 April 2018.
  17. "Íslenski Listinn NR. 103 Vikan 4.2. '95 - 10.2. '95" (PDF). Dagblaðið Vísir. 4 February 1995. p. 20. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
  18. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100 20 November 1994 - 26 November 1994". officialcharts.com. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
  19. "Sinéad O'Connor - Thank You For Hearing Me". officialcharts.com. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
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