Album: The Lion and the Cobra (1987)

Charted: 17

License This Song 

• I'm dancing the seven veils
  Want you to pick up my scarf
  See how the black moon fades
  Soon I can give you my heart
  
  I don't know no shame
  I feel no pain
  I can't see the flame
  But I do know Man-din-ka
  I do know Mandinka
  I do know Mandinka
  I do
  
  They're throwing it all this way
  Dragging it back to the start
  And they say, "See how the glass is raised?"
  I have refused to take part
  I told them, "Drink something new"
  Please let me pull something through
  
  I don't know no shame
  I feel no pain
  I can't
  I don't know no shame
  I feel no pain
  I can't see the flame
  
  But I do know Man-din-ka
  I do know Mandinka
  I do know Mandinka
  I do
  I do
  I do
  I said I do
  Soon I can give you my heart
  I swear I do
  Soon I can give you my heart
  
  I do
  Mandinka
  Soon I can give you my heart
  Soon I can give you my heart Writer/s: Sinead O'connor
  Publisher: Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
  Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 8

• Mickeyt52 from BuffaloThe whole Lion and the Cobra album is great, but Mandinka is what pulled me in. That rough, gritty guitar sound is so good!
• Lauren Johnson from AustraliaIt is apparent that Sinead found her soul at a very young age and through her convictions she enlightened the world, That strength of character battered by the mainstream and so bravely upheld in all its earthly forms via her talents is for me what is so incredible about this woman, we have lost a champion of modern humanity. One that lit a flame of compassion, justice and understanding That can never be forgotten or denied. RIP Angel
• Rory from BelfastSinéad O'Connor dragged Ireland, kicking and screaming, out of the clutches of the Roman Catholic Church and those who oppressed anyone with anything to say against State or Church. She made Ireland a place where people could be themselves without fear of being blanked. She was a beacon to all who believed in life for life's sake, to be lived openly and unashamed. "I feel no pain/I feel no shame" summed up her free spirit that was held back and overshadowed by abuse, both physical and mental, hurled down from those who were supposed to love and protect her.
  She, and she alone, saved Ireland from itself.
  While being no saint of any proportion, she still held a mirror up to those who would criticise and derogate, showing them that they had no place to hide. Even the pope had no safe place, facing her righteous indignation at the religious failings of "the church" in its supposed obligation of protection of the vulnerable. She shone a light on child abuse by priests a long time before any of us knew anything of it.
  She certainly had many personal issues throughout her life, mainly mental issues that surfaced in cries for help when she attempted suicide, when she lost her son, Shane, when she became a priest of the Tridentine Church, theologically opposed to the Roman Catholic Church, and, while nit a mental issue, she finally converted to Islam.
  Sinéad O'Connor was a body, searching for a soul her whole life, and she found that soul, eventually, when she passed.
  We have lost a loud and proud voice, but heaven has found a new angel.
• Niamh from Concrete'... while she didn't have hair, she did have a baby.' Is this non sequitur an indictment of failure to self-sexualize for extrinsic validation by her rapists, her molesters, and millions of strangers? that rejecting the male gaze belies mental defect? or simply lazy writing? Sinéad first cut her hair to curtail her abusive mother's denigration of her sister. Sinead's light shown upon hypocrisy, exploitation, and Othering before she defeated Big Music's attempts to make her pretty for profit. The reductive moniker of "protest singer" overlooks the sociopolitical sophistication of herself, Woodie Guthrie, Billy Bragg, U2, NWA, and myriad others.
• Roj from IrelandSleep well, Sinéad :(
• Biff from Cincinnati, OhI saw her perform this song on LN with David Letterman in 1987; from that I went out to get it on tape (it was the 80s) for a roadtrip. Turns out that was her first national tv appearance in the US.
• Mike from Santa Barbara, CaThis single was O'Connor's breakout hit.
• Anne from New Brunswick, NjOne of my favorite songs of all time.

More Songfacts:

LandslideFleetwood Mac

Stevie Nicks wrote "Landslide" before she joined Fleetwood Mac. She was considering going back to school when she and her boyfriend Lindsey Buckingham were asked to join the group.

One WeekBarenaked Ladies

The closing lyrics in "One Week" by Barenaked Ladies are "Birchmount Stadium, home of the Robbie," which refers to a soccer tournament in Ontario.

Harry Patch (In Memory Of)Radiohead

Radiohead's "Harry Patch (In Memory Of)" is about the last surviving World War I veteran to fight in the trenches.

The ReflexDuran Duran

"The Reflex" became a #1 hit for Duran Duran when Nile Rodgers remixed it using a sampler. Simon Le Bon refuses to say what it's about, but says it's "kind of childish song."

Radar LoveGolden Earring

At the end of "Radar Love," the driver dies in a crash but maintains a psychic bond with the woman he was racing to see. The song's lyricist was inspired by stories of extrasensory perception (ESP).

Nothin' On YouB.o.B

When "Nothin' On You" reached #1 on the Hot 100, B.o.B became the first American act whose name is a palindrome to top the chart. The other two who did so prior to the Atlanta rapper were both Scandinavian groups - ABBA and A-Ha.

Editor's Picks

John WaiteSongwriter Interviews

"Missing You" was a spontaneous outpouring of emotion triggered by a phone call. John tells that story and explains what MTV meant to his career.

Meshell NdegeocelloSongwriter Interviews

Meshell Ndegeocello talks about recording "Wild Night" with John Mellencamp, and explains why she shied away from the spotlight.

Jim Adkins of Jimmy Eat WorldSongwriter Interviews

Jim talks about the impact of "The Middle" and uses a tree metaphor to describe his songwriting philosophy.

Jonathan Cain of JourneySongwriter Interviews

Cain talks about the divine inspirations for "Don't Stop Believin'" and "Faithfully."

Randy NewmanSongwriting Legends

Newman makes it look easy these days, but in this 1974 interview, he reveals the paranoia and pressures that made him yearn for his old 9-5 job.

Jonathan Edwards - "Sunshine"They're Playing My Song

"How much does it cost? I'll buy it?" Another songwriter told Jonathan to change these lyrics. Good thing he ignored this advice.