Troy (song)


"Troy" is a song by Irish singer-songwriter Sinéad O'Connor from her debut studio album The Lion and the Cobra. It was released by Chrysalis Records as the lead single from The Lion and the Cobra in 1987. Written by O'Connor, the lyrics are based on the poem No Second Troy by William Butler Yeats. In 2002, a dance version of the song was released as "Troy ", becoming a top-ten hit on several international dance charts including the US Dance Club Songs chart.

Critical reception

editor Stephen Thomas Erlewine noted in his review, that songs like "Troy", "Jackie", and "Jerusalem" "are compelling because of their hushed, quiet intensity." Mark Richardson from Pitchfork described the song as a "epic and visceral psychodrama", and added that it is "lushly orchestrated, painting the story of desire and betrayal on a wall-sized canvas." Sal Cinquemani from Slant wrote that "the fierce melodrama of young love and betrayal is imbued with the surrounding violence in "Troy", the song's crumbling romance equated with the burning of the famous Greek city." He added that the song "is, perhaps, the album's defining moment, exhibiting all of the traits—vulnerability, fury, conviction, theatricality—the infamously outspoken singer-songwriter would become known for in the years that followed."

Music video

The video featured O'Connor, completely bald and covered with gold and silver body paint, singing to a background of moving images including flames.

Live performances

O'Connor only sang "Troy" live the year after it was released, after that she refused to perform "Troy" again until 2008 when she performed at the Night of the Proms in Belgium and The Netherlands.

Chart performance