Within two years of releasing “Don’t Let the Bastards (Get You Down)” from his 1990 album Third World Warrior, the title became a catchphrase for Kris Kristofferson, who was always outspoken about his political stances. Kristofferson even spoke these words to Sinéad O’Connor when she was booed during a Bob Dylan tribute concert at Madison Square Garden, shortly after her controversial appearance on Saturday Night Live in 1992.
On October 3, 1992, O’Connor, who had just released her third album Am I Not Your Girl?, appeared as the musical guest on Saturday Night Live and went on to perform a stirring a cappella version of Bob Marley and the Wailers’ 1976 song “War.”
O’Connor chose the song in protest against the allegations of sexual abuse of children in the Catholic Church, which started to come to light in the 1980s. During her performance, she replaced words in the sixth and seventh verses, with the words child abuse and children—Until the ignoble and unhappy regime which holds all of us through child abuse/yaa/child abuse/yaa / subhuman bondage / has been toppled / utterly destroyed … Until that day there is no continent that will know peace/ Children, children / Fight / We find it necessary / We know we will win / We have confidence in the victory of good over evil.
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As O’Connor sang the final lyric We have confidence in good over evil she held up a photograph of Pope John Paul II tore the image to pieces, threw it at the camera, and said “Fight the real enemy.”
Her performance had mixed reactions, and O’Connor never appeared on SNL again. In 2010, the late Irish singer and songwriter detailed her upbringing in the Catholic church and experiencing sexual abuse as a child and said that her performance was not about the man (the Pope) but rather the “office and the symbol of the organization that he represents,” and the neglect of ongoing child abuse under the institution.
“I wanted to force a conversation where there was a need for one,” said O’Connor. “That is part of being an artist.”
On April 23, 2001, Pope John Paul II issued a lengthy letter of apology addressing the sexual abuse cases in the church, and said “There is no place in the priesthood and religious life for those who would harm the young.”
“I’m Not Down”
Just two weeks after her SNL appearance, O’Connor stepped on stage at MSG to perform Dylan’s 1979 song “I Believe in You” during his 1992 tribute concert and was met by an audience of boos. Kristofferson, who had introduced her as an “artist whose name has become synonymous with courage and integrity,” was asked to get her off the stage but did the opposite.
“I was not about to do that,” said Kristofferson in 2010 on the Irish television show Saturday Night with Miriam. “I went out and I said ‘Don’t let the bastards get you down,’ and she said ‘I’m not down,’ and she sang. It was very courageous. It just seemed to me wrong, booing that little girl out there, but she’s always had courage.”
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During Kristofferson’s appearance, O’Connor came out to share a duet on his 1970 song “Help Me Make it Through the Night.”
“Sister Sinéad”
Before their 2010 duet, and nearly 15 years after the incidents in 1992, Kristofferson continued to stand by O’Connor and wrote a tribute to the singer and songwriter, “Sister Sinéad,” for his 2009 album Closer To The Bone.
In his ode to O’Connor, Kristofferson sings of the courage and strength of the bald-headed, brave little girl through her art: And maybe she’s crazy and maybe she ain’t / But so was Picasso and so were the saints.
I’m singing this song for my sister Sinead
Concerning the god-awful mess that she made
When she told them her truth just as hard as she could
Her message profoundly was misunderstood
There’s humans entrusted with guarding our gold
And humans in charge of the saving of souls
And humans responded all over the world
Condemning that bald-headed brave little girl
And maybe she’s crazy and maybe she ain’t
But so was Picasso and so were the saints
And she’s never been partial to shackles or chains
She’s too old for breaking and too young to tame
Photo: Sinead O’Connor (l) by Jesse Grant/WireImage and Kris Kristofferson by Theo Wargo/WireImage
