No Man's Woman (song)

"No Man's Woman", the lead single from the album Faith and Courage, was sent to pop and rock stations on 21 April 2000.{{cite magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ww4EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA14|work=Billboard|title=The Beat|first=Melinda|last=Newman|date=1 April 2000|page=14|publisher=Nielsen Business Media, Inc.|via=Google Books}} Andy Murray, marketing director of Warner Music Europe, commented: "It's the right time for her to break her silence. The single is very commercial and everybody seems to think it's her best album since her first record. The marketing campaign is about reminding people who she is. But actually, despite the long gap, nobody seems to need reminding. There's a real excitement around the record, which has surprised a lot of people".{{cite journal|last=Williamson|first=Nigel|url=https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-Music-and-Media/00s/2000/MM-2000-06-17.pdf|title=Sinead's journey of survival|date=17 June 2000|accessdate=20 December 2018|journal=Music & Media|volume=17|issue=25|pages=1–21}}

According to Nigel Williamson of Music & Media, O'Connor set out "her stall as strong and forceful young woman" on the song.

The singer commented on the lyrics of the song:

"It talks about a soul, a female soul who does not want to be a girlfriend or a wife, but wants to be single, really, but who is very much in love with the spirit of men and wants to conduct a relationship with the spirit of men. The song also honors the woman's soul, [which] feels that her teachers will be men, her guides will be men, and her rescuers have been men. Not romantically, though, but spiritually".{{cite web|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/1432772/sinead-oconnor-comes-out-talks-new-single-video/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181221041315/http://www.mtv.com/news/1432772/sinead-oconnor-comes-out-talks-new-single-video/|url-status=dead|archive-date=December 21, 2018|title=Sinead O'Connor Comes Out; Talks New Single, Video|last=Archive-David-Basham|website=MTV News}}

MTV News called the song "autobiographical" and "anthemic".{{cite web|url=http://www.mtv.com:80/bands/az/oconnor_sinead/248098/album.jhtml|title=Sinéad O'Connor - Faith and Courage|date=|publisher=MTV News|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20021018115124/http://www.mtv.com/bands/az/oconnor_sinead/248098/album.jhtml|archive-date=18 October 2002|access-date=20 December 2018|url-status=dead}}

The music video was directed by Mike Lipscombe. According to O'Connor, "The video shows kind of a symbolic death and rebirth which takes place, and which helps this woman's soul to become more of herself by following the guidance of particular male religious instructors. It's very much a song that honors man. It's interesting how people think if you reject men sexually, that this means you're somehow rejecting them entirely. But in fact, sometimes it's easier to be intimate with men when there isn't that threat of sexuality or whatever". The video was nominated at the 2000 Billboard Music Awards in the category of Best Jazz/AC Video.{{Cite magazine |url=http://www.billboard.com/events/mvc/nominees2000.html |title=Billboard Music Video Conference 2000 |magazine=Billboard |access-date=2020-04-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20001116232200/http://www.billboard.com/events/mvc/nominees2000.html |archive-date=2000-11-16 |url-status=live }}

"No Man's Woman" was used on the pilot of TV series Alias in 2001, Sydney Bristow (played by Jennifer Garner) escapes with a prototype, and delivers it to Arvin Sloane (played by Ron Rifkin).{{cite web|url=https://decider.com/2015/09/30/today-in-tv-history-alias-pilot/|title=Today in TV History: The 'Alias' Pilot Was The Best Pilot Ever … There, We Said It|date=30 September 2015|publisher=}}

US and European CD single{{cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/Sin%C3%A9ad-OConnor-No-Mans-Woman/release/3473761|title=Sinéad O'Connor - No Man's Woman|website=Discogs}}

1. "No Man's Woman" (Album Version) – 3:02
2. "This Is a Rebel Song" (Remix) – 3:54
3. "Her Mantle So Green" – 2:04

{{Reflist}}

{{Sinéad O'Connor}}

{{authority control}}

Category:2000 songs

Category:Songs written by Sinéad O'Connor

Category:Sinéad O'Connor songs

Category:Songs written by Anne Preven

Category:Songs written by Scott Cutler

Category:2000 singles

Category:Music videos directed by Mike Lipscombe

Category:2000s in Irish music