tavis: good evening. from los angeles, i am tavis smiley. tonight a conversation with sinead o'connor. she burst into the music scene in 1997 followed nine more success in the 1990's she is out with the new cd called "how about i be me (and you be you)?" >> every community has a martin luther king boulevard. it's the cornerstone we all know. it's not just a street or boulevard, but a place where soon walmart stands together

with your community to make every day better. >> and by contributions to your thank you. tavis: sinead o'connor has been one of the most high-profile artists for years now. a number of acclaimed albums. goad her latest cd is called "how about i be me (and you be you)?" i love the title. here is the video for the song "the wolf is getting married."

♪ >> ♪ some people are in disguise ♪ i will never cry a ggain ♪ makes me smile ♪ makes me laugh ♪ tavis: often difficult to get unanimity amongst critics, but i think pretty much everyone i have read writing about your new project things this may be your

most romantic cd to date. was that intentional? five have intentional in that i think it is the subconscious -- >> half in that the subconscious as the right in. it was the first time i ever wrote romantic songs. tavis: most orders will tell you when they write songs -- most artists will tell you when they write songs there is something happening in their life that assures that into existence, so why this romantic cd now? >> people are linking it to now, but i wrote the songs between 2007 and 2009 when i would go out with this man who is the father of my young there's a child, -- young as a child, who

is still my best mate, and he has annoyed by advertise that he is -- he asked that i advertise he is still available. he is available, ladies. he is a wonderful man. i have been flagging him off lately. another lady wrote the song but would not have put him in such a great light, so i have encouraged him i have written four or five songs. tavis: i want to meet the guy that inspires everyone he meets to write a song about him. if he is such a wonderful guy, why is he the ex? >> i always say because our relationship does not last

forever does not mean it was not successful. it's just because the romantic part wears off does not mean the friendship or love swears off. if you really love someone, that does not spel go away. my eldest child father who is my other made. we are like brothers and sisters. you cannot make love with your brother or sister, but we get along fantastically. tavis: how is that working out? >> that is why i thought i would hit america. tavis: may be an american woman. >> he is an american as well, and i think he needs an american woman. tavis: people fall in love and

marry people around the world in different ethnicities and backgrounds and races, so what is it about him and makes you think he needs an american woman? >> he has a certain sense of humor. good as in one line, even when something terrible is happening, and you laugh, and our son is similar. they see the world through this schumer, so he finds things from a the other people would not think was funny, and irish people his age might be timid, so he is unusual. if they looked at the mor, what aboutchumehu sinead o'connor?

>> humor. if i said to frank or my son, the you know you do that, they would be astonished. tavis: is the process different for you for writing music that comes out of a romantic place for sow's that comes out of of political, social, and -- place compared to that which comes out of a political or social place? a dozen require tapping into a different kind of place? -- does it require tapping into a different kind of place? >> but as a great question. what happens is different songs get written in different manners. the more finger-pointing songs, which they use to call it in the 60's, songs like that

-- "take off your shoes"is supposed to be the holy spirit talking to the vatican. with songs like out there would be consciously trying to write a song about that, but with love songs cover character songs, a couple of characters appeared in my mind that i started to write about. with the romantic songs and character songs, it takes a long time to answer this question, but some artists mistakenly described the process -- they think they are channeling something that is not part of them. i identify with what they are feeling but i do not agree that it is not part of them.

it is those of conchos -- net loss of consciousness -- it is so conscious. we do have so much more going on then we know about. good with subconscious i will hear tunes while doing business, and i will not to pay attention because it will come back. i will be walking the baby out, and i will hear a bit more, but if i take a guitar and try to stem that, i am not letting it do its work. the finger-pointing is more conscious than the others. tavis: i know you are a great artist. and how could argue out washing dishes? >> i am a very good dishwasher.

i am kind of addictive to cleaning. tavis: you and i agree on that. >> i am afraid i washing dishes and cleaning the house. good -- i am great out washing dishes and cleaning the house. i do not like it. >> i want to talk about a couple of your albums. since you mentioned bob dylan three times without my asking, and it underscores i have been on your web site, so i know what a huge fan you are. what is it about bob dylan that makes him your favorite artists? >> i have a couple of favorite artists. it would be him and curtis mayfield. tavis: that never get said. he never gets his props. >> he does not give a talk about.

he had his heart, and what i love about curtis and bob dylan bob marley as well, they are artists. they have those commercial success in their usyouth based n poppish records, but at some point in their lives toward middle age they became almost someone else. they went through a spiritual journey, and a person but was born was a much more spiritualized person, focused on being alive, and i think there are times when an artist needs to just represent there is

something more than what we see in front of ourselves, and when i see bob dylan or bob marley or curtis mayfield, i know there is a gond. it does not matter what they are saying. the sound of their voice and the conviction of their soul, you know there is a god. and mohammad ali is one of my biggest euros. tavis: -- biggest heroes. tavis: he just turned 70. >> i did not like to see him getting a speedup -- getting beat up, but he underwent this transformation. he became this other person. he changed his name, and i was like, where did he go, but i understand it was a spiritual transformation, so there are

interesting characters, and i read an interview with muhammed ali's daughter, and they ask, do you believe in god, and she said, all i have to do to know there is a god is a look at my father. i feel the same about bob dylan and curtis. i think curtis wrote the best song about jesus ever, but in bob dylan's case, it was particularly the christian songs i loved, and i love loads of stuff as well, and my brother came in with his record, and i had grown ups in the country were all of the religious songs make you want to jump off

something. they were just awful, completely uninspired, and my brother put this out, and i wanted to make some music about the holy spirit, and i always feel there is a link between music and spirituality. good i was relieved when i heard fast somebody could make nonreligious music and -- could make religious music. i think god needs to get rescued from who religious music. imagine if you had to sit in a club and listen to the worst music. you are stuck for an eternity.

tavis: when you say you are not religious maniac, i am looking at your shirt. i just saw by huge cover story about you with the teachers at says "property of jesus." there you go, but you are not a religious maniac. >> yoon they -- you know that you can tell an irish man, but i really believe god and religion are two different things. there is something about religion that is very inspiring, but i do things got needs to be -- god needs to be rescued from

religion. there is a difference between -- god loves unconditionally, and religion loves conditionally. religion spends a lot of time telling people who they can love. that is why i like ross of korean revitalize like -- that is why i like rastifarian. it can do a lot of damage, religion, really. in my belief, there is one spirit. i prefer to call it a holy spirit. i do not think it matters what you call it, so i am of holy spirit maniac. i am not know religious maniac. i love religious but i do not like it. to me a maniac is someone who

tells you what you should believe, and i do not believe that, but i used to be in the closet about believing these things, but i was afraid because you know religious is failing when people think you are bonkers because you believe in god. i have a strong relationship, and there was relief in the closet, but only as a fire want to come out is my t-shirts. beyond that, i do not want your shove it down people's throats. what i believe is a personal thing but it does not exclude others. how would you explain to someone that your protestations about the catholic church -- whether one agrees or disagrees is not a point, but how would you explain how your protestations against the catholic church are not telling them what they should they?

>> i am someone who really does believe very strongly in the holy spirit. i feel i have a sense of the very small child of being engaged in a strong relationship with a holy spirit. there are times i think i have been asked to do certain things as an artist. there are other times i am asked to do something that has nothing to do with art. i helped an old lady across a road or whatever, and i felt was was really something i us to do. it was not required that i make anyone else understand. what was required was that i would do what was told. for what purpose were you asked to do that on saturday

night live? >> i was an irish catholic, and it was important that i did that, and we knew 10 years before america was going on in the church. we knew because in 1987 the church took out who insurance policies against claims they foresaw were going to be made. i understand people were upset because the idea was abhorrent, but in ireland we knew it was true, and we required a tearing down of the church, and we still do. it is very 50/50 in ireland. i love the holy spirit. i understand it is a sin to last from -- to blasphem. those people that are lying about it are disrespecting.

you do not fly over something so important as the rape of little children. i love jesus christ and all the others. i love the holy spirit. i have a duty to explain what are related field. -- what i really feel. it was an artistic way of saying we want our church run by people who believe in jesus christ. tavis: all of the subsequent years, i am curious. do you think you are better understood?

drexel was not important or required at anybody else understand it. the victims have a voice, and they did not. it was important they have avoiders, but there is someone that did not have a voice, and it was the holy spirit. you cannot have a church run by people who do not believe in god. when it comes to a vital industry for the honor of god. tavis: you have a statement to make about artists who do not

raise questions. i think artists are the gatekeepers of the truth, so what is your sense of artists who never find a way to say anything about what is going on in the world? >> i do not believe in artistic snobbery or musical snobbery, and to read the sexiest foremost spiritual words ever offered in rock-and-roll are bop bamboo. a, shaking the booties is as important as the other stuff. you cannot have one without the other, so you cannot give that up, and we are living in circumstances where our spiritual system is absolutely corrupt and our country is

economically corrupt, because when you look of the spiritual problems, people behave in a way that did not consider other people. where you have war you have a spiritual problem, and you cannot solve a spiritual problem with politics, and of some corn the entire population of the earth is going to look -- and at some point the entire population of the earth is going to have to look at caring for one another. tavis: i want to just about this song. >> that is about having a crush on your boyfriend as a friend and acting upon it. i have a crush on my boyfriend a friend, which we all knew. i met francs through the sky, which was his estimate, but i knew neil since i was 200 good

-- since i was 20. everyone knew i had a crush on neil a whole time. tavis: i did not know this was going to be bookended by frank. frank, you have your shout out. the new project is out. it is called "how about i be me (and you be you)?" i love that title. if you can be your authentic selves. drugs i was going to call itself -- >> i was going to collall it -- tavis: we will not be using the.

and new projects from sinead. thanks for being here. i enjoyed it. until next time, keep the faith. ♪ your smile makes me smile ♪ your hope gives me hope ♪ where it used to be only gray ♪ ♪ >> for more information on today's show, visit tavis smiley at pbs.org. tavis: for information about our women, children, and poverty convention, visit our web site at pbs.org.

>> every community has a martin luther king boulevard. it's the cornerstone we all know. it's not just a street or boulevard, but a place where walmart stands together with your community to make every day better. >> and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. >> be more. pbs. >> be more. pbs.