Re-listening to the Live on Letterman album, I had forgotten about this performance by Van and Sinead O’Connor. It’s very good, even if I am not too sure what Van was doing as he seemed half drunk and purposely screwed up the song with all his blab-blab-blab-blab scat stuff. Sinead seemed to enjoy it however, so maybe he was just trying to make her relax and laugh along with him.
Van succeeded in making Sinead seem humble and sweet, because unlike her angry and bald headed Pope stunt on SNL, here she comes across as being very nice and somewhat shy. I am assuming that her ear bud and phone were there to assist her with the lyrics to the song. Van might have befitted from that also, because it sure seem liked he flubbed some lyrics and that may explain all that blab-blab business.
Stay for the ending where Van makes his move only to knock the mic around as Sinead looks on and laughs along with/at him. Backing them is the great Irish folk group The Chieftains.
Though obviously a love song, there is a background story that this was a religious tune that Van wrote about his relationship with God (click here.) Hence, I chose it for today the First Sunday of Lent.