Fight Like Apes cover Sinéad O'Connor's 'Black Boys on Mopeds'

Fight Like Apes have recorded the seminal 'Black Boys On Mopeds', written by Sinéad O’Connor and released on her second album I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got, released in 1990. The cover is set to release on March 15th, 2024, with the Dublin band announcing that all proceeds will go to Lajee Centre, Aida Refugee Camp, Occupied West Bank, and Palestine.

Like O'Connor, band front-runner Mary-Kate "MayKay" Geraghty, and co-writer Jamie "Pockets" Fox are also advocates for social change.

MayKay is a member of Irish Artists for Palestine - a collective of Irish artists advocating for Palestinian freedom through solidarity, activism, and fundraising initiatives.

MayKay writes, "I was in Aida refugee camp in the Occupied West Bank of Palestine when I heard Sinéad O’Connor had died. There was no-one there that didn’t know who she was and why she was so important. We had a sing-song late into that night on the roof, Irish people singing Sinéad songs, Palestinian people singing beautiful folk songs in Arabic. Back when she released this song in 1990, like most things she did, it was so brave to speak the way she did. Truly brave. She was mocked, ostracised, shamed. These are dangerous days, to say what you feel is to make your own grave”

"Because of her and her relentless energy for speaking truth to power, it’s not dangerous these days for people like us to speak out. She paved the way. We owe this to her."

Jamie Fox adds, "It's very sad that this song is as, if not more, relevant today as it was when was released 34 years ago. Black Boys on Mopeds is a prayer for shared humanity, a prayer from Sinéad that her child wouldn't have to live in a world that was unjust and devoid of compassion. If you don't want to play our version, play Sinéad’s version and listen."

We’re nothing if not loyal to Sinéad O’Connor.
This fucking sucks. https://t.co/6aLGRIWVlk

— Fight Like Apes (@fightlikeapes) February 16, 2024

Sinéad O'Connor's haunting song about protest is a devastating critique of institutionalised racism in Britain. The song makes direct reference to the story of Nicholas Bramble, a black man who, in 1989, was investigated by police on suspicion that he had stolen a moped that he actually owned.

“England’s not the mythical land of Madame George and roses, it’s the home of police who kill Black boys on mopeds,” sings O’Connor. “And I love my boy and that’s why I’m leaving. I don’t want him to be aware that there’s any such thing as grieving.”

O'Connor was known for her introspective, and profoundly pensive songs, as the late and great singer spent much of her life serving as an advocate for social justice.

One of the most memorable instances of this was when the artist made an appearance on a 1992 episode of Saturday Night Live in which she ripped a photo of Pope John Paul II while simultaneously singing 'War' by Bob Marley. By doing this, she was actively protesting sexual abuse in the Catholic Church as she looked straight into the camera and said, "Fight the real enemy."

The IAFP call out says “This St. Patrick’s Day, IAFP invites artists at home and abroad to use our platforms, big and small, to send a global message of solidarity to Palestine. As we organise, parade, and perform all over the world, let us take this opportunity to unite in a global call to end the genocide in Gaza.”

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This song will be performed live at the Fight Like Apes show at The Olympia Theatre on April 6th.

Listen to 'Black Boys on Mopeds' by Sinéad O'Connor below: