Everything That Rises

This lengthy chapter is a collection of short commentaries on songwriters and bands across musical genres, and at all levels of commercial recognition, who have referenced O’Connor’s stories, novels, or person in individual songs or who have acknowledged to some extent her shaping influence on their song art. J.D. Wilkes of the Legendary Shack Shakers appears cut from the same cloth as O’Connor and describes his songs of “the southern surreal” by channelling her phrase: “Large, startling figures—that’s what I’m trying to draw.” Of particular interest are analyses O’Connor-influenced songs by R.E.M., U2, and Tom Waits that directly draw on identifiable short stories. This chapter also discusses at some length a Canadian duo influenced by O’Connor who gained some pop music success in the mid-1990s. Wild Strawberries translate two of O’Connor’s racially charged stories into songs that address Canada’s own emerging recognition of its historical racist policies and practices.