"Am I Not Your Girl?" is the third album released in 1992 September by Irish singer Sinéad O'Connor, following the success of I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got. This album features a collection of covers, predominantly of jazz standards, and represents songs that O'Connor describes as influential in her desire to become a singer. The title of the album is taken from the song "Success Has Made a Failure of Our Home." It is dedicated to the people of New York City, particularly the homeless whom O'Connor encountered at St. Mark's Place.
The album did not receive much critical acclaim, possibly because O'Connor had gained prominence as a modern pop artist with her previous release, and this album consists of songs written between 1932 and 1978. Additionally, the album's themes—addressing issues such as sexual abuse, addiction, and emotional abuse—and its introduction, which includes a plea, "Où est le roi perdu?" ("Where is the lost king?"), may have contributed to its reception.
The promotion of the album was overshadowed by a controversial appearance on Saturday Night Live, where O'Connor tore up a photo of Pope John Paul II. This act led to significant public and media scrutiny, impacting the commercial momentum she had previously built.
On October 3, 1992, Sinéad O'Connor appeared on Saturday Night Live as a musical guest, performing the lead single from her album, "Success Has Made a Failure of Our Home." She was initially scheduled to sing "Scarlet Ribbons" but changed her choice to Bob Marley's "War" the day before the performance. O'Connor intended this song as a protest against the sexual abuse of children in the Catholic Church, rather than a commentary on racism. During the performance, she wore a necklace with the Rastafari star and a scarf featuring the Rastafari and Ethiopian colors of red, green, and gold. While singing the word "evil," O'Connor held up a photo of Pope John Paul II, then tore it into pieces, declaring "Fight the real enemy."
Her actions sparked a significant public and media uproar. NBC received over 500 calls on the Sunday following the broadcast and an additional 400 on Monday, with most of the calls being critical of O'Connor's actions. Despite the controversy, NBC was not fined by the Federal Communications Commission, which does not regulate such incidents. The network did not remove the performance from the West Coast tape-delayed broadcast that night. As of 2016, NBC still refrains from rebroadcasting the sequence, opting instead to use footage from the dress rehearsal for reruns of the episode.
