Is an ideological struggle justified if it sacrifices civilians? In 1993, two explosions sounded in the Irish city of Warrington. The attacks were organized by militants of the Irish Republican Army. As a result of the second incident, two boys, Jonathan Ball and Tim Parry, were killed and other people were injured.
The event shocked Dolores O’Riordan, lead singer of The Cranberries. The group was on a tour of the UK, during which Dolores wrote the song Zombie and dedicated it to the dead guys.
Zombies she calls members of the IRA, through whose fault innocent people go to the next world.
The Cranberries are a group that was born in the late eighties in Ireland. She quickly became popular. And even today the compositions of this group can be found quite often. A couple of years ago one of these songs was Zombie. Let’s try to figure out what the meaning of the lyrics of this song is.
The story of the creation of the song Zombie – The Cranberries
Zombie is the most popular song of The Cranberries. Even people who are not familiar with the work of the band know about this song. If you do not know what this song is about, you can still easily guess the tragedy of what is happening. The song is dedicated to the conflict between England and Ireland. In 1993, a terrorist attack took place in the city of Warrington, organized by the Irish side. The result is many deaths, including two children. The report from the scene was seen by Dolores O’Riordan, the author of the text. On the screen was a woman, the heartbroken mother of one of the children. This is what prompted me to write this composition.
Dolores O’Riordan spoke about the origin and meaning of Zombie’s song:
It was written during a tour of England a year and a half ago, when there was a surge of difficulties in the relationship between Northern Ireland and London. It never got out of my head. For a while, thoughts of explosions in general gnawed at me, and I read articles about what was happening in Bosnia, about how women were treated and, more painfully, children. Then there was an explosion in Warrington and those boys were killed. […]
The IRA is not me. I’m not in the IRA. The Cranberries are not the IRA. As is my family. When the song says, “This is not me, this is not my family,” that’s what I mean. This is not Ireland, these are some idiots living in the past, living in dreams. […]
…I don’t care if they are Protetans or Catholics. I don’t care if it’s England or Ireland. By and large, I only care about the fact that innocent people suffered. That’s what inspired me to write the song. And I didn’t write a song about it because I’m Irish.
Vox, 1995
In an interview, O’Riordan said that Zombie is about “an Irish struggle for independence that seems to go on forever”. At the same time, all members of the group are unanimous that this is “a song for peace, peace between England and Ireland.”
Video of Zombie by The Cranberries
Check out the music video for Zombie by The Cranberries.
The meaning of the name song
It is not surprising that such a song has a metaphorical title. Dolores decided to use this word to name the terrorists who have committed many terrible things. However, she does not specifically mean this case – she calls the zombies of all terrorists. In her opinion, such people act on the inspiration of others, completely without thinking about the consequences, just like zombies behave.
The meaning of Zombie song
The very first verse of the song has a rather tragic character. A child is shown with a bowed head. He’s already dead and it can’t be fixed. It is felt that the performer literally shudders from the presentation of this spectacle. “We will not be asked” – this line literally says that neither the British nor the Irish wanted such a tragedy. Yes, there is a conflict between them, but no one wanted such a sacrifice. The next verse begins with a continuation of the chorus. He seems to be saying that none of the zombies care about either the families or the dead themselves. Next we move on to one of the eyewitnesses. He didn’t get hurt. But this man clearly does not want to calm down. Everything in his head seems to be alive. He hears explosions, bullets and even tanks. In the memories, this man is still crying. The chorus says that this person still sees these “zombies”. Next we see one of the mothers of the dead children. She is in tears, because no one can return her child. There is silence. It personifies a minute of silence for the dead and the moment of awareness of all the horror. Following the performer notes that this happened in 1916. This is a historical reference to the year when Ireland began to fight for independence. At the same time, Dolores is absolutely indifferent to politics. She is more concerned about how politicians dare to decide who lives and who dies. Zombies constantly think about it and dream of repeating the same thing over and over again. Explosions, bullets and murders are what bring them pleasure. The chorus is repeated again, as if asking – “What’s in your head, zombie?”. Following the performer notes that this happened in 1916. This is a historical reference to the year when Ireland began to fight for independence. At the same time, Dolores is absolutely indifferent to politics. She is more concerned about how politicians dare to decide who lives and who dies. Zombies constantly think about it and dream of repeating the same thing over and over again. Explosions, bullets and murders are what bring them pleasure. The chorus is repeated again, as if asking – “What’s in your head, zombie?”. Following the performer notes that this happened in 1916. This is a historical reference to the year when Ireland began to fight for independence. At the same time, Dolores is absolutely indifferent to politics. She is more concerned about how politicians dare to decide who lives and who dies. Zombies constantly think about it and dream of repeating the same thing over and over again. Explosions, bullets and murders are what bring them pleasure. The chorus is repeated again, as if asking – “What’s in your head, zombie?”. what brings them pleasure. The chorus is repeated again, as if asking – “What’s in your head, zombie?”. what brings them pleasure. The chorus is repeated again, as if asking – “What’s in your head, zombie?”.
Almost immediately after the release of this song on radio stations, hostilities ceased. The incident and the reaction from the public led to the desired result.
A little about the video
The video for the song Zombie used real footage from the chronicle. Only on them – shooting in Ulster. As if in contrast, they are shown shots from the ordinary life of children. But the clip shows not individual events, but the attitude of the group towards terrorism as a whole. Dolores’ body is covered in gold paint, while the children are covered in silver. This is how the preciousness of human life is shown. It must always remain as beautiful as these metals. And frames from the chronicle create a contrast between what we see and what we would like to see.
Interesting Facts
- The line “It’s the same old theme since 1916” refers to the Easter Rising in 1916 with the goal of Irish independence.
- Shortly after the release of the song, the IRA announced a cessation of hostilities, which became an occasion for all sorts of rumors.
- The video for the song Zombie uses documentary footage of British soldiers patrolling.
Zombie Lyrics by The Cranberries
Another head hangs lowly
child is slowly taken
And the violence caused such silence
Who are we mistaken
But you see it’s not me
It’s not my family
In your head, in your head
They are fighting
With their tanks and their bombs
And their bombs and their guns
In your head, in your head
They are cryin’
In your head
Zombie
What’s in your head, in your head
Zombie
Another mother’s breakin’
heart is taking over
When the violence causes silence
We must be mistaken
It’s the same old theme since 1916
In your head, in your head
They’re still fighting
With their tanks and their bombs
And their bombs and their guns
In your head, in your head
They are dyin’
In your head, in your head
Zombie
What’s in your head, in your head
Zombie
Lyrics of Zombie by The Cranberries Alternate
Another head hangs
The child is slowly carried away
And cruelty caused such silence
Who are we deluded
But you know it’s not me
This is not my family
In your head, in your head
They fight
On tanks, with bombs,
With bombs and guns
In your head, in your head
They cry
In your mind,
Zombie
What’s going on in your head, in your head
Zombie
Breaking heart
Another mother
When cruelty becomes the reason for silence
We must be wrong
It’s the same old story from 1916
In your head, in your head
They still fight
On tanks, with bombs,
With bombs and guns
In your head, in your head
They are dying
In your head, in your head
Zombie
What’s going on in your head, in your head
Zombie
