“Zombie” by The Cranberries was released in 1994 and became one of the most powerful protest anthems of the decade. The key theme of the song was addressing the ongoing violence in Northern Ireland during the Troubles.
The Troubles were a period of violence and conflict that took
place from the late 1960s to 1998. The main fighting was between the
unionists/loyalists, who wanted Northern Ireland to stay in the United Kingdom,
and the nationalists/republicans, who wanted Northern Ireland to reunify with
the Republic of Ireland.
The Specific event talked about in “Zombie” was the
Warrington bombing on March 20, 1993. In this attack, the IRA planted two bombs
in the town of Warrington, England. These bombs ended up killing two children, Johnathan
Ball and Tim Parry, as well as injuring dozens. The attack and its aftermath shocked
the public in the UK as well as Ireland.
The song relays the feelings that many felt after the
attack. It became one of the most “aggressive"
songs written and performed by the Cranberries. Unlike other Cranberries songs,
the song was written only by O’Riordan and reflects her sadness about the
event.
“Zombie” was released as the lead single for the band’s “No
Need To Argue” album on September 19, 1994. Both the song and the video that
was released and promoted made a significant and powerful impact. The goal of the song
was to promote peace between Ireland and England.
The music video was filmed in Belfast during The Troubles,
using real-life footage. It was shot by Samuel Bayer. The people featured in
the video are real British soldiers and local children. O’Riordan’s paint was
her idea, and it symbolized the pain that was caused. The paint also had some
religious connotations as well.
On August 31, 1994, a few weeks after the song’s release,
the IRA declared a ceasefire, ending the conflict that had lasted 25 years.
Some critics wonder if the IRA was willing to call the truce to prevent the
Cranberries from writing any more songs about the conflict and the IRA itself.
To this day, the song is still played frequently on the radio.
In some cases, radio stations play it around Halloween, not knowing the context
and history behind the song. It is important to realize that this song is not
about actual zombies and tells the story of a conflict that took innocent
lives.
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