First Time Listening to - Zombie by The Cranberries - Reaction

[@Justcallmekai11]

This song feels so haunting because it uses an Irish singing technique called "Keening", which is traditionally used as a lamentation used in mourning for someone dying. In the original folk tales of the banshee, they were keening, not just screaming.

[@tarshnottrash1483]

I love this information-after loving this song for years & the poignant message within this reinforces it so perfectly.

[@jenmurphy7777]

Wow, how beautiful. Thank you for sharing.

[@Brooke-rw8rc]

"Banshee" is literally Gaelic for "female faerie". "shee" comes from "sidhe", which is the fae. So the keening of the banshees was literally just the laments of the faerie women. Yes, this means the lament the Lothlorien elves sing for Gandalf is in part, banshee keening.

[@lexiwilliams9422]

Brooke yes it's also done in Scotland at times of grief but it's called a different name in Scottish Gaelic

[@wallacehardiniii9038]

🤣 Sounds cool.

[@allijohnson1228]

Zombie could be released today and would still be a hit because it's that good.

[@williamallen7984]

Case in point: The Bad Wolves cover that was just slightly heavier with male vocals but basically the same…

[@user-ez2qd3gu5v]

90's thing

[@CursingLlama]

@@williamallen7984 Bad Wolves was a great song, but she was supposed to sing for it. Unfortunately she passed away the same day as the recording and they decided to do the recording anyway. All the proceeds go to her three children.

[@dmac8949]

And still, all too relevant, unfortunately.

[@elizabeth0brien515]

Miley Cyrus covered this song that was really good much closer to Delores version. Zombie I believe she is referencing senseless. She hated the violence . This was a in your face song. Zombie- nothing in your head- senseless.

[@Giraffelover54]

I think this is a pretty good explanation…. "Zombie" is a protest song by Irish alternative rock[1] band the Cranberries, written by the band's lead singer Dolores O'Riordan in memory of Johnathan Ball and Tim Parry, who were killed in the 1993 Warrington bombings. It was released on 19 September 1994 as the lead single from their second studio album, No Need to Argue, two weeks ahead of the album's release. Music critics have long recognised "Zombie" as "a masterpiece of alternative rock".

[@leannajohnson4494]

This song never fails to give me goosebumps and it also makes me want to cry. So hauntingly beautiful. RIP Dolores O'Riordan 🙏

[@calest6251]

I've heard it so many times and still tear up.

[@freebirdjay]

Thank you!! Also the yodel/higher pitched singing technique she uses is a form of keening, a tradition in parts of Ireland where women keen in mourning at funerals. Bad Wolves cover is a powerful tribute to Dolores.

[@justlike1olivia]

i basically grew up with this song and it still gives me goosebumps, such an incredible song

[@NoxAtlas]

Same here. This song is like a dear old friend to me who had always been there and raised their voice whenever I couldn't express my emotions. An unforgettable masterpiece.

[@cyrusblackwood33]

It's amazing how so many people are just now hearing such a popular song for the first time regardless of the fact that songs like this are played EVERYWHERE. You'd have to have literally been locked up since 1993 to have never heard this song. Liars...

[@deires77]

She sings the "with their bombs" part in the refrain two times, because two children were killed in the bombing that inspired this song. 1916 = the year of the "Easter Rising"

[@LadyDath]

She sings "with their bombs" twice because she is singing about both sides. The British with their tanks and their bombs and the IRA with their bombs and their guns. An understanding of the politics of "The Troubles" is that both sides were guilty of atrocities in an asymetric civil war. Where tanks were used to suppress the IRA, and bombs were planted to kill Irish in retribution for the bombs and guns being used by the IRA to sow terror in agitation for freedom. No side was innocent and the children were sacrificed on the altar of politics. When the violence causes a moment of silence for the innocent victims, we must be mistaken.

[@06741590]

​@LadyDath Sorry I'm pretty late to this. But she says it twice because the IRA hurt and killed people with 2 bombs that day. I was 10 when this song came out. Between then, the cease fire and now I've heard this song a billion times. I love how visceral it is and how it was a catalyst for peace. Still though I've always thought it minimised British involvement in everything.

[@meggsy82]

You should check out the cover by Bad Wolves. Delores was supposed to record tracks for it but passed away before she could :-(. The cover and video are a beautiful tribute to her while bringing the song into a new era where, sadly, much of the types of violence reflected in the original are still happening. And the proceeds from the song were donated to her kids.

[@markparker4536]

I second this, along with sound of silence by disturbed the bad wolves cover of this is one of the best covers ever

[@PotatoFairy69]

Yes! One of my favorite covers!

[@tarshnottrash1483]

It was good but absolutely nothing beats the original

[@billrand4138]

errr no its a travesty of the song covered by a generic middle of the road american rock band ,,an abomination

[@tarshnottrash1483]

@@billrand4138 kinda agree but the real travesty was the dance remix version of it that was released some time in the mid to late nineties-more than a travesty I found it kinda insulting tbh. Makes the bad wolves version look great

[@TheWoodlandhoBo]

The album “No need to argue” has been in my collection since 1994 when I first heard this tune on MTV. I was 15. Great tune Great album Rip Dolores you diamond.

[@ca9968]

That album is one of 5 that for me define the decade...

[@espenvippen]

"This song's our cry against man's inhumanity to man; and man's inhumanity to child." - Dolores O'Riordan. After The Cranberries' debut album, people thought they had the band sussed out. ... Her pain was real: Zombie was a visceral response to the death of two children in an IRA bombing in the Cheshire town of Warrington

[@avokittypup]

Great one! 🤘 It takes me back to the days when MTV was really MTV❤

[@kryskalima1008]

I've seen a few reactions of people watching and listening to this song for the first time and in each one, you see the smiles that come from the solo dissipate when the kids start screaming at 6:44

[@melandloloveholo2519]

Thank you to whomever requested this! I click so fast when you do a song I love! This is a great karaoke song and the crowd songs along with you. You should do Linger by them next!

[@calebsimonds905]

Love this song, and I think its great that you looked into the background of the song a little beforehand, it makes the reaction and subsequent breakdown that much more meaningful

[@Noxtrust]

Haven’t listen to them in ages! This used to be my favourite song. Too good, great reaction.

[@squarebarrel]

The drum part is so hype. The song is great. The band is phenomenal and should be in the RnR HoF. RIP DELORES

[@Polyphemus89]

Dolores and her voice were a gift this world did not deserve.

[@yannhollister9091]

I was only 9 years old when this was released but i still remember how amazed i was the first time i heard this song, this is a massive banger.

[@therese4963]

Its guttural! When Dolores sings the words Zombie. Its pain, its passion, its anger. A long time outstanding protest song. The world truly lost a brilliant singer songwriter

[@thomasbeauchemin1298]

Very astute reaction!! And it did lead to a peace settlement!! Tell me where an artist has stopped an ongoing conflict WITH A SONG!! That's what this girl did!!!

[@jonathanbrintnall7131]

Thank you for doing this song, one of the most deep songs relating to the nature of humans and conflict. Still sadly relevant today. Should do the bad wolves cover of this song as well

[@clarmata]

Love the reaction!! Impressed that you never heard this one before

[@indiantinamorals5791]

Good reaction, thank you so much for appreciating Dolores's voice, the fantastic band and the video. It's about the war in Northern Ireland. Please pray for the people in Gaza, Palestine etc. tonight. Peace to you all. Love from Ireland

[@paulsmith2516]

The references to the "silence" are more to do with the code of silence that existed around the paramilitary activities throughout The Troubles in Northern Ireland. A slight on the culture of fear that stopped people being held responsible for the atrocities committed and prolonging the misery and death. This is a masterpiece, but I always think that the drummer needs a huge shout out too, he smashes the powerful points home brilliantly and still can pull it down to the most delicate touch when needed, superb.

[@Anna13Tonks]

I'm so surprised you haven't heard this song! It been playing on the radio here for years lol

[@KWin246]

Reactors just do trending songs regardless of whether they've heard them or not IMO.

[@shivasgirl1609]

I'm always sad when I think of the loss of Dolores (O'Riordan) in 2018 at the age of 47. Such a sad waste but what a haunting and beautiful and instantly recognisable voice. I'm grateful that we were left with that at least.

[@obenohnebohne]

This is one of the most beautiful and important songs ever written. I have chills all over my body and tears in my eyes. A true masterpiece.

[@emmkay86]

The scene in Derry Girls with this song is so powerful. Season 1, Episode 6.

[@john_thorpe]

The lyric "What's in your head" is Dolores O'Riordan asking the ones who planted the bombs that took the lives of Johnathan Ball (age 3) and Tim Parry (age 12) what were they thinking. And calling the bombers zombies as they had no care, empathy or concern on what would happen after they went off. Also the 2 kids that were killed were running away from one bomb that went off, however they didn't know that they were running into the path of a second bomb which went off after the first one. Second attack Shortly before midday on Saturday, 20 March 1993, The Samaritans in Liverpool received a bomb warning by telephone. According to police, the caller said only that a bomb had been planted outside a Boots shop. Merseyside Police sent officers to branches of Boots in Liverpool and warned the Cheshire Constabulary, who patrolled nearby Warrington. About 30 minutes later, at about 12:25, two bombs exploded on Bridge Street in Warrington, about 100 yards (90 m) apart.The blasts happened within a minute of each other. One exploded outside Boots and McDonald's, and one outside the Argos catalogue store. The area was crowded with shoppers. Witnesses said that shoppers fled from the first explosion into the path of the second. It was later found that the bombs had been placed inside cast-iron litter bins, causing large amounts of shrapnel. Buses were organised to ferry people away from the scene and 20 paramedics and crews from 17 ambulances were sent to deal with the aftermath. Three-year-old Johnathan Ball died at the scene. He had been in town with his babysitter, shopping for a Mother's Day card. The second victim, 12-year-old Tim Parry, was gravely wounded. He died on 25 March 1993 when his life support machine was switched off, after tests had found only minimal brain activity. Another 54 people were injured, four of them seriously. One of the survivors, 32-year-old Bronwen Vickers, the mother of two young daughters, had to have a leg amputated, and died just over a year later from cancer. The Provisional IRA issued a statement the day after the bombing, acknowledging its involvement but saying: Responsibility for the tragic and deeply regrettable death and injuries caused in Warrington yesterday lies squarely at the door of those in the British authorities who deliberately failed to act on precise and adequate warnings. A day later, an IRA spokesman said that "two precise warnings" had been given "in adequate time", one to the Samaritans and one to Merseyside Police. He added: "You don't provide warnings if it is your intention to kill". Cheshire's assistant chief constable denied there had been a second warning and said: Yes, a warning was given half-an-hour before, but no mention was made of Warrington. If the IRA think they can pass on their responsibility for this terrible act by issuing such a nonsensical statement, they have sadly underestimated the understanding of the British public. A piece on BBC North West's Inside Out programme in September 2013 speculated that the bombing may have been the work of a "rogue" IRA unit, which was supported by the IRA but operated independently and who used operatives who were from England to avoid suspicion. The programme also examined a possible link between the attack and British leftist political group Red Action, though nothing was ever proven. Aftermath The deaths of two young children ensured that the 20 March bombings received major coverage in the media and caused widespread public anger. Shortly after the bombings, a group called "Peace '93" was set up in Dublin. The main organiser was Susan McHugh, a Dublin housewife and mother. On 25 March 1993, thousands held a peace rally in Dublin. They signed a condolence book outside the General Post Office and laid bouquets and wreaths, with messages of sorrow and apology, to be taken to Warrington for the boys' funerals. Some criticised Peace '93 for focusing only on IRA violence and for not responding to the deaths of children in Northern Ireland. The River of Life memorial fountain in Bridge Street On 24 March 1993, the Ulster Defence Association (UDA, a loyalist paramilitary group) shot dead a Sinn Féin member in Belfast. The next day, it shot dead four Catholic men (including an IRA member) in Castlerock and hours later shot dead a 17-year-old Catholic civilian in Belfast. Roy Greenslade wrote that, compared to the Warrington bombings, these deaths were "virtually ignored" by the media in Great Britain and he accused it of having a "hierarchy" of victims. On 1 April 1993, the Irish Government announced measures designed to make extradition easier from the Republic of Ireland to the United Kingdom. In late 1994 Irish rock band The Cranberries released the song "Zombie", which was written in protest at the bombings. The song went on to become their biggest hit. On 14 November 1996, the Duchess of Kent officially inaugurated a memorial called The River of Life, depicting "a symbol of hope for future generations", in Bridge Street. It was developed in the aftermath of the bomb attack and commissioned by the Warrington Borough Council. The project, consisting of a symbolic water sculpture that features a commemorative plaque, was designed by local primary school and Stephen Broadbent. The parents of Tim Parry set up the Tim Parry Trust Fund to promote greater understanding between Great Britain and Ireland. The Tim Parry Johnathan Ball Foundation for Peace worked jointly with the NSPCC to develop The Peace Centre, close to Warrington town centre, which opened on the seventh anniversary of the attack in 2000. Its purpose is to promote peace and understanding amongst all communities affected by conflict and violence. The centre hosts an annual peace lecture, as well as being home to the local NSPCC and Warrington Youth Club. The bombings received further attention in 2019 after the Brexit Party selected former Living Marxism writer Claire Fox as their lead candidate in the North West for the 2019 European Parliament election; the Revolutionary Communist Party, of which Fox was a leading member in 1993, defended the IRA's bombing in their party newsletter. Despite the controversy, which saw another Brexit Party candidate resign from the party list in protest at the comments, Fox and the Brexit Party topped the poll across the North West, including in Warrington. The killing of Ball and Parry is still on Cheshire Police's list of unsolved murders.

[@reanimated]

This song is not sad. This is an ANGRY song.

[@gunjanagrawal2297]

What a throwback! love this song!!

[@tarshnottrash1483]

Eeeeee!!!! I even watched this before the TØP reaction 😂😂 This is one of my favourite ever songs. I love Delores voice and the message in this song is so important & will always unfortunately stay so relevant. May she Rest In Peace. The problems spoken about in this were occurring when I was young. Although I was in Australia the news always had stories of the violence occurring in England and Ireland. It always saddened me & this song just summed up the needless pain.

[@rickseymour1972]

Only 2 minutes into your reaction and seeing the anguish reflected in your face - LOVE IT ! I also see that you have already done the Bad Wolves version which I shall watch right after this. For you as a reactor to have done the Bad Wolves so soon after the original will no doubt have had more impact as you will get alot of the "gold" imigery. Great stuff so far :)

[@richardhofman6360]

She has a growl.

[@murman6140]

I guess there is a first time for everything. Can’t imagine a time before this masterpiece.

[@stephenmurphy2667]

Zombie is a protest song by the Cranberries, written by the band's lead singer Dolores O'Riordan in memory of Johnathan Ball and Tim Parry, who were killed in the 1993 Warrington bombings.

[@drew1944]

this song is so famous here in the Philippines, it was always on our kareoke playlist, can you also please listen to their other songs like, linger and ode to my family , i love that songs

[@jershir7599]

RIP Dolores

[@vamp20091]

RIP Dolores. The way she does the eh eh eh at the end of the word zombie is a type of yodeling. When she does it it is such a beautiful haunting sound.

[@anarchobaby]

its called keening :) its an irish form of singing

[@vamp20091]

@@anarchobaby it’s so beautiful

[@DavidMichaelCommer]

I'd describe the 'deepness' of her voice as guttural.

[@glynshirt1658]

Great song / band R.I.P Delores never to be forgotten.

[@TheNakedWombat]

Some children were walking through the area where the bomb exploded. One child died on scene, a second child was removed from life support around 5 days later. Read up the history. Include 'The Troubles' and 'Bloody Sunday' which is addressed in a U2 song called Sunday Bloody Sunday. Also Sinead O'Connor's music is rebellion music. A lot of information to go from there.

[@calest6251]

No song I've ever heard has made me tear up like this, I'm 32, Australian white male. This hits me everytime, maybe I'm a bit sensitive, or its the "keening'".which is the tone they use in Ireland for mourning.

[@wrrsean_alt]

Your tears show nothing but your humanity, not your sensitivity.

[@ferencszotyori9345]

Finally someone did a research before hear the song. Many other reaction video I did not see this.

[@ImaCatMaia]

I think the Zombie is PTSD - the damage that lives on long after the traumatic event....especially when mourning a loss is associated with the event. It lives on in your head and resurrects itself over and over, even though it technically doesn't have a life source/force or evidence of life to living people who are outside of it

[@shazzzabanazz4789]

She means how the hate an violence is passed down to the children like zombie virus it keeps going infecting on a loop ,,I'm from Northern Ireland seen it up close and personal it ain't pretty and there hate still going today

[@RS99FILMS]

From what I’ve heard zombie is referring to Tim Parry, the 12 year old victim of the IRA’s bombing in Warrington, while going to buy a Mother’s Day card. He was left in a coma for 5 days until being pronounced brain dead (in a zombified state) and ended up dying in his fathers arms after his life support was turned off.

[@ashcatchem2406]

I thought the zombies were the soldiers who think a war is still going on

[@jace399]

In my opinion it's more about being indoctrinated into a way of thinking and not being able to let go of past grievances, even though Ireland won it's independence from the British there were still many who held onto the belief that the war isn't over until all Ireland is free from British rule including the 6 counties in Northern Ireland, since most people have accepted the terms and moved on it's the people who keep fighting and resorted to terrorist attacks such as the booming that lead to those two kids deaths, "it's the same old theme, since nineteenth sixteen" referring to the 1916 rising when the Irish republican brotherhood (later to be known as the Irish republican army, IRA) used gorilla war tactics to fight against the British army to free Ireland from Britain rule, even though there was an agreement made with the UK that all but the 6 counties which became Northern Ireland would be returned to the Irish people to be independent of the rest of the UK, still the IRA going down through the generations held on to their hatred for the British "in your head in your head they're still fighting" "what's in your head zombie zombie" they're still acting as if we're at war even though most people had moved on. That what I think anyway

[@Bookluver29]

I never really looked into the origins of this song and had always interpreted it as PTSD as well, thought it suited war vets and encapsulated the feeling of the memories of the dead being relived over and over. PTSD is known to be scary and forceful and so the zombie represented the aggressiveness and warping of those memories to become something traumatic and hard for most people to understand. It's interesting learning more about the song and it's origins though, and the fact that there are many different reads and interpretations just means that it's well written.

[@spainboy]

In the chorus, she sings "their bombs" twice, A reference to when the people/kids were running away from the first explosion a second bomb was waiting for them. Who can think like that?

[@5335816]

Thanks for such an intelligent, respectful response to this amazing music.

[@geekexmachina]

it was very brave to release that song with the video and the religious images as it was release in 1994 before the ceasefire. A little background in 1916 ireland tried to end british rule during WW1. in 1921 Northern Ireland remained in the uk and Southern Ireland became a republic. Since then N.I. has had disagreements about whether they have independence or not, this is further complicated by the division between Catholics and Protestants (note that the UK is a protestant theocracy), there was a lot of bloodshed and death in N.I. and the rest of the UK. the good friday agreement was 1998 which greatly reduced the troubles,

[@krystalmartinez6450]

Wow I was only 8 when this song was released and I remember feeling so emotional hearing it but loved when my family played it.

[@greenbluemonkey]

People say music and art are never enough to change history. But if there ever was a song that came closest to that was the Cranberries with this song. It was not long after this became a worldwide hit, in the aftermath of the Warrington Bombings, that the IRA and government had ceasefires, and the IRA began to negotiate through their Sinn Féin party. Eventually leading to a permanent cease fire. I really believe that this song helped at least to keep that tragedy, and in fact the tragedy of a century of "troubles", in the spotlight long enough that leaders were compelled to action, on both sides, to find a peace. This was a calling out of the IRA by a young Irish activist singer. Living in the past, getting mad about long lost battles in the past, and fighting a war based on images in your head.

[@davidwilson6577]

And equally applicable to both sides

[@caronkozicz3615]

The sound she makes when you say aggression is what I can only imagine the sound that would come from a mother torn gut renching screams like the pain a mother feels when birthing and when losing a child.

[@josebernaolalicetti6751]

I had no idea of the actual background. For me, it was mostly about the sequals in people surviving wars. They cant go on with their lives normally, the keep seeing the victims crying and dying. That why they (the survivors) are like zombies (not dead but not alive either). Very heart breaking song.

[@cynthiadietz4263]

This song brings me to tears every time I hear it, just beautiful and haunting….

[@cherrywmn2535]

I like that you like it. It was released in my childhood.

[@barriewatson]

My favourite band for years it's the ira that she is singing what are you doing

[@lazyblazer]

The technique she is using on the word Zombie is called a growl.

[@newgrl]

"I don't know. It's like this deepness to it when she sings that 'zombie' part" - It's anger. Deep, crushing anger.

[@shazzzabanazz4789]

I'm from Northern Ireland in my 40s remember these days only to well tons of us seen to many things we shouldn't have as kid of the 80s early 90s

[@dreamerluana3444]

It’s crazy to me how people could have never heard these type of songs LOL. I just consider them so classic

[@cyrusnathanieldumayas5952]

My fav song when am a kid

[@shawnsparkman8472]

I lived in Boston for 8 years. A community called Southie is mostly Irish. People there either take this song to heart or hate it, from what I saw there. Depends on which side of things a person was on for Irish independence.

[@Mrs.Fezziwig]

I live in a place called Chester, which is about 18 miles from Warrington as the crow flies. The day of the Warrington bombing our family was heading toward Manchester to see family, and the road we were on was only about four miles from Warrington when the bomb went off. I thought I would never witness another Prov.IRA bombing as it was rare, but I was in the Arndale Centre when the calls came to police that a massive truck bomb was parked on Coronation Street. My uncle and I were evacuated at the back of one of the last groups when the truck exploded. I recall the ripping sound it made before the bang, the invisible wave knocking us off our feet. In the dust we got separated, and a Police Constable scooped me up, running for his life toward the cordon and ambulances. I had no major injuries apart from ringing ears and cuts and bruises. My six year old niece asked about two of the scars on and behind my right knee a few weeks ago, but what to say to that?

[@UNCLEBUCK187]

Zombie was a visceral response to the death of two children in an IRA bombing in the Cheshire town of Warrington. Lead singer Dolores O' Roiodan was a great singer unfortunately she died at 46 from accidentally drowning in her bathtub in 2018. They said she had high levels of alcohol in her system. Linger is another great song.

[@DevInvest]

The popular live version you can hear hear in the much deeper tonal ranges

[@kevinfitzsimons5105]

well done on your research ... best reactions yet

[@coachbigdawg41]

A metal group wanted to revise the song Delores was going to be in the video and she died the day they were to shoot the video. They did the song anyways. Check it out by the bad wolves.

[@archerarcher6911]

Mind blown people just hearing this song!

[@paigeharrison3909]

1916 was the year of The Easter Rising or Easter Rebellion. The Troubles were from about 1968-1998. Both were part of the Irish attempt to free themselves from British rule and the Catholic/Protestant religious conflicts.

[@AnnikaRamhqvist]

So sad, powerful and amazing ❤️

[@kylben]

My take is that the kids are not only the victims and martyrs, but that as they grow up, they're raised with the same ideas that have made this conflict persist for so many generations (the same old thing, since 1916). The zombies are those ideas, and they live in your head first, before they can be manifest in actual violence. They're the source of it all.

[@mau6707]

Dolores: Another immortal icon of music! R.I.P. 🙏

[@jgog59]

Dolores O’Riordan Sinead O’Connor and many other Irish singers do these inflections it’s called Keening (Irish: Caointeoireacht) it’s a traditional form of vocal lament for the dead in the Celtic tradition in Ireland. Keening, which can be seen as a form of sean-nós singing. Some people see there’s a connection between this and Arabic singing.. If you want to see a link below for your own curiosity it’s a woman singing Sean nós In her native Irish language. kzbin.info/www/bejne/hGnTkp1onbZ7f9E

[@wayneheffernan5504]

I have PTSD from that time as a Irishman it was horrific. As a catholic if you where seeing talking to a British soldier it was a death sentence a supergrass they used to call it.

[@tommarren3809]

My take on the imagery is that it's always kids that suffer the most- whether they're innocents like the two boys killed in that bomb, they grow up without a parent because they died on the front lines, or if they themselves fought the war. Soldiers, no matter the war, are usually young men in their teens- 18 or 19. They're just kids.

[@MrG.42]

Great reaction to a very complicated and brilliant song.

[@thecornedbeefcouncil9792]

That’s actual British Soldiers in this video, not actors. This song was a protest following the death of 2 young children in an IRA bombing in the U.K. 1916…the Easter Rising.

[@justronny20]

Eminem sampled the chorus in his song "In you head". It's such a beautiful song.

[@politicalscientist8880]

im from limerick... kicked a ball over the wall as a kid... the neighbour was the drummer... me and my friend spent all day with him... hadnt know what a big deal that was at the time

[@CHIOSSO1]

The sound you hear in her voice is the Irish mourning sound

[@TheHopperUK]

The part of the video where the children start to silently scream really gets to me.

[@jennyjenjen80]

This song was released in 1994. I always took the song to be about the wars going on in Ireland and the IRA. However I have spoken to several Irish people who think that Zombie is in reference to the English "Its the same old deed since 1916 in your head, in your head they're still fighting..." etc but if they are it was the media that made them that way. Dolores O'Riodan had an incredible talent, such a shame she passed so young, RIP

[@rthrbtrvln]

i can’t believe you’ve never heard this song before, it’s one of my favorites.

[@wimflores]

The songs Every Breaking Wave and Sunday Bloody Sunday by U2 are about the same topic and how they are against the Troubles, how they affected their youth. Both songs are already in the classics spreadsheet :) Great song and great patron request :D Her voice is a literally an angry growl. Dolores O'Riordan (sorry if I butchered her last name) passed away too soon, way too soon In every breaking wave you never see the guys of U2. It’s quite brutal how they started, basically, as teens because of what they saw on the streets and at home. So deep. You should be an alien 👽 not to feel for those who grew during those days. The Cranberries are of the posterior years but the war was still going on. I think in an interview Bono (U2 lead singer) says the Troubles has been going since the 1920’s and just kept going. The “peace” is recent but my ignorant self feels that’s just a powder keg giving of sparks, like Bonnie Tyler said. I hope not, I really do, no more death. In the version of Sunday Bloody Sunday Bono gives such an angry sad enraged speech during the song that you have to feel it. It’s posted on the spreadsheet as well. Maybe miss @LorettaAthans can explain us this… or not, it’s a painful topic…

[@CWiswell]

I always interpret the "zombies" as those of us who hear about violence like this and don't feel anything: "What's in your head, Zombie?"

[@jonathanlindsey463]

RIP Delores... she drowned in 2017... her irish voice is great

[@Proud2BaPaddy]

The video footage was actual real footage taken by the cinematographer for this video. He filmed real kids and real soldiers in the streets. 1916 was the year of the Easter Rising of Irish men and women rebelling against the British army in Dublin. The Irish knew they would not succeed in beating the British Army and that they would likely die. The Irish surrendered and many of the rebellion leaders were executed by firing squad. This enraged the Irish citizens and lead to Ireland gaining independence apart from 6 counties in the north.

[@HarryFlashmanVC]

Well that's the folk tale anyway...

[@Proud2BaPaddy]

@@HarryFlashmanVC Your ignorant response exposes your complete lack of knowledge on the events from both an Irish and British perspective. Do some research ad then maybe your opinion will hold some value otherwise all you really are is just another one of those uneducated willfully ill-informed online trolls.

[@anthonyeidam6797]

This hits so different right now

[@jenniferpedersen8920]

RIP Dolores O'Riordan gone too soon!! Such an Icon!!

[@catterinax]

The street scenes were all real life with no actors. The soldiers were told that they were filming a documentary, so they just went about their usual business. The director told the children to just play as usual, so like children everywhere they mimicked what they saw around them so they played war games.

[@construct3]

1916 saw the Easter Rising that solidified Irish resistance to British rule and the goal of a unified independent Republic of Ireland. This bombing in which the two boys were killed and this song as a response were toward the end of the period known as "the troubles." I think it's worth noticing that this song by an Irish band is about the killing of two British boys. The troubles led to casualties on both sides, both in terms of lives actually lost and in terms of a psychological numbness that sets in. The losses come so often, so suddenly, so randomly, that, unless it happens to be your own family, it is a "normal" part of everyday life. The zombie is in your head; it's a way to cope. And it is the children's "normal," too; they've never known anything different. The violence is handed down from generation to generation.

[@spazbog123]

You are right. "It's the same old theme since 1916" - The kid that got ganged up on with the gun is the symbol of the cycle repeating once again - another zombie that started off innocent enough but was bound to be brain washed to keep the cycle going.

[@NenadTrajkovic]

The Warrington bombings were two separate bomb attacks that took place during early 1993 in Warrington, Cheshire, England. The first attack happened on 26 February, when a bomb exploded at a gas storage facility. This first explosion caused extensive damage, but no injuries. While fleeing the scene, the bombers shot and injured a police officer and two of the bombers were caught following a high-speed car chase. The second attack happened on 20 March, when two smaller bombs exploded in litter bins outside shops and businesses on Bridge Street. Two children were killed and a total of 56 people were injured. The attacks were carried out by the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA)

[@Naifhashem]

You should check the version of the band Bad Wolves 👍🏻

[@luminousmoon86]

I think the message of the song as regards the children is that the conflict continues to generate new "zombies" to perpetuate it. The children growing up around this stuff see and experience so much violence and strife and a lot of them become either victims of the violence themselves or are indoctrinated into joining the conflict (on either side). Little zombies to fight and kill forever.

[@kennymonty8206]

I was a kid when the UK, or was it Great Britain, was still screwing around with Ireland. I didn't quite understand it as I was young. But, I learned from watching that I don't like tyrants and I love free people. Freedom is worth fighting for.

[@masonsteele261]

A lot of people already described the Troubles and the IRA bombing that inspired this song, but in a more general sense, the song is calling out the perpetrators of violence. Their heads are so consumed with violence ("their tanks and their bombs and their bombs and their guns, in your head,") that they carelessly inflict that violence onto the next generation, who are innocent of it. In the chorus, she's basically accusing them of being dead inside. I've watched this video countless times, but finally noticed the cherub fires an arrow as Delores clutches her head. The same child tries to throw a stick and is killed. As the song ends, the cherubs suspiciously and forlornly pull their bows back again, to start the next cycle of violence.😥😥😥

[@annedunne4526]

I hope you know that she wrote the song as well as sang it?

[@hermannlandmeyer1004]

This voice is so full of pain and anger.

[@ct5625]

This was a very brave thing for them to do. Anyone who dared to speak out against the actions of the IRA at the time risked their lives, but this band dared to be honest about what was happening and how they felt. The video is also pretty special because the footage of the soldiers is real, none of that was staged. They lied and posed as documentary film makers to get permission to shoot those scenes. RIP Dolores.