She sings with a "keen" that is absolutely haunting. Keening is a traditional lament for the dead, and knowing that makes this hit harder. Amazing group, incredible singer, and we all miss her.
Warrington is not in northern Ireland. The IRA chose to bomb a shopping centre street on Mothers day. Dolores seems to be against this aggression. Listen to the same song by Bad Wolves. Even better.
This was inspired by the IRA bombing in Warrington, Cheshire, England on March 20, 1993. Two children, Jonathan Ball and Tim Parry, were killed. Lead singer Dolores O'Riordan claimed that "Zombie" speaks about "the Irish fight for independence that seems to last forever." The lyrics even say, "It's the same old theme since 1916." The video was shot by Samuel Bayer, who flew to Belfast shortly before the ceasefire to get footage of the area - those are real British soldiers and local children. Bayer intercut these scenes with striking images of Dolores O'Riordan, standing by a cross and covered in gold paint, as similarly gilded children look on. Getting painted for the video was O'Riordan's idea. Explaining the symbolism, she told us, "It was to make it magnificent in a way, at the cross. It was metaphoric for all the pain that was being caused, and it was slightly religious as well." Source: Songfacts
The two young boys Killed in Warington England when an IRA BOMB Funded by Noraid(Plastic Padies in the US & Placed in a street Litter Bin!! They were on their way to buy Mothers Day Cards, the conflict lasted & is still underlying because of Americans who Claim to be of Irish decent when they are actually decended from Gaelic Speaking Scots Irish (Ulstermen) the style she is singing in is KEENING & is a Traditional Lament Expressing GRIEF. & used by Mothers for lost Children & is extremely old in its history!!
The Cranberries have such a unique sound but are also very diverse within their own catalog. Linger and Dreams are both hits worth reacting to... can't go wrong with any of their music. R.I.P. Delores ❤
2 children died as a result of that bombing, Dolores used a form of singing called keening which is used at funerals as it has a wailing and mournful sound, it was perfect as it brought the pain of this tragic event to the masses
Let's remember their names: Three-year-old Johnathan Ball was killed when two bombs hidden in litter bins detonated on a busy shopping street in March 1993. Tim Parry, aged 12, died five days later. There were many other victims, but this is the incident that inspired the song.
What Dolores is doing in the song with her "accent" is called keening.....a vocalized lament for the dead, particularly when it comes to mothers of Scottish or Irish descent for their children. Still one of the most powerful cries against war in music history.
It was written about an IRA bombing in Warrington,England that killed two schoolchildren….here’s what Delores said about why she wrote the song. “There were a lot of bombs going off in London and I remember this one time a child was killed when a bomb was put in a rubbish bin -- that's why there's that line in the song, 'A child is slowly taken,'" O'Riordan told Songwriting Magazine. "We were on a tour bus and I was near the location where it happened, so it really struck me hard - I was quite young, but I remember being devastated about the innocent children being pulled into that kind of thing. So I suppose that's why I was saying, 'It's not me' - that even though I'm Irish it wasn't me, I didn't do it. Because being Irish, it was quite hard, especially in the UK when there was so much tension." She told Vox magazine in 1994 that the song was written in part as a mechanism to grapple with her identity as an Irish citizen that did not support the actions of the IRA. "The IRA are not me. I'm not the IRA. The Cranberries are not the IRA. My family are not. ... When it says in the song, 'It's not me, it's not my family,' that's what I'm saying. It's not Ireland".
Warrington is in England. Dolores was 21 when she wrote Zombie, an amazing song that captured the feelings of the vast majority of the people in her country and mine. Rest in Peace Tim Parry, Jonathan Ball and Dolores O'Riordan.
Thank you man I am from Warrington and I remember those times very well it was heartbreaking to lose those two little boys I lived not far from the gasworks that the IRA attached bombs but they didn't go off as planned yes they exploded but if they went off as they planned then I and god knows how many people would have lost their lives at the end of the day when the hell are we as a human race going to get along
The troubles was not between England and Northern Ireland. It was a conflict predominantly within Northern Ireland between people who regarded themselves as British (loyalist/unionist) and formed paramilitary organisations such as the UVF and UDA and those who considered themselves Irish (republican / nationalist) and their paramilitaries such as the IRA and INLA and also involving the Royal Ulster Constabulary (police of Northern Ireland) and the British armed forces
It was both. The British occupation of N Ireland and the army presence is what caused the IRA to extend their "project" to the British mainland. What started off as increased tensions between those who wanted to end Westminster rule of that part of their country and those who felt they belonged to Britain soon turned into a war between Britain and the republicans which resulted in tragedies on the the British mainland such as Warrington
@@RobONeill-b5e I am merely pointing out that it’s misleading to describe it is a conflict between England and Northern Ireland. It was a conflict between two opposing communities within Northern Ireland and most of those killed or injured were Northern Irish. There were incidents in England and Ireland but those were few and far between in the grand scheme of things. The British armed forces were really supposed to just be peace keepers between the warring factions at the end of the day.
@@chriscarleton141you have absolutely no clue what you are talking about. Since the English 1st invaded Ireland 800 years ago the War has and always was between the English and the British against the Irish Republicans and Nationalists. The reason you think it was an internal conflict within the 6 Counties in the North East of Ireland is due to Britains centuries old policy of invading a Country pillaging it for all it’s worth and in Ireland and many others cases colonizing it with British loyalists and to alleviate their need for fully resourcing a war with countless ones all over the world at the same time they would die division within the countries and cause conflict within communities to distract from their colonial aspirations atrocities and genocides like the so called potatoe famine which one of britains many genocides whereby they continued to export vast amounts of food from Ireland to Britain while over a million Irish starved to death and two million emigrated. Our population still has not recovered to what it was in 1840 just prior to the potato blight. Britain sowed these divisions in African, in Asia and everywhere else then divided the countries and divided them up causing decades of war, hate and destruction. Examples think India - plunder the country of all its wealth then turn the Muslims against the Hindi create a war then divide the country in to 3 India, Pakistan, Bangladesh. This Palestine where Muslims, Jews and Christian’s lived in harmony for 2,000 years - Brits come along divide it up in a 60 word declaration and 75 years later we’re still seeing the slaughter of innocent Palestinians. There are countless instances in Africa too were tribes were turned against each other. That’s why some people like you who think you know it all was about catholic vs Protestant, IRA Vs UDA etc. The IRA’s war was always with Britain. Some of the most significant people in Irish Republicanism were Protestants most notably the “Father of Irish Republicanism” Theobald Wolfetone who led the 1798 Rebellion against the British or Robert Emmett who led the 1803 Rebellion and was beheaded by the British, like Countess Constance Markievicz who was one of the Leaders in the Easter 1916 Rising and who became the first Woman e er elected to a National Parliament in the World when she won a seat in the British Parliament for Sinn Féin in the 1918 elections. Sinn Féin were at that time the political wing of the IRA and won the vast majority of the seats in Ireland in that election but abstained from taking them in Britain instead establishing Dáil Eireann the first Irish Parliament. Ireland is still not free from British occupation but some day not too far away we will be. Tíochfaidh Ár Lá✊🇮🇪☘️.
Dolores O'Riordan was such a phenomenal artist/performer. If you have a chance to see a concert footage of a Cranberries concert, she takes command of the stage and has the audience on the palms of her hands. RIP.
Very emotional song. Delores was a remarkable talent gone too early. RIP Delores. There was a bomb that killed 2 young boys. A long conflict between protestant and Catholic religion Check out linger. Such a magnificent talent.
Religion is just an identifier. IRA for instance were/are a Marxist organisation. It is more to do with colonialism and the affects of the Plantation of Northern Ireland. The Plantations were to put in a population supportive to the British Crown and these were mostly Scots Presbyterians and the native Irish were Catholics. The Catholics were basically treated as second class citizens and not allowed the same rights as the Protestant pro-British population. The Catholic protests for equal rights in the 1960s set off The Troubles in Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland is controlled by the UK and the Partition of Ireland meant 6 counties in Northern Ireland were part of the UK and the 26 countries became independent in 1921. Anyway conflict is not religious in nature just that the Nationalists are most likely Catholic and Unionist Protestant. It is worth remembering that many of the great Irish revolutionaries were Protestant i.e. Wolfe Tone, Charles Stuart Parnell etc. Anyway that's a very brief outline of a complicated situation. When Ireland was Partitioned there was 9 Ulster counties but 3 of these counties were majority Catholic so they were separated from the majority Protestant 6 counties that stayed under the control of the UK.
Growing up in Belfsst during the troubles, I understand why they used the setting and the kids. We were all practically groomed for conflict from an early age
😮A absolute masterpiece written by Delores,her haunting vocals are phenomenal, she wrote Zombie in connection with a bombing in Warrington England by the IRA which killed 3 and 12 year old boys,Delores O’riordan died aged 46 years old from drowning due to alcohol intoxication in a hotel in London, she was found submerged in a bath,The Cranberry’s a alternative rock band ,the song Zombie was a huge hit worldwide,Delores guitar rifts are stunning and she was so talented, great reaction thanks 🙏
You should hear the cover of this song... It is done by Bad Wolves, and Delores was supposed to sing with them... Unfortunately, she passed away before she got to do it!! It is a great tribute to her!!
Mother's Day 1993, the IRA set off bombs in Warrington, Chesire. Three year old Johnathan Ball died at the scene, while 12-year-old Tim Parry was seriously injured. He died five days later after his life support was switched off. 54 other people suffered injuries.
It was about the bombings back when the IRA was protesting and the bombings in Warrington especially. When Dolores was alive she said that the word ZOMBIE was the way she felt about the IRA and the dehumanizing of humans. This was especially a song she dedicated to two kids killed (along with others) in Warrington **** I edited this to say I wrote it before you gave the answer. lol. OR I wouldn't have posted this. lolYEW GUYZZZ!!!
You’ve gotta do the Bad Wolves version of this. Dolores passed away the morning she was to record with them. They released the song and donated all money to her children. It’s about a 12 year old and a 3 year old who were killed in a bombing while out to get mothers days cards. 🇨🇦🖖🏻
Dolores' voice was haunting and the song captured the mood of the country. Living in Scotland, with a great Irish heritage, this song really but home. Being brought up in the 70's & 80's, it was a regular thing to see footage from the troubles in the news. I remember having to leave large shopping stores or centres in Glasgow aged 10 because of bomb scares. It was obviously a bigger occurrence in Northern Ireland and people there had to regularly check under there cars for bombs before driving off. R.I.P. Dolores!
Such a great catalogue of music from The Cranberries. Dolores truly one of the greats. So sad we lost another talent in a tragic way. Another in such a long line.
O’Riordan said of the song that she was upset that bombings and warfare were being undertaken in the name of Ireland. “The [Irish Republican Army] is not me. I’m not the IRA. The Cranberries are not the IRA. My family is not. When it says in the song, It’s not me, it’s not my family, that’s what I’m saying. It’s not Ireland, it’s some idiots living in the past.” She was and still is an amazing musician/artist!
Dolores was supposed to sing on the Bad Wolves cover of this song. She passed away just before they were supposed to record. The Bad Wolves followed through with the song and video then donated all the proceeds of the single to her children. The video is heart wrenching. 😢
The Bad Wolves changed the lyrics, and for that, I feel they do not do the original song justice. Frog Leap Studios did a much better version of the song.
The violence spread into other countries. Two Australians were shot dead in The Netherlands, mistaken for off duty British soldiers, and were murdered in front of their wives. Children were just collateral damage to them. I’m Australian and grew up hearing all about the troubles and remember so many atrocities committed by both sides. The IRA were particularly brutal though, and as a kid they terrified me even over here. I remember when Lord Mountbatten was murdered along with his 12 yr old grandson, just so unnecessary and cruel. You can Google what happened in 1916, it was a bloodbath. 😢
This is all real street footage, which offers the true reality of what they were enduring. Dolores & her band mates are all so phenomenal & she offers so much to us with her incredible voice. This song will never grow old. Thank you for sharing.
Between 1968, when The Troubles began (again) and The Good Friday Agreement of 1998 approx. 3600 people were killed in N.I., since 1998 to 2024 at least that amount of people have committed suicide in N.I. a young reporter Lyra Mckee called the latter Ceasefire Babies before she too was shot in Derry a few years ago. One song can't sum up the grief, anger and frustration of these times but if folks had to they would probably say this is the one. Genius performance. RIP Dolores.
When this came out, I had no idea what is was about as I don't take much notice of lyrics but now that I know what it's about, when I hear this while watching the clip, I get quite emotional. A really fantastic song.
RIP Dolores They're were really popular when I was in high school with a number of hits. She also had a really good solo album. Not only was she a great singer but guitarist as well.
I thought i finally found a reaction channel that didn't break the mood of the songs by stopping in the middle of them with comments that could wait until the end. Guess i was wrong
I was living in London in the 90s. I was scheduled to take a train south on February 18, 1991. I missed the bomb at Victoria Station by 30 minutes that day. Crazy times. I just lived my life during that period. You could not focus on what could happen or even what did happen. It wasn't until years later that I fully realized the turmoil I lived through in London during the 90s. This song brings it home and makes it real!
Beyond just her accent, she's literally doing something called keening, which is associated with Irish and related cultures. It's that break at the end of the voice that almost does a yodel, and it can be drawn out as well, and it's about grieving and lament.
The Cranberries is one of the most iconic bands of the 90s. I actually hear her accent more in Linger.Dolores had such an amazing voice. Bad Wolves did this song, which you should definitely check out. Dolores was supposed to sing with them but died that morning. All the proceeds for the sing go to her children.
Haley Reinhart taught herself to yodel as a child after hearing the Cranberries. She did an Alanis song when she was top 3 on American Idol. AI vocal coach: "Alanis has a lot of yodeling. It’s very deliberate, Alanis’ vocal."
Thanks for your reaction. As others have stated in the comments, this song is about the violence in Ireland that escalated during the 1980's particularly the incident in Warrington where two small children were killed. She is using a vocal technique called "Keening" common in old Irish folk songs to emphasize grief and heartbreak (used frequently at funerals) but does sing all of her songs with a heavy accent. Yes, Alanis Morrisette does use this keening technique in some of her songs, especially "You Oughta Know". While this song is fresh in your head, you really need to react to the Bad Wolves remake of "Zombie". It was a planned remake for Delores to sing with them in their cover of "Zombie" but sadly Delores died the night before they were scheduled to record it. It is an absolutely stunning cover and tribute to Delores that will give you chills-- trust me!
It is amazing that you've not heard this song before. The inspiration behind it is well described in this comments section. You should react to Dreams - you will fall in love with Delores' voice. A beautiful vocal where she hamonizes with herself. Delores was proud of her native Limerick accent and sang Cranberries songs without changing it....contrary to what almost all contemporary vocalists from Ireland and the UK have opted to do.
The fact that you guys even know about the troubles and everything that came along with it is so impressive. As a fellow American who’s watched many reactions to this song/video everyone just labels it as “anti war” but has no idea about the actual events/repression and fighting that happened in Northern Ireland
Hi guys 😎…I’m commenting before I even watch… when you said you never heard of The Cranberries I was floored lol but I’m so psyched that you’re about to hear one of the best songs by one of the best groups ever, I remember when they came out, they were only played on the independent stations, it was rare to hear them and they were such a breath of fresh air we were ready for it! Dolores is very missed. She was a bright star among us, she died on the same day my mom had a stroke and life as we knew it died too. rest in peace angel Thanks for your gifts 🌌💙🕊💫 you’ll want more so I’ll recommend Dreams✌
Yay another Sam and "Phillip" (lol) video, honestly I'm always looking forward to your music reations they are a great time. But yes I've forever loved the Cranberries, I don't think there's a song of theirs I didn't like and Dolores' voice is so incredible and iconic. Love her so much you guys need to go down the Cranberries rabbit hole for sure. Shame she had to leave us way before her time, rest in peace angel. 😭
Oh I thought you were going to say she reminded you both of Sinead O'Connor with the same keening vocal technique. Dolores was from Limerick in the south west of Ireland.
The song was dedicated to two children that were killed in Warrington. That's why the emphasis was on the kids. RIP Dolores - she was one of kind. IMHO - I hate that you compare her to Alanis. Just my feeling. Dolores is keening.
The song was written in response to the death of Johnathan Ball, aged 3, and Tim Parry, aged 12, both of whom had been killed in the 1993 Warrington England bombings, when two IRA improvised explosive devices hidden in litter bins were detonated in a shopping street in Warrington, England. Ball died at the scene of the bombing as a result of his shrapnel-inflicted injuries, and five days later, Parry lost his life as a result of head injuries Hence the line in the lyrics "a child is slowly taken".
3 years later the IRA bombed Canary Wharf in London. I lived just a mile away on the Isle of Dogs and my house shook as if it was an earthquake. I felt for sure the windows would shatter and it is a moment that will live with me forever. A few days later i was evacuated from my grandmothers house in Bethnal Green, East London at 2am due to another IRA bomb scare and we had to stay at her friends house. It was a scary time in the U.K. in those times and a lot of people lost their lives
this song has a strong mesage, i think of it like this: the line in you head Zombie Zombie. implaies dat you have to be like a Zombie and put the Emotions away to go to war. secend option you become a Zombie in order to get thrue war. ether way i always get emotional watching this video(as a Man)
It's about the troubles in Ireland, my parents come from Ireland so I do know alot about these problems. Another good song is by U2 "BLOODY BLOODY SUNDAY".
And this was 1994, Alanis breakthrough album „jagged little pill“ was only 1995, but definitely in the same era, also when grunge and Nirvana were the new hype.
There are children in the video, because the incident that inspired the song was about two children getting killed by a bomb blast while going to the grocery store. The children were 3 and 12 years old . RIP. Now, please listen to "Ode to my Family", also by the Cranberries. The video is beautiful .
Wow I got in on the release day and I'm not subscribed to you yet. Already 10000 views only 5 hours in. It's one of the most reacted songs of all time. Almost everyone does it because of the deep meaning.
To me it’s more powerful than it was when I first heard it decades ago. I hadn’t lived life enough to understand its relevance at the time. Now I hear the sadness turn to anger and then some hope. Sadly it’s still relevant 😢
One of the bands that defined the sound of the 1990`s for me growing up in South Africa...also surrounded by mindless violence on an almost daily basis... Add Counting Crows, Live, The Smashing Pumpkins, Nirvana, Pearl Jam, The Verve and The Red Hot Chilli Peppers to the list and it makes for a great soundtrack to my teens spent at the bottom of Africa...
Bad Wolves did a great cover of this song worth watching. Bad Wolves released their cover of The Cranberries "Zombie" only four days after the January 2018 passing of the latter band's frontwoman Dolores O'Riordan, with all proceeds from track donated to her three children. The Cranberries singer was set to record her vocals on the song the day of her tragic death. They pay tribute to her in the video in a sort of haunting way, complete with the gold woman. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-9XaS93WMRQQ.htmlsi=hoJcxMsrC4USzmZV
