This song was written in memory of two little boys blown up by an ira bomb in warrington england. Dolores hated violence from all sides loyalists and unionists who considered themselves british and the ira and the nationalists who are the irish. The 1916 reference was about the 1916 easter rising in dublin which started the road to irish independence. But not all of ireland 6 counties in the north of ireland are still british while the other 26 are independent from britain hence republic of ireland. The conflict between the irish and british earlier english spans over 800 years. This song is mainly about northern ireland and what is called the troubles a 30 year conflict which took over 3500 lives and maimed over 50,000 in mainly the 6 counties in the north. The soldiers are meant to be british in the video. Bombs and guns were the paramilitaries while the tanks were the british army. To much info i know sorry but this song is held in high regard by all sides especially now the lead singer has passed on. RIP Dolores
No this info was just the insight that I was looking for. This brings another level of importance to this song and to the legacy of those who lost their lives to a senseless war as well as Dolores. Thank you for this comment!
@@EstherWijsbeek 800 years of conflict is a lot considering how many wars rebellions uprisings there has been in ireland. The whole island has only known peace since the 1998 good friday peace agreement which the US had to pull out all the stops to get across the line. The only peace agreement that has succeeded for the US and they are very protective of it too i might add. Dolores is sorely missed as her voice was unique but she stood against the violence when many didnt. Thank you for your reply.
@@lfcgero35 You really know alot about this and i do not...but im scraping the surface . I'm from the Netherlands but i learned about the the Troubles and how its still till this very day is very relevant. It just seems that global troubles outside the USA are never relevant to them and i dont understand that but maby its just me 💓
I have lived in Warrington UK for my entire life and listening to this song brings back a lot of painful and terrifying memories. I was just 14 when the bus that my friends and I were on had just turned onto Bridge street approaching the town centre when the 1st bomb went off, and before we could comprehend what had happened we heard the second explosion and could clearly see the carnage unfolding. I will never forget that day. The Cranberries released the song Zombie in protest to the violence that had occurred that day, and it will always hold a dear place in my heart. For Dolores O'Riordan to sing alongside the Bad Wolves in an updated cover of this song in protest of the violence which still occurs till the present day would have been amazing, and I'm whole heartedly saddened that she died before it was made possible. This song will be forever in Warringtons heart. Thank you
just to clarify some things: keening is a traditional irish folk expression style, a lament of sorts, for lack of a better word. the method, the effect used to accomplish this is yodelling (yes, you can yodel other places than the alps!), the vibrato combined with the interruption of expiration and dolores did it oh, lord!, so magnificently. also, in the "olden days" it was actually forbidden for people in some parts of ireland to use instruments and if you bear that in mind you can actually hear that her voice is not simply doing the vocalization but is also, in fact, filling the role of the uilleann pipes. amazing!"
This the Irish yodel Dolores is doing, not keening. Keening is a wail that rises to the highest pitch one can scream at. It's not a nice neat yodel, it is a scream of pain and sorrow.
This is not a 'well, actually,' im asking for clarification. As I understood it, the ban on certain instruments was restricted to wartime instruments, which included things like marching drums and bagpipes. My understanding was that the uilleann pipes were created as a reaction to that prohibition- basically a bagpipe that you couldn't march with.
These are the scenes of my youth - I grew up and still live in N. Ireland. The army was everywhere, machine guns were a non-remarkable thing cos they were an every day sight. Bombs & bomb scares were so common that they became almost 'normal'......our so-called 'peace' is still very fragile. Thank you for reacting to this, and R.I.P. Dolores for giving us this song💔....it is part of our history and 'The Troubles'. It's message is overwhelming powerful.
The clips of the lads playing on the rubble and roof of the house is real, and so is the soldiers walking around. I pray to god we never go back to those days!
I should add the way dolores sings is called keening which is the way the women would sing at an irish wake or funeral back in the old days. Not too many left who sing this way in ireland unfortunately. Once again top reaction. Slainte
Nothing in the black and white imagery is acted. The band just went out and filmed in Northern Ireland. The soldiers, the kids playing, it is all real. Hate that Dolores died just when she was on the path to getting well. Feel so bad for the lads in the band. Amazing job they did finishing the last ever album. I am glad they retired the band after that. But Dolores wrote all of the lyrics, and at least co-wrote every song if not outright wrote it on her own, and was the voice. So there is no Cranberries without her. (Em, Cmaj7, G6, D/F# for the guitar.).
I remember being a little kid getting off the buss turning on the old zeaneth tube television and seeing this video playing on MTV when it was brand new. and hear i am at 36 still loving it and watching others love it. RIP Dolores
Great reaction Alx , thank you so much for appreciating Dolores's voice and the fantastic band. It's about the war in Northern Ireland. Please pray for the people in Gaza, Palestine and all around this paradise we live on called earth. Peace to you all. Love from Ireland
The lead singer’s name was Dolores O’Riordan. The cranberries were an Irish Rock group from Limerick. This song was released in 1994. Dolores wrote this song as an homage to Johnathan Ball and Tim Parry who were killed in 1993 Warrington Bombings and in protest to the violence. This song also remarks about generational prejudices that started in 1916 and finally ended in 1998. This song and music video are emotionally very heavy. This song covers heavy situations, impactful lyrics, and fear provoking imagery. RIP Dolores O’Riordan.
I'm a bartender in the US. I've seen the HARDEST of the hard Irishmen that came to visit or work in the States show up to my bar (I mean, dudes that will rock and roll with their hands if you don't know who their favorite soccer team is, man) and FALL APART CRYING when they hear this song! This thing can NEVER mean as much to the world as it does to Ireland!!!! We just DO NOT FUCKING GET IT, even if we know what its about!!!!
This is also my first time hearing this song. Thank IFCGERO for explaining its true meaning which makes listening to it a much richer experience. Thank you ALX for willing to introduce music outside your norm. Dolores left us a real gift. Loved your reaction, keep it up.
I grew up in Ireland hearing about bombings and killings nearly weekly. War is passed on, I think. It's in our head. And we still keep fighting. Children are pure and we pass on the hatred and pain to our children.
Linger, dreams and ode to my family are all worth a listen. The cranberries were from a working class part of limerick. They were a voice for a generation and you forget just hiw good they were. I love the fact that 25 years later they still are relevant and the next generation are discovering them
In Ireland we call that kind of singing 'keening' Delores and the band were great live. I saw them several times around the place when they were just coming to prominence at the end of the 1980s.
"Zombie" is a protest song by Irish alternative rock band the Cranberries, written about the 1993 IRA bombing in Warrington, and in memory of two young victims
Glad you enjoyed this song, our wee Dolores was a national treasure and a huge loss. It brings back a lot of memories growing up here in the 80's. That's what life was like with the soldiers everywhere, armoured vehicles, even the odd tank. The town I'm from was the most bombed town in the country, and at one point the most bombed town in all of Europe, so you can imagine what life was like as a kid and how easy it was for young people to get sucked into the ongoing fighting. You would hear explosions all the time and I remember vividly the day my dad took me into town to get a Sega game and a bomb went off just a few streets away in a courthouse.
i heard a guy talking about this confllict ; his dad was an irish 'resistant', member of the iRA in the 60s-70s... one evening the English army was trying to get them and they were searching houses. this guy's dad was home and hid where he could : under the bed. soldiers were searching his house, and one of them got into the bedroom, looked under the bed and saw the guy. the soldier told him to stay silent, and then went away, closing the door, 'shouting 'CLEAR!' to his colleagues. many IRA members were arrested, and killed. this guy's life got spared. by an english soldier. my english is a little rusty, i don't use it much these days, and i can't really express the feelings i had listening to that story but my heart was broken listening to it... this song always brings a tear to my eyes
If you noticed, when she uses her head voice, she flips the note at the end of each line... That technique is called keening which is prominent in Irish music.
I remember well when the first troops were sent into Northern Ireland as my cousin was one of the Parachute regiment there. At that stage it was still a civil rights movement as Catholics were being denied the most basic rights by the Protestant majority, the idea was for the army to keep the peace while those rights were restored. No chance. The history of England v Ireland made it a ripe ground for the build up of the PIRA and it did not take long for the violence to start.
Grew up listening to this song, and if you want to know the spirit of brit who truely opposes bgotry, listen to this and imagine hearing this from a child and the lesson this voice is teaching you. Doleres taught us the the power that comes in oppsoing hate.
She used a style of singing called "keening' (often confused with yodelling) which is a tradition Irish way of shining to mourn the dead. The singer was particularly offended that terrorists claimed to have carried out these acts in the name of Ireland."The IRA are not me. I'm not the IRA," she said. "The Cranberries are not the IRA. My family are not. "When it says in the song, 'lt'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.". . Zombie=mindless killers !
I was working in London travelling to work on the underground. When the train stopped in the tunnel and we was told to evacuate because their was an IRA bomb scare on the train. We had to use the maintainence stairs to escape from the underground. A scary moment that still haunts me.
Fan from Thailand : I am 56 , When I was very young, very often I saw international news About conflict of North Ireland and England , every day violencei felt very sad because the Irish mostly. got nothing only stones and empty hands. It is the same picture you see Palestine
Real life makes the best songs, even when it's as tragic as this. Saddest song I've ever heard, and a banger at the same time. Still my all time favorite. RIP Delores. Peace to all.
Thanks for this , this song touches the soul of every Irish person who lived through the troubles , I grew up in Ireland ,now live in NY ,tears when I hear this ,RIP Dolores ☘️ #OccupationKills
Song written about the death of two children Tim Parry aged 12 and Jonathen Ball aged 3, blown up by and IRA bomb as they walked by a public bin outside McDonnald's on 26th February 1993 in Warrington England. Very Sad, Peace to us all now and forever between Ireland and the UK. And may all who died from both sides now rest in peace believing that this war between our nations is over and is gone forever.
This song addresses The duality of government and religion. Northern Ireland has been at odds for centuries. Conflict exists between the Tories... the Protestant ruling class and the Catholics who were persecuted for centuries. This is what led to the IRA.
@@alxinthehype Mi favourites are: 1 Linger 2 Ode to my family 3 Dreams 4 Zombie 5 Ridicolous Thoughts Zombie is her great song,probably one of 5 hits of 90s, but Linger, Ode and Dreams INCREDIBLES
We all could use a bit of genre jumping. I have a kid who's into everything from Bowie to Kendrick Lamar, Bowie was from me and now I listen to his stuff too. Gives us a ton to talk about. Thanks for this one.
There is no secret in the meaning. It is condemning the violence in the "troubles" in Northern Ireland as the IRA fought the British and the Protestant paramilitaries, specifically the bombing in Warrington where many died, including kids. A few months after this song the Good Friday agreement was signed, ending the fighting after 25 years and setting out a path forward.
Check out the Bad Wolves cover of this song. The official video. Delores was supposed to sing with them but sadly she passed way the night before. When they made the video it was a tribute to her. You'll see. Very gut wrenching! Delores was definitely one of a kind.
This is so painful. It's about the troubles in Ireland. Ireland was yet another colonized country and this song is about Ireland fighting back against the English. The English tried to frame the war as Protestant vs. Catholic, but ultimately, it was about English vs. Irish.
Duality..war and children....Well done that man. Great reaction. Have you done the Bad Wolves version? Do NOT investigate it, just RU-vid the official release
Without taking anything away from Delores voice or singing abilities, which are absolutely amazing, you should react to Evanescence "My Immortal"... Another angelic voice.
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. [ ... ] 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-Dolores O'Riordan
A girl I know who is a very close friend. When she was a child the IRA executed her father shooting him in front of her. It has mentally scarred her for life
Actually the soldiers were supposed to be protecting them. Both sides fighting for what? Children dying? Violence must not cause our silence. Are we zombies? Powerful music, lyrics and images.
The song was written in response to the killing of two little boys in England when the IRA (Irish Republican Army) detonated two bombs in a shopping area. The two boys were buying Mother's Day cards at the time. The bomb also injured 50 other people. May peace prevail. Sadly Dolores (the singer) accidentally drowned in a bath in 2018 😔 RIP. Bad Wolves were due to cover this along with Dolores a few days after she died. Bad Wolves donated the profit from the cover to her children.
The song was inspired by the IRA bombing in Warrington, Cheshire, England on March 20, 1993. Two children, Jonathan Ball and Tim Parry, were killed. The IRA (Irish Republican Army) is a militant group that was determined to remove British troops from Northern Ireland. This song takes the unassailable position that killing young children is tragic, but in venturing into the political fray, it created a great deal of controversy. Getting painted for the video was Delores O'Riordan's idea. Explaining the symbolism, 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." RIP Delores O'Riordan ✝️
Very sad that they do not teach this history in the US. Now that you have the insight on the original you need to do a reaction to the cover done by Bad Wolves... it was dedicated to Delores and also packs an emotional punch!!! Pretty sure you will love it
Always hit me hard. Soldiers are Zombies, not by choice, poor ppl thinking they do good by following orders. Ppl are Zombies, everyone of us are because none of us stop the shit that is going on everywhere.
Great reaction, man! Yes, Dolores was unbelievable. However, if you wanna hear RANGE, react to Jinjer - Pisces (Live Session). Their singer Tatiana is otherwordly, believe me.
If you get a chance you should check out Five Finger Death Punch "Wrong Side of Heaven" but it has to be the official video. The message is important. I dont usually subscribe after 1 video but this time I did. You paid attention and gave serious thought to the meaning without over analyzing to early like many reactions I've seen. I'm genuinely looking forward to seeing you dive deeper into new music and exploring different genres.
Cassandra Hepp thank you for the kind words. I just try to be as open and understanding as possible I will definitely put that on my list of videos to react to!
Yeah ... simply ... Irish and English have been fighting over religion... Protestant and Catholic.................... I have both Irish and English blood... ?
Great reaction! New exposure to different kinds of music is awesome, huh? The whole Irish Republican Army (IRA) in N. Ireland vs British soldiers was just aweful in the 80s/90s. By the way.... you have a little Lional Ritchie look going on. Ha.
Hey, greets from Germany! To start at the "beginning" I would recommend some Bands from the 70's to check, because, they build the foundation for todays rock and metal music. So take a look at Led Zeppelin (whole lotta love, stairway to heaven, ....), Pink Floyd (The Wall Part II, Time, Wish you were here,....), Deep Purple (Smoke on the water, Child in time, lazy, space truckin') and of course the first so called "Metal Band" Black Sabbath (War Pigs live from "The End", War Pigs with lyrics there is a crapy fan-made video with a lot of views, please, don't do that one, Paranoid, Black Sabbath, Children of the grave,.........) Enjoy your journey!
you have to know some history about the IRA and the war in northern Ireland to fully comprehend this song this song was written after 2 innocent children were killed in the conflict
You gotta check out Bad Wolves' version of it. It's Moving n Powerful. And apparently Delores was to collaborate with them on it but tragically she passed away that morning. Now if that's not enough to get you to watch, well, that's on you. Be cool man. Peace
Please react to Bad Wolves official video cover of this song. Delores was supposed to revise her vocals with them but tragically, left this world. Despite that fact, Bad Wolves decided to move forward and release the song, donating all proceeds to her children.
