The Cranberries, “Zombie”

We go from the last entry’s meaningless Latin fluff to a protest song with a sound as heavy as its lyrical content. Violence related to religion and politics in Ireland has long influenced artistic endeavors. Perhaps most notable is Sean O’Casey’s play “The Plough and the Stars,” which literally set off riots at its Dublin opening in 1926. By 1994, U2 and Sinead O’Connor had already cornered the market on Irish-protest-rock-as-pop-hit, but The Cranberries offered their contribution, “Zombie,” to much success. The band had already found acclaim and record sales with earlier efforts (“Linger” perhaps the most popular), but “Zombie” took them to the top of the charts.
Ironically, the song’s harder-edged sound may have boosted it in the short term, but taking their overall sound in that direction with future albums seemed to hurt the band’s draw in the long run. After years of hiatus, lead singer Delores O’Riordan released a tough solo album in 2007, work definitely worth checking out for fans of “Zombie.”
Today’s bonus clip offers “Zombie” as interpreted by Andy from NBC’s The Office.


Here's the original: