What's the story behind the song Zombie?
The hit 1994 song from the Cranberries packs a powerful message
I love Ireland.
And this week, I got to return to Dublin to run a communication workshop as part of a US company’s annual retreat.
Whenever I create a workshop, I look for stories and examples tailored for the client and their situation – and thought it would be fun to incorporate a few communication lessons from Ireland for this one.
And I found some great stories.
But I had more content than I had time, so many stories and ideas I had ended up on the cutting room floor.
But today I want to share one of these stories because it was something I was curious about – and it shows the power of creativity and storytelling.
It’s about a song from the 1990s that I know well – and the backstory I didn’t.
This is the story of The Cranberries’ 1994 hit song, Zombie.
In 1994, The Cranberries were global superstars.
The band’s debut album, Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can’t We?, was a multi-platinum smash, and most people thought they knew exactly what the Irish four-piece was about.
But then lead singer Dolores O’Riordan learned about an IRA bombing that had killed two children in Warrington, England.
“I remember being on tour and being in the UK at the time when the child died, and just being really sad about it all,” O’Riordan said in 2018.
“These bombs are going off in random places.
“It could have been anyone, you know?”
She was particularly offended that the IRA 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.”
She took her anger and frustration, and poured it into writing a song.
It was a furious, grungy response to the violence caused by the conflict in Northern Ireland, and a drastic departure from the ethereal fairy-tale ballads the band was known for.
The song was called Zombie.
Though she had originally written Zombie on an acoustic guitar, O’Riordan picked up the electric guitar when she shared it with the band, and told drummer Fergal Lawler to ‘beat the drums pretty hard.’
“If it was soft, it wouldn't have that impact,” guitarist Noel Hogan said in 2012.
“This was a new direction for us. And it would stand out in the set because of that.”
“That was the most aggressive song we’d write,” O’Riordan said.
“Zombie was quite different to what we’d done before.”
It was so different, in fact, that The Cranberries’ record label tried to dissuade the band from releasing Zombie.
But the band persisted – and Zombie became the first single off the band’s second album, No Need To Argue.
And the gamble paid off.
Zombie went to No.1 in the US and several other countries.
No Need To Argue sold 17 million copies worldwide, and remains as the band’s best-selling album of all time.
Sadly, O’Riordan died in January 2018. The band released their Grammy-nominated album In The End the following year, and disbanded.
See the original video for Zombie here:
BONUS: The band’s 2017 album Something Else includes acoustic versions of their most memorable songs, including Zombie, and my personal fave, Dreams. It is absolutely worth a listen!
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How Can I Help?
I’ll keep saying it: Communication matters.
How much?
Well, a TikTok exec was put on leave this week after he said he “didn’t believe” in maternity leave.
It’s so easy to make mistakes that cost you relationships, your reputation, and your job.
And good news, friends… If you want to improve your communication (and get all the good things that come with that), I’m your gal.
So many companies could reap so benefits – from performance and culture to retention and engagement – by improving their communication.
I help clients with communication strategy, planning, and thinking.
And I do the ‘doing’, too.
I also teach people the skills to help them become better communicators and leaders through 1:1 coaching and team workshops (that are effective – and fun!).
So, if you know someone who could benefit from some help (as even the most seasoned leaders do), please get in touch and check out my website for more information.
And if you see any communication examples (the good, the bad, and the ugly) that you think are worth analyzing or sharing, please send them my way!
Stay Curious!
-Beth
What an interesting background story I never would have guessed! This story feels particularly relevant to the U.S. culture right now. Thank you for another great read!
I love this post so much. (And would sign up for an entire Substack/series just for your behind-the-song stories!) Takes me right back to the 90s (and more recently, the Derry Girls series, which I loved partly because of this band). Thanks for sharing this amazing background, Beth!