Manes1

Logan Manes

Dean Leonard

English 1201.540

16 February 2020

Why sit in silence while violence is going on around us? In the version of the song

“Zombie” by the Cranberries written in 1993, there is violence taking place throughout Ireland

due to issues with the Irish Republican military and political unrest. This song was remade in

2018 by the band Bad Wolves using it to discuss the violence still taking place around the world,

in general, in 2018. This video takes place in a dark room to symbolize sadness to provide a

musical tribute to the lead singer of the Cranberries, Dolores O'Riordan, who had accidentally

drowned on January 15, 2018, that same year. Both songs symbolize how violence never ends in

the world, humans are and always have been violent, whether in older days or present and what

we really need is to have peace in the world. 

           In the 1993 version by The Cranberries, the story takes place in Belfast, Ireland, the home

of the Irish Republican Army. The song shows children peacefully playing in what looks to be a

courtyard. They are playing with swords and even though they are innocent children they are still

acting out violence. As they are playing, Irish military troops are patrolling the area. As the song

goes on it shows a girl painted head to toe in gold in a golden gown standing in front of a cross

with gold painted children standing below her. They appear to represent the souls of the playing

children. 
 Manes2

The cross symbolizes that she is their savior like Christ. She is singing of the violence

and is preaching a message of peace. The video then shows the military officers shooting

towards the kids. When a child is shot, the golden children appear to cry out in pain. The girl of

gold represents the hope of peace. In the later version by the Bad Wolves, they mention in the

song “Drone Strikes” killing people in 2018 referencing the violence taking place in the Middle

East. 

           Both songs show a woman painted in gold. In the 2018 version, “Zombies” by Bad

Wolves, the golden woman is in the likeness of Dolores O'Riordan. This version, while still

telling of the ongoing violence a quarter of a century later, also gives tribute to Delores as the

Golden woman from the original video. 

Delores O’Riordan was planning to join to band on the remake of her song, but she died

of accidental drowning before she could do so. She is another innocent who is now dead. In the

video, she is shown behind a glass wall watching the band sing her 1993 song as gold paint is

being poured over her. As the band sings of the ongoing bombs and violence still in the world,

she is separated from the band. How the peaceful band looks, and then on the other side of the

glass she’s is painting the glass gold with the paint dripping from her hands and arms. Until the

lead singer of the band can no longer see her through the glass. The band continues to play and to

do nothing, making the band the zombie. Doing nothing to help while the other side of the glass

is in pure chaos. In the original version by the Cranberries, the Golden girl represents a message

of hope and peace. The golden girl in the song is a safe place for children to go, to get out of the

chaos and just to sit in peace. This is just showing the message as the kids are getting shot no one

is helping them, Just because it’s a standard. Just like today, as violence is going on in the world,

we aren’t doing changing and bringing peace. 

 Manes3

Both songs created rhetorical appeals. In the 1993 version, the song is showing an

emotional appeal to culture and to the young affluent people of the world to make a change to

save the children. In the video, the culture is just all about violence. Just shooting someone for no

reason, is just part of the people in Belfast’s everyday lives. The people just go on to their normal

day because it is no big deal. They are zombies because they just sit there and do nothing about

it. The original version is also reaching out to young people like me. It challenges us to question

why we are sitting there and not being peaceful instead of violent. Its a message to stop all the

violence happening around us in this world today. 

In the second version of the song Zombies by Bad Wolves. Its rhetorical appeals are to world

leaders. It is preaching to us about the “drone strikes”, telling of how they are just causing

unneeded violence. It connects that even though back then there was violence today violence

doesn’t stop it just keeps happening. It also reaches out to ordinary people like us to do

something. Don’t just sit there and let it happen, but to make a change to end the violence

instead.

           The songs paint two different pictures and purposes, but get the underlying message is the

same. The violence in the world today needs to be put to an end. The people need to not sit there

and be zombies and turn a blind eye.  

 Manes4

Works Cited

Music, Better Noise, director. Bad Wolves - Zombie (Official Video). Youtube, Youtube, 22 Feb.

2018, www.youtube.com/watch?v=9XaS93WMRQQ.

TTV, The Cranberries, director. The Cranberries - Zombie (Official Music Video). YouTube,

YouTube, 16 June 2009, www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Ejga4kJUts.