Megan Hildreth

Dr. Heather Johnson- Taylor

ENG 1201-B57

25 June 2020

Views on the Song Zombies

“And the violence, caused such silence.” This was sung by both The Cranberries and Bad

Wolves. This specific lyric holds great meaning from the song as it shows that the song's theme.

In 1994, The Cranberries version of “Zombies” the music video depicts children being afraid of

the military and constantly hiding from them. When Bad Wolves redid the song in 2018, the

music video focused on attributing it to Dolores O’Riorden. This was due to her recently passing

away while they were redoing the song. However, they still further demonstrate the original

message of the music video through a girl dressed in gold, which was also used in the original

music video. Even though both the Bad Wolves' and The Cranberries' song "Zombie" both gave

light to a social problem of the government claiming war on its own people, Bad Wolves also

attributed the music video to Dolores O'Riorden.

“Zombie” was in response to two boys being killed in England during war. Both were out

shopping for mother's day and a litter bin had a bomb that was detonated near them. During this

time, the IRA had killed many people and these young boys had suffered from their actions

(“Zombie” (Song).). So within The Cranberries music video it starts off with children who were

playing on the streets together and then goes to showing that a person within the military holding

a gun is walking the streets. Having both of these characters shown within the first seconds of the

music video suggests that there is conflict between the people and the government. This is

further shown by the constant flashes between the children playing and military personnel
holding guns throughout the entire music video. However, the next couple of scenes shown after

the children playing consist of a child seeing the military personnel within the street and running

and hiding. With this in mind, this further demonstrates the division between the people and the

government. As the music video goes on, Dolores O’Riorden is standing in front of a cross

surrounded by children as they are all covered in gold. Knowing that this song was inspired by

the IRA bombing, it can be concluded that these children are a representation of the boys that

passed away. Later in the music video, a dog eats meat off of a bone in front of a mural that

stands for the IRA. This shows that the IRA is viscous due to the symbolism that is shown

through the dog eating the meat on the bone. Again the music video goes in between showing the

children playing and military personnel walking the streets. Having this shown multiple times

throughout the music video instills the main theme that what the IRA has done is wrong. It

further shows that the government is being a “zombie” with “their tanks, and their bombs, and

their bombs, and their guns” by killing innocent people.

In Bad Wolves version of “Zombies” the entire music video is a woman behind a sheet of

glass covered in gold and leaving gold all over the sheet of glass. This shows the tribute to

Dolores due to Dolores being the woman covered in gold in the original video. As she is leaving

gold all over the sheet of glass, this further symbolizes that she has left her mark on the world

with this song. Bad Wolves main singer, Tommy Vext, even sings at one point, “it's the same old

theme in two thousand eighteen.” This shows that the same problem that happened in England is

still happening today. Lastly, in the music video the woman is covered in gold marks January 15,

2018 on the glass. This displays even further that the song was also a tribute to Dolores due to

that being the date that she had passed.

 Both music videos use pathos. The original music video uses pathos throughout the entire

music video by displaying a connection between the military personnel and the children playing

in the streets. In one part of the music video, a child runs away and hides from a person on duty.

This evokes an emotional response as the view can feel that these children were afraid of the

military. With the newer version of the song, pathos was shown through a woman being covered

in gold like how Dolores was covered in gold. Having this within the music video, elicits an

emotional response by connecting the viewer to Dolores O'Riordan's death. Lastly, Bad Wolves

version even changes the lyrics to saying that it is still happening in 2018. When the viewers hear

this within the song, it provides a powerful message that something in the world needs to change.

Although both music videos used the same appeal, they are catering to different audiences. The

Cranberries music video was directed towards the IRA and that things within that geographical

region needed to change. Bad Wolves music video was more directed to the entire world due to

them changing the lyrics to how the destruction and tragedy is still happening today.

Lastly, with “and the violence, caused such silence,” is also displaying how both music

videos pertained to how the government is causing pain to its people with war and causing

unnecessary loss. The silence part of the lyric is attributed to silence of the dead. Both music

videos artistically portray pathos. Each music video is heart wrenching by either showing the

relationship between the children and military personnel or the woman covered in gold silently

dancing behind a sheet of glass. Furthermore, both music videos hope to elicit a change in the

world to end the tragedies that are occurring.

 Works Cited

Bad Wolves, “Zombies.” YouTube, 22 February 2018, https://youtu.be/9XaS93WMRQQ

Accessed 25 June 2020.

The Cranberries, “Zombies.” YouTube, 19 September 1994, https://youtu.be/6Ejga4kJUts

Accessed 25 June 2020.

“Zombie (Song).” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 26 June 2020,

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zombie_(song).