Abbe Johnson

ENG. 1201
Prof. Freeland
09/26/2020

Analyzing Visual Texts

"ZOMBIES" BY BAD WOLVES AND THE CRANBERRIES

“Another head hangs lowly child is slowly taken," at the beginning of the 1994 original
song Zombies by The Cranberries, Dolores O'Riordan speaks out about the death of the two boys
who were killed in an Irish bombing, while she was touring the U.K. During this video, the main
characters consisted of younger boys who are covered in either dirty from the ruins of old
buildings or in gold paint and have different props like a bow and arrow or even a harp. The way
these boys appear, they have an angelic look and also seem frightened, which gives the example
of a child's innocence during these adult, political disputes. The song goes on to say, "But you
see it's not me it’s not my family,” this is where it gets really deep in terms of just being a
bystander who is just watching it happen and can't do anything about it. For Dolores O'Riordan,
it was having the thoughts of innocent children being blown up and not being able to do anything
but try to feel emotionless, like a zombie. The gold-painted woman who stood in the middle of
the children in the original music video gave this motherly, empathic perception.
The band, Bad Wolves, decided to cover the song in 2018 and was originally going to perform
the song with Dolores O'Riordan, but the day they were supposed to perform together she left the
world. This message pops up on the covered songs’ music video before the song even starts.
Tommy Vext, the lead singer of Bad Wolves, was inspired to cover this song because of the
defying collateral damage going on from political unrest. The covered song seems to be not only
an act of inspiration but also an act of dedication to remembering Dolores O'Riordan. The props
within the covered music video were just a sheet of clear material and a gold-painted woman
representing the same gold-painted woman in the original music video The Cranberries made.
The Cranberries original version of Zombie and Bad Wolves' cover of Zombie appeals
differently to the audience because of the time period the song was performed and the recent
events that occurred. The main claim about the song was the fact that killing children for
political reasons shouldn't be comprehensive to the average human, especially if you have any
morals or compassion towards humanity.
Throughout history, people have dared to take away innocent lives no matter what age. Just
recently when the covered version of Zombie was performed by Bad Wolves, hidden truths were
being surfaced by not only politics but also by people who had great power to their name and
worth in general. The topic of political pursuits is so broad that it’s so scary not only from going
to war and killing innocent children and people but also by hiding them away and enslaving
them. It’s a really powerful message within the original Zombie music video by The Cranberries
when they show young boys playing in the ruins of bombed buildings and getting pushed around
by soldiers. The boys who are playing in the music video have on old, worn-out clothing which
made it easier to assume they were made to look like they lived in a poverty lifestyle. Within the
lyrics of the song, Zombie, says "it's the same old theme since nineteen-sixteen,” Dolores
O'Riordan is referring back to the Irish fight for independence. When Bad Wolves covered the
song, they changed the lyrics from saying nineteen-sixteen to two thousand eighteen, for the
simple fact that political unrests are still causing collateral damage and people are starting to
speak up to that fact.
The original song Zombie, by The Cranberries, appeals to the audience more as Logos because it
refers back to real factual events. The song covers historical events and statistical relevancy
when it comes to war in general for that demographic. The original song also covers Pathos
appeal because the lyrics are very emotional when it comes to violence destroying pure
innocence from the governmental conflicts between countries. When it comes to the covered
version of Zombies that Bad Wolves performed, it comes off as all three; Ethos, Logos, and
Pathos because it clearly has the same lyrics. Another way the covered song comes off as Pathos,
but also holds Ethos to a standard level is because Dolores O'Riordan was supposed to cover this
song with Bad Wolves but died the day of, and Tommy Vext decided to give credibility to
Dolores O'Riordan by dedicating the song to her at the beginning, end and throughout the video
while demonstrating the communication barrier between the two singers. The way the covered
version would appeal to Logos is because it still covers the idea of innocent children having to
face the conflicts of the government and ultimately dying from the bombings of the war.
Another way the covered music video of Zombies is different from the original is from the fact
that Bad Wolves do not put any children in their music video but keeps the gold-painted woman.
With Tommy Vext on the other side of the clear sheet of material than the gold-painted woman,
they seem to be trying to portray communication from Tommy Vext to the spirit of Dolores
O'Riordan. It’s a very powerful part of the music video in my opinion because the clear sheet that
divides them almost makes me think it is symbolic of connecting with another realm or
dimension. It’s as if Tommy Vext is speaking up for the feelings Dolores O'Riordan was having
at the time of writing this song. Also wanted to point out the cross that stands behind the gold-
painted, motherly figure is almost a metaphor as she wishes she could be the savior of these poor
children who need the most help, but as a bystander has no control over what happens.
 Works Cited
 The Cranberries- Zombie. The Island Def Jam Music Group, 16 June 2009,
www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Ejga4kJUts.
 “Bad Wolves- Zombie.” Youtube, Eleven Seven Music Group, 22 Feb. 2018,
www.youtube.com/watch?v=9XaS93WMRQQ.
 https://www.nme.com/news/music/the-cranberries-say-us-bands-cover-of-zombie-was-
released-too-soon-after-dolores-oriordans-death-2603366