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Logan Gross

Professor Reynolds

Eng 1201

13 Mar 2021

“Zombie”

The Cranberries released their iconic song “Zombie'' in 1994. Lead vocalist Doris

O’rioden passed away and inspired Bad Wolves to Cover “Zombie '' almost thirty years later as a

tribute to Doris and the legacy she left. The Cranberries wrote this song as a peaceful anti-war

protest against the Ireland government and shows how the government does not have their

citizens' best interests in mind. Bad Wolves supports The Cranberries ideas of the government by

saying that nothing has changed to this day and things are still the same.

While the two songs have the same meaning behind the message of their songs, each of

the music videos have their own unique way of representing the meaning. The Cranberries use

multiple different scenes fading in and out of each to show their emotions and the scenes behind

what is happening in Ireland, while Bad Wolves try to represent the depressing death of Doris.

The music videos are very different both trying to appeal to the emotions of their viewers. They

want you to feel the pain they feel because they want the government to change and put their

citizens' best interest at hand.

The Cranberries original song had three major settings that took place in their music

video. The first scene took place in a gated community in Ireland that was being guarded by

soldiers with kids running in the inside and people living. This scene was to show the rule that

the government had on the people, and to show that their freedoms were very minimal. This

scene allows the viewer to realize what the people of Ireland are going through at this time in
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their lives. The second scene is The Cranberries playing to the song in the background that looks

to be an abandoned house in the gated community. The third scene is the most iconic part of the

video that anyone could point at from this song. Doris O’rioden stood under a cross covered in

gold paint that made her look like an egyptain queen. At her feet laid kids covered in gold. They

were representations of cherubs. All these scenes come together to make a beautiful music video

that signifies that the government does not have their best interest at hand.

Bad Wolves took a much different approach to their video. When covering the song, they

really wanted to focus on the main idea, which was to make an amazing tribute to the life of

Doris. The band did this by filming in a single dark room with a very depressing feel to it, while

singing the song with compassion for all the lovers of Doris. Half way through, a golden figure,

painted just like the original to represent the life of Doris, appeared, but it was blocked off by a

piece of glass unable to reach the band. The girl painted in gold slowly covered the glass with

gold fading, but before she did this, she wrote the date of the death of Doris O’rioden . This

single piece of glass allowed the video to represent the whole meaning by saying that we are

unable to see Doris, but we can reach her through her amazing musical talents that she left an

impact on us with. The Bad Wolves also wanted to make sure that the people of the United

States that the government has not changed through time and in a different country.

These videos have a very big meaning behind them, but the composers use multiple

things to get the viewers to react in a certain way. The original song by The Cranberries used two

different rhetorical appeals; these are Pathos and Ethos. The Cranberries use pathos to appeal to

the viewer's emotions. They want you to see how they are affected and see the pain in their

voices. Ethos is used by showing what the city in Ireland is like. They want the viewer to realize

what is happening and to signify that the government does not have their best interests at
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thought. Although the meanings of the two songs are the same, Bad Wolves, with their different

approach to the music video, only used pathos. They really wanted to hit a string with viewers

and allow you to grieve with them over the death of Doris. They wanted the viewer to see the

pain of not getting to see her again, but they wanted to also show that we need to celebrate her

amazing music talents. We need to keep her musical talents in history forever. The audience that

The Cranberries were trying to reach out to the people of Ireland and the government officials to

say that they need to look at their citizens best interest at hand. Bad Wolves were trying to reach

a more distinct audience by reaching out to the young rock fans and the people that loved and

cherished Doris O’rioden.

“Zombie,” will forever be remembered as The Cranberries singing out as a protest in

order for the government to see that they do not have the people's best interest at hand.

However, Bad Wolves left a mark in the rock world with their tribute video to Doris O’rioden

three decades after the original one. Both versions of these songs will last in rock culture for

generations to come. Bad Wolves not only back The Cranberries' statement on the government,

but they also pay tribute to Doris O’rioden to keep her rock talent around forever.7
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Works Cited

The Cranberries.”Zombie.” Youtube, uploaded by TheCranberriesTV, 16 Jun. 2009,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Ejga4kJUts

Bad Wolves. “Zombie.” Youtube, uploaded by Better Noise Music, 22 Feb. 2018,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9XaS93WMRQQ