Samuel Lynch

21.SP.ENG.1201.510 English Composition II

Prof. Charles Freeland

21 Feb 2021

Two Songs One Message

The lyrics “In your head, in your head, they are fightin'” explain much of what the

original song and video are about. The original version of “Zombie” was written and sung by

Dolores O'Riordan, the lead singer for The Cranberries, in 1993. The inspiration came from the

death of two young boys who were killed in an Irish Republican Army (IRA) bombing, which

took place in the UK in 1993 (Johnston 2017). They were in a similar situation to so many other

children who grew up surrounded by violence in the UK and Northern Ireland. These children

have had to grow up with the memories and trauma of violence they experienced every week or

every day, either right in front of them or the news. The second version of the song by Bad

Wolves serves more as a tribute to the original artist but still spreads this same message of how

detrimental violence is to everyone it touches. The two versions of “Zombie,” original by The

Cranberries, and cover by Bad Wolves, claim similar things. However, the original version of the

song does a better job conveying its message and connecting with the audience through its

imagery and use of pathos.

The story told by The Cranberries is that of the violent civil unrest in Northern Ireland

(UK) that took place from 1968 to 1998 called the Troubles (Wallenfedlt 2020). This song and
accompanying video attempt to address the violent conflict in a way that people from around the

world can understand. It does not restrict itself to just one social class, race, or country, because

at the time it was written, this conflict was global news, even today, violence and war are

something we see every day on the news, so the message of this song remains relevant today.

Images from the video included graffiti on buildings depicting soldiers and other patriotic

symbols, clips of armed soldiers moving through fields and between buildings, and children play

fighting as soldiers with toy guns and sticks. This last example sticks out given the context of the

song, and these children have most likely grown up surrounded by violence. This continued

exposure to violence can lead some to grow desensitized to violence to the point where they

become “zombies” who have no emotional reaction to the violence and could even feel

compelled to participate. This video forces viewers to confront the truth of conflict and those

affected by it. By using images of children playing instead of just images of soldiers and conflict,

more people can relate. It is through this pathos that they can express their message effectively.

The second video, by Bad Wolves, does not have the same emotional imagery as the first.

It is instead meant as a tribute to the song’s original singer, Dolores O'Riordan, who passed away

the day she was supposed to cover the piece with Bad Wolves (Better Noise Music). Because of

this, the video accompanying this rendition is much more subdued, with the only color coming

from a woman in gold, representative of O’Riordan, who also wore a gold dress and face paint in

the original. The video prominently features the band on a black stage with the surrounding walls

and ceiling painted black. It also features the woman mentioned above in gold who approaches

the band and interacts with the lead singer. The audience for this version is much the same, it is

not restricted to any one group, but it would most likely be more prevalent among those who

knew and were fans of The Cranberries and O'Riordan. The Bad Wolves version of the song
carries a different meaning through the video. Still, it takes the same meaning through the lyrics,

which were updated to fit a more modern setting, for example, the original verse goes “with their

tanks and their bombs, And their bombs and their guns,” it is changed to “with their tanks and

their bombs, And their bombs and their drones” (Better Noise Music). These subtle change helps

to change the audience, expanding it to more people who can relate to a more modern take on

this song exploring the mental damage violence can cause. Although this version of the video has

a slightly different message from the original, the original does a much better job getting its

message across.

In conclusion, the original video’s use of real-life footage of soldiers, destruction, and

children fighting does a better job of invoking emotion in the audience than the more subdued

tribute of the second video. The song itself carries a strong message of how violence causes only

destruction and more violence.

Works Cited
Better Noise Music. “Bad Wolves - Zombie (Official Video).” Youtube, 22 Feb 2018,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9XaS93WMRQQ. Accessed 14 February 2021.

Johnston, Emma. “The Story Behind The Song: The Cranberries - Zombie.” Louder Sound, 2

Nov. 2017,

www.loudersound.com/features/the-story-behind-the-song-the-cranberries-zombie.

Accessed 21 Feb. 2021.

The Cranberries TV. “The Cranberries - Zombie (Official Music Video).” Youtube, 16 June 2009,

https://www.youtube.com/watchv=6Ejga4kJUts. Accessed 14 February 2021.

Wallenfeldt, Jeff. "The Troubles.” Encyclopedia Britannica, 21 Aug. 2020,

https://www.britannica.com/event/The-Troubles-Northern-Ireland-history. Accessed 14

February 2021.