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Chase Bush

Mrs. Morean

English 1201

24 September 2021

“Zombie” by Bad Wolves and The Cranberries

In 1993 two young victims were killed in the bombing of Warrington, England. This

catastrophe caused chaos and outbreak in England, leading to protest within the nation. In response

to this event, a rock group called The Cranberries released a song outlining the inhumanity and evil

occurring in society. Their music video not only revealed their opinion on the matter, but it also

featured soldiers holding guns and children in distress. A year later another version of the song was

made as a tribute to the lead singer of this rock group. Bad Wolves, an alternative rock group,

released a cover of the song which became immensely popular. Their version of “Zombie”

resurrects the emotional status of the people who witnessed this evil. Although both versions of the

song differ from each other since the original video features soldiers with guns and children

fighting, they both are a tribute to people who have passed away and they highlight the inhumanity

of society.

In The Cranberries version of the song, their goal was to make a statement about the

political chaos occurring in England. Although this song was centered around the bombings, it was

also focused on how this catastrophe affected the lead singer. In this song the lyrics somewhat

hinted at the mental state of the lead singer:“in your head, zombie” (Zombie, The Cranberries).

Delores O’ Riordan was supposed to be featured on the cover of the new version of Zombie, but

unfortunately she died just a couple days before due to drowning. Instead of canceling the cover,
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Bad Wolves decided to make their own vocals and make the song as a tribute to Delores. While

both versions have the same message, their music videos differ from each other in the aspect that

they feature different people.

In The Cranberries music video, there are soldiers holding guns and children running in

panic. This part of the video emphasizes the political chaos that was going on in England. In the

Bad Wolves music video of “Zombie”, there is a lady painted in gold to symbolize the lead singer

of the Cranberries. In the same music video she is standing in front of a glass window and writes

“1-15-18”, which symbolizes the date she died on. The songs are different in the aspect that Bad

Wolves version is concentrated on Delores O’Riordan’s death while The Cranberries version is

focused on the death of the two victims from the Warrington bombings. Although the songs are

focused on different people, the original video features the lead singer painted in gold while Bad

Wolves recreates that same image in their music video. While the lyrics for both versions are

addressing the violence going on, Bad Wolves cover of “Zombie” is more upbeat than The

Cranberries version.

In original song, the tone is melancholy and often hints at the depression that the lead singer

is feeling because of the bombings. At first in "Zombie” by Bad Wolves, they play the piano in the

beginning to try and capture the mood of the original song. While their version has the same lyrics

and focuses on Delores O’Riordan’s death, the guitars and drums lift up the beat. They both are

similar because they express the message of the song aggressively to the audience. They also

express this message through yelling and loud music which is classified as pathos since they are

showing their emotions to the audience. The mood and style of both songs are emotionally

appealing to the audience and it makes the viewer realize the inhumanity that is occurring in the
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world. Although both versions of the song express the same emotions, the lyrics were altered in

Bad Wolves cover of “Zombie”. In their version they change the word guns to drones: “With their

tanks and their bombs and their bombs and their drones”(Zombie, Bad Wolves). While the remake

changed a couple of words from the original, they are still similar in the fact that they both use

pathos to get their point across to the audience.

Overall, these two versions have a different focus, but they both acknowledge the chaos

occurring in the world. Also, both versions of the song “Zombie” do a good job in getting their

point across and acknowledging that there is still fighting going on today. The Cranberries version

focuses more on the two young victims that died as a result of the Warrington bombings in

England while the remake is primarily focused on the death of Delores O’Riordan. Although these

rock groups have a different central focus, they both show their emotions to the audience about the

situation that is going on. Their use of pathos appeals to the viewer and influences them to be the

change they want to see in the world. These two songs have had a huge impact on the music

industry and it continues to address the violence happening in the world. Both have a big impact

on the nation and push for a change in the world.

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Works Cited

ElevenSevenMusic. (2018, February 22). Bad wolves - zombie (official video). YouTube.

Retrieved September 26, 2021, from

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

TheCranberriesVEVO. (2009, June 16). The cranberries - Zombie (official Music Video).

YouTube. Retrieved September 26, 2021, from

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