1

Blackburn
Erika Blackburn

Joyce Barnes

22.SP.ENG.1201.502

February 3, 2022

And the Violence, Caused Such Silence

During war and political conflict, soldiers and the military aren’t the only people who

become horribly affected by the daunting turmoil. Innocent bystanders and unaffiliated people

get hurt just by living in a certain place at the wrong time. The song “Zombies” by the

Cranberries, later remade by the American rock band Bad Wolves, tries to communicate the

message of how innocent bystanders can be caught in the crossfires of political warfare even in

different times and places with imagery, lyrics, and the use of pathos. The first version of the

song was published in Ireland after two children were killed in the 1993 bombings, and the

second was made in the United States in 2018, both speaking of the struggles to their audiences

all over the world.

Why did the lead singer of the Cranberries, Dolores O’Riordan, feel compelled to write

such a heavy song? At the time, Northern Ireland had been in a very long political war. In 1993,

a 12-year-old boy and a 3-year-old boy were tragically killed when a bomb went off outside of a

city center (Johnston). O’Riordan was very upset when she heard this news and while on tour,

she began writing about this heartbreaking event. Twenty-four years later, Bad Wolves remade

“Zombies” at a time when the world was politically conflicted over things like terrorism,

elections, and nuclear warfare. Both versions bring a message of the vulnerability of citizens

during these political times.

2
Blackburn
Imagery is used in a big way to show how innocent people can be caught in the

crossfires. The video for the Cranberries’ version starts off by showing multiple pictures of Irish

children. They look sad, pitiful even. It shows glimpses of them playing atop abandoned

buildings that look as if they had been bombed. It quickly moves into clips of soldiers walking

around the bare city holding guns, while children peek around buildings at them with their own

tiny weapons. These images give the feeling that these were not the happiest of times in this war-

stricken town. Even the way the band is playing looks angry and somber. This shows that even

the youngest of a country’s people are affected by political decisions. Comparatively, Bad

Wolves starts their video in black and white with writing that announces the death of the original

singer. Dolores O’Riordan was found dead on the day she was supposed to record her voice on

the Bad Wolves track.

As soon as the lyrics begin, you see Dolores in all gold looking like a goddess in one

video, and the Bad Wolves band with an all-black background in the other. The first words

immediately hit you like a punch to the gut:

Another head hangs lowly,

Child is slowly taken.

And the violence caused such silence

Who are we mistaken?

Both bands use this start to get the attention of their audiences. This uses the pathos appeal to

really captivate their listeners and viewers. Right away, one can see the innocent people the

Cranberries are speaking of throughout their message, but it is a little more difficult to

understand who the Bad Wolves are speaking of. It is apparent that the Cranberries wanted to

appeal to those affected by the 1993 bombings, as well as those who are going through the
3
Blackburn
political turmoil within their own country. Bad Wolves have a different audience in mind,

however, targeting a more simplistic audience by using less imagery. This gives them the ability

to listen to the message the band is delivering. Obviously, both bands are trying to reach their

own fan base, but Bad Wolves are also trying to pull in the listeners of the original version as

well.

“But you see, it’s not me, it’s not my family. In your head, in your head, they are

fighting." Dolores is trying to tell her audience that despite conflict, she is not the one doing the

killings; that not all Irish are affiliated with the IRA. So many people are judged for where they

are from even when they do not reflect any specific views. In their video, the soldiers are lurking

in the grass or behind broken walls while the children are playing in the center of the

neighborhood, again reiterating the fact that these innocent bystanders are in the line of crossfire.

Bad Wolves have a more subliminal message when they sing, “It’s the same old theme in 2018.”

Meaning even though it is a different time in a different part of the world, we are still dealing

with the fact that innocent people are being caught in the mix of political wars.

While both videos portray their messages in different ways to different audiences, they

both used the same rhetorical appeal of pathos. On one hand we have the Cranberries using

heart-wrenching images from a politically divided city, and on the other is a melancholy video

by Bad Wolves using an entirely black background and minimal imagery to get their point

across. Cranberries also use ethos by showing the political propaganda throughout the video.

No matter where you live or what disagreement is going on, by listening to this song one

can really feel the sadness and compassion pouring from these bands as they spread their

message. Freedom comes with a cost at times, and sometimes that cost is innocent victims.

Political warfare affects far more than just those active in the fights.
4
Blackburn
Works Cited

Johnston, Emma. The Story Behind the Song: The Cranberries- Zombie. 2 November 2017.

<https://www.loudersound.com/features/the-story-behind-the-song-the-cranberries-

zombie>. Accessed on February 2022.

Music, Better Noise. Bad Wolves- Zombie (Official Video. 22 February 2018.

<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9XaS93WMRQQ>. Accessed on February 2022.

CranberriesTV. The Cranberies- Zombie (Official Music Video). 16 June 2009.

<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Ejga4kJUts>. Accessed on February 2022.