Isabella Baker

Professor Porter

ENG 1201

10 Feb 2022

Analysis of Two Versions of Zombies

After viewing the videos both for a song named ‘Zombies’, one by The Cranberries and

another by Bad Wolves, it becomes noticeably clear that there is a relationship between the two

but still have major differences. One of the first things noticed between both is the sadness and

pain in both singer’s voices throughout the videos. While The Cranberries’ version was sang in

anger and pain about the IRA bombing in England in 1993, the Bad Wolves’ version of

‘Zombies’ was released years later with sympathy and sorrow in response to the death of Dolores

O’Riordan, the lead singer for The Cranberries.

On March 20, 1993, a bomb detonated in Warrington, England killing a 12-year-old boy

and a 3-year-old boy along with multiple others who were wounded. At the time, The

Cranberries were on tour in the UK and O’Riordan decided to write a dark song about the tragic

event. In an interview, O’Riordan says “That was the most aggressive song we’d written. Zombie

was quite different to what we’d done before” (Johnston). In the music video The Cranberries

created, there are soldiers carrying weapons and young children playing throughout. It also

shows a woman, the lead singer, dressed and painted in gold standing in front of a cross with

young boys in silver surrounding her. The Cranberries created this video to show the effects of

violence and how harmful the bombing had been to the families of those injured or killed, as well

as everyone in that society being affected by the violence going on around them. While typically
The Cranberries music was for a typical rock loving crowd, this song was meant to reach

everyone and discourage the continuous violence between countries that was causing harm to so

many.

Despite the bold message that comes from The Cranberries’ Zombie, the Bad Wolves’

version portayed a much different message. While the newer version also shows a great amount

of pain, the newer version was released as a tribute to the death of The Cranberries’ lead singer,

Dolores O’Riordan. “The Irish singer was in London for a recording session when she passed

away suddenly at a hotel in the capital’s Park Lane on 15 January 2018” (RadioX). Although

Bad Wolves never received the chance to record Zombie with Dolores O’Riordan as they were

supposed to do that day, they still chose to release their recorded version of this dark song.

With the pain of O’Riordan’s death, Bad Wolves created a heart wrenching video that

begins with slides that dedicate the song and video as a tribute to Dolores O’Riordan. The video

shows a young women doused in gold paint to represent O’Riordan as she was dressed in the

video The Cranberries had created. In the Bad Wolves’ version, the woman in gold moves to

reach the lead singer of Bad Wolves but is unable to touch him because of the glass keeping

them apart. The woman representing O’Riordan begins to smear the paint and writes the date of

O’Riordan’s death in the smeared paint. Both the lead singer of Bad Wolves and the woman

representing O’Riordan continue to put their hand on the glass trying to reach each other but his

life and her death keep them apart. Unlike the original version of this song that was meant to

reach everyone, this version was more to those that were fans of Dolores O’Riordan or The

Cranberries to touch on their loss and give their sympathies.

Since both videos are very emotional in their own significant ways, one can acknowledge

that both songs use pathos. With the emotions like sadness that build throughout The
Cranberries’ version, the use of pathos helps display their message that violence is only creating

pain and hurting innocent people. Also, in Bad Wolves’ version, the use of pathos creates a hole

in the heart with the loss of Dolores and being reminded of her by the lady covered in gold.

Similarities are seen in both versions including the pain and sadness despite their

differences. However, there are vast differences in the meaning behind both videos. The

Cranberries’ version of Zombie speaks on a message regarding the IRA bombing in England,

while Bad Wolves’ version shows as a tribute to the death of Dolores O’Riordan, the lead singer

of The Cranberries.
 Works Cited

Bad Wolves. “Bad Wolves – Zombie (Official Video).” YouTube, uploaded by Better Noise

Music, 22 February 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9XaS93WMRQQ

Johnston, Emma. “The Story Behind The Song: The Cranberries – Zombie.” Classic Rock.

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

zombie. Accessed 10 Feb 2022.

The Cranberries. “The Cranberries - Zombie (Official Music Video).” YouTube, uploaded by

TheCranberriesTV, 16 June 2009, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Ejga4kJUts

“The harrowing true story of Zombie by The Cranberries.” RadioX,

https://www.radiox.co.uk/features/dolores-oriordan-cranberries-zombie-story-meaning/.

Accessed 10 February 2022.