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John Geis

Professor Dean Leonard

English Composition II

12 February 2021

Two “Zombie” Videos: A True Homage

In 1994, the Cranberries released a hit single titled “Zombie”. The song became an

overnight success, and was ranked #1 on the charts in countries such as; Australia, Denmark, and

Germany. Not to mention, the official music video also has of one billion views on YouTube. It

became an instant success for a few reasons. For starters, the lyrics are masterfully written. Each

line of dialogue contributes to a deeper message. Not a single line of lyrics is wasted throughout

the song. The overall tone of the song is somewhat somber. The Viewer can tell from the first

listen, that this song was written, and performed with a lot of passion. Naturally, as the song

became more popular, many covers, and remakes were performed. One of these being performed

in 2018 by the band, Bad Wolves. Bad Wolves version of “Zombie” pays homage to the original

version, and composer Dolores O’Riordan, while updating the lyrics. Both versions tell a story of

how a countries government doesn’t always have its citizens best interest in mind.

The original version carries a lot of depth and significance with its message. Upon

scrutinizing the lyrics, it became clear to me that this song was in some way about death. As the

viewer starts watching the music video to “Zombie” for the first time, they will immediately be

noticed children. The first thing the viewer is shown is children covered in dirt and other filth.

They are playing in a run-down and dumpy area of town, somewhere in Ireland.

As the video goes on we are shown soldiers moving through the streets, children fighting,

graffiti referencing the IRA (Irish Republic Army), children wielding firearms, a religious cross,
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and most important, the lead singer O’Riordan, painted gold surrounded by children that are

painted silver. These are all enormously heavy elements, which influence the tone of the video

greatly. The overall message of this video is about humanity, choices, and the unscathed truth

that governments do not always have their citizen’s best interests in mind. The story the video is

telling us is about an IRA bombing that killed two little Irish boys in 1993. The name of the song

references the mindless nature of killing and war. The lyric “What’s in your head, what’s in your

head, zombie, zombie” is insinuating that governments and gangs are not thinking about the

negative repercussions of their actions. It’s also important to mention the children wielding

firearms, and the line “another mothers breaking”. These are both examples of both ethos, and

pathos. This references the perspective of the victims of conflict. Obviously, seeing and hearing

these examples connect us to the song on an emotional level. This video was made to combat the

conflict occurring during that time. Because of this, the main audience was intended to be Irish

citizens, Irish government officials, and IRA members. Honestly, it worked! In 1994, the IRA

called a cease fire and the conflict ended shortly after.

The 2018 version by the Bad Wolves shares many similarities and differences to the

original. This version is a true homage not only to the original version, but to O’Riordan herself.

Upon starting this video, you will notice some key differences. There is less of a visual story

being told in this version. There are no scenes of children, soldiers, religious items, or violence

anywhere through this video. We are shown the band members, as they perform the song. Two

pieces of a visual story we are shown is a woman painted gold, which is a nice nod to

O’Riordans character in the first video. The second piece of visual story we are shown is a

number sequence, 1.15.2018. This is a reference to Dolores O’Riordans death. This rendition
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was made to appeal to fans of the original version, as well as to modern audiences with the

update lyrics and more modern tone.

There are several similarities too. The viewer will notice the energy and passion of this

video is just as present as it was in the first video. Absent are the set pieces, visual imagery, and

props. However, this video is still full of story. You get the sense that this song wasn’t made for

money. This performance has passion and was made to send a message. The message is

something along the lines of “Dolores made a song that influenced a country; we can achieve the

same thing”. I believe the story is told indirectly. For example, the line “It’s the same old theme

in 2018” not only hints at modern day violence, but is an example of modernizing the lyrics, so

this song appeals to a modern audience. With all the conflict in today’s world, this claim doesn’t

seem very far-fetched. This video also shows ethos and pathos. At the beginning of the video, the

text shown mentions her daughters. I don’t know if that was designed to appeal to me, but it did.

Above all else, this video is a true homage to Dolores O’Riordan, and by mentioning her

daughters, that drew me in.

As previously stated, there are many similarities and differences between these two

videos. The main differences being the visual storytelling, religious elements, and small lyrical

updates. There are more similarities, however. The motivations for both performances are pure

and honest, the passion is clearly there in both renditions, and most importantly both songs can

appeal to the masses. The original video has over one billion views; the Bad Wolves version has

nearly four-hundred million. The Bad Wolves cover is a true homage to the original version, and

to Dolores O’Riordan. While the Bad wolves version does this well, it also improves the lyrics,

while keeping the original message about humanity, violence, and the fact that governments

don’t always have mine or yours best interest at heart.

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“The Cranberries - Zombie (Official Music Video) YouTube, uploaded by theCranberriesTV, 16

June 2009

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

“Bad Wolves – Zombie (Official Video) YouTube, uploaded by Better Noise Music, 22 February

2018

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