The Cranberries: Zombie Meaning
Covered By: Bad Wolves (2018)
Zombie Lyrics
child is slowly taken.
And the violence caused such silence;
Who are we mistaken?
But you see, it's not me, it's not my family.
In your head, in your head, they are fighting.
With their tanks and their bombs,and...
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Again, and for the reasons previously quoted, this is obviously (at least to me) a song in reference to the Conflict in Northern Ireland (as the British press were mandated to refer to it.
Much of the references are, of course, applicable to any conflict and I think even the style in which the song is sung, that grating/screeching delivery of the lyrics, especially the word 'Zombie' itself, expresses the emotion of raw anger that pervades the lyrics. It screams 'Protest Song'.
The child slowly taken is a great example of this duality. Is it the child taken by violence in terms of death, or in terms of seduction by their point in the sectarian cause?
The protest 'It's not my family...' sounds to me like the the age of question of 'Why me?'. I read it this way - Why must my family suffer when we've done nothing wrong?
'Their tanks and their bombs, and their bombs and their guns'. The reptition of the phrase 'their bombs' implies to me two different 'theys'. I would suggest the first would be the British Armed Forces (since they're the ones with tanks) and the later the terrorists.
On an asscoiated point, a previous anonymous post stated that 'They're not terrorists, they're freedom fighters.' Frankly this attitude hacks me off (to put it mildly). Anyone who directly and exclusively targets for military action innocent men, women and children - non-combatants by the terms of every article of war I've ever seen - is a terrorist, no matter how legitimate they believe their cause to be. To believe otherwise, or hide behind pretty phrases like 'Freedom Fighter', is to submit to the kind of mindless servitutde this song is refering to. To the poster of that comment I say 'WHAT'S IN YOUR HEAD, ZOMBIE?'. -
After reading many interpretations... wow what a great collection of thoughts. It's funny how a song can take on new meaning with the changing of events in our world. It's like how many people refer to 'War Pigs' to Vietnam, and modern times have brought it to a modern "Bush war".
Yes this song was made for 1916; but look... all the new meaning upcoming generations have found. It's no longer about it's intention, rather, all the zombies that have come and gone since. Isn't war still war. Aren't they still trained as zombies? Arn't they still messed up afterwards? And yet, here we are, in the middle of another war. You think we would learn- NO, let me correct myself, you would think government would learn. -
This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
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Yes it is about the IRA and about someone's child but the singers and the rest of the group has nothing too do with it.
If you want to see more information on the IRA I do suggest that you go and watch a movie called some kids mother.
It is about people who were protecting there own rights against the british people and there own nations interstes.
In the Movie it well show you about a family who's son goes to fight ends up in prison for the so called crimes and then when he gets into prison it show the type of conditions they had to go through when they are in H block cells.
But just too warn you guys out there it can be quite a bit graphical and that kids should not watch it at all.
anyways tell me what you think of what I have said and also about what you think of the movie. -
The "Zombie, Zombie Zombie" sounds like someone shouting at a British soldier. Meaning you are nothing more than a tool and you cannot think for yourself. You are a zombie, devoid of human life, thoughts and feelings.
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"when violence causes silence
we must me mistaken"
when violence causes silence, means the death of someone or a group of people from the result of violence.
we must be mistaken, meaning its a mistake to resort to this and we shouldn't be fighting
thats my interpretation -
While the first major rebellion in ireland was in 1912, the IRA started it's more effective action (in a modern urban geurilla style) around 1916 under the leadership of Michael Collins and Amon De Valera. Since then there has been near constant violence. in 1921 when the treaty sectioning Ireland was ratified by the Irish Free State provisional government, the factions in the war changed from irish V english to IRA V North Irish/English.
I think the line about it's not me, not my family. May also reflect on the fact that no one will take blame for participating in the conflict. I have a good friend who's father emigrated from ireland; they have both participated in riot like behavior near the border. People tend to think of themselves as helping their own righteous cause and ignoring that they are part of the reason that the conflict continues. -
I read more than once here the interpretation of " and the violence causes silence," - is referring to the silence between the 2 communities, the more violence there is from each to the other the less dialogue there is.
In my opinion when Dolores writes "violence causes silence" she is simply referring to those killed in the terrorist attacks. Just my humble opinion... -
The song zombie I think is talking about the terror war in northern Ireland, also the chorus says in your head, thought it's really sound and and actually relates the song to IRA(Irish Republican Army), the song is just screaming like the singer who's just screaming out of her heart in the chorus,it's like all that the guns and the bombs and the tanks and the fear and the pain is screaming for her. we became zombies to the war,to the fact people are dying. relate it to their own nation Ireland.and I think the line:since 1916 is referenced to the uprising against the British government in Dublin.
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Imho it could be also vice versa... Silence, silence amongst people causes violence - we do not listen to each other and abandon the chance of stopping conflicts by negotiations and understanding...unless it's very late for many people
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I have to agree with the person above me, while it's talking about the Northern Ireland situation you can say it's an example.
The example of humanity's constant circle of hatred and violence against one another, in some way or another people are always at war with each other. And what does this war lead to? What does this violence cause?
Silence... Death -
Almost there... but it seems if you won't get the right answer until you ask the right question.
Who is the zombie?
Yes, the song is addressing the atrocities of living in a terrorist state. Northern Ireland, yes, but it could just as easily be in Iraq.
"Not me, not my family" I don't hear "she's not responsible," I hear, "she's not affected." "It's not happening in my back yard." "It's THEIR war, THEIR bombs, THEIR guns."
"When the violence causes silence we must be mistaken!"
Wake up, I am the zombie. You are the zombie. We look away, it doesn't affect us. What's in our heads? Terrorists in any civilized society have power because they cripple with fear.
In Northern Ireland, the fighting has been going on for generations. It doesn't affect me. It's them. They are fighting, they are dying. Whether you believe there is a just cause or not, ignoring the violence will not stop it. -
In your he-ad. In your he-eh-eh-ead
..
this is a very powerful song, I do believe that they are talking about a cycle. The violence and hate has gone on for so long that it has gotten caught in our societies, we have become 'zombie's, we are not able to think for ourselves because the people before us has made our hates for us, we have become a race of people so obsessed with grudges and fear we are mindless. She is saying 'its not me, its not my family, in your head in your head they are fighting'
We didn't do this, we didn't start it yet we have it in our head, we have these memories pasted into our minds of wars and battles and hate, we are turned into mindless humans whose 'heart is taken over'
'we must be mistaken' -
This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
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