Growing up I listened to a lot of Irish music, not just the traditional songs you hear on Saint Patricks Day. My grandma is from Ireland and made it a point to educate her grandchildren about history and current events going on in her home country. I remember hearing this song as a kid and not realizing what I was listening to/ what I was singing. I had no idea what the song was actually talking about or how important it was to understand the magnitude of the lyrics. As I have gotten older and wiser (well a little more wiser), I’ve realized what the song is speaking out against and how it applies to current events going on in the United States-not just overseas.

The original song was released in 1993 in response to an IRA bombing that killed to young children.  The song is protesting the IRA brutality going on in Northern Ireland at the time of its release. I think that this song can also go along with many current events in the United States. I think it’s important to look at older songs that protest similar social injustices that are going on and in this case I think that this song can be applied to police brutality in America; but I want to further investigate. The band re-released an acoustic version in 2001. This song talks about the repercussions of war but I also want to learn more about the IRA bombing they are protesting against.

When I did a brief research of the music videos I noticed how unique the video is and I’m really curious to learn more about the creative choices made for it; because this song is an award winning piece of music. When I tried to find an acoustic music video I was not able to find one. Upon further investigation I learned why the production got pulled, it had to do with 9/11, and why the song’s release was so important at the time. The Cranberries have also soundtracked many films and TV shows so I’m curious to see if “Zombie” has been applied to any Hollywood production. I also hope to find connections to similar songs/themes because the song’s topic is not out of date but the inspiration is and I’m curious to find more songs about this event and this topic.

I do however have a few concerns regarding this song, it is an older song and not many people my age know about it. I don’t know if many people know about the IRA history in Ireland and might not understand the significance of what they are talking about. I hope that when I research more I can create a stronger connection for listeners my age.

-Maura

Zombie

Zombie-Acoustic