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Irish rugby fans have adopted the Cranberries’ 1994 hit ‘Zombie’ as their unofficial anthem – first at last year’s Rugby World Cup, and perhaps again this spring’s Six Nations – but the decision has been controversial. is brewing.
During the World Cup, Ireland had an undesirable record of never winning in the knockout stages after topping their group, and suffered a heartbreaking defeat to New Zealand in a thrilling quarter-final. Zombies jumped out of the system. whistle.
This comes after a stunning 13-8 victory over reigning champions South Africa in the pool stage of the tournament, which saw fans sing along to the national anthem, creating a spine-tingling moment.
It’s not just Ireland that use songs to get the stadium going after a win, with French rugby fans singing a gala chorus of ‘Freed From Desire’ after the opening game win over the All Blacks at the Stade de France. did.
However, while “Zombie” was adopted for its hymn-like and sing-along qualities, the song’s history has sparked debate and controversy in the Irish Sea.
The song was written by The Cranberries after two children, three-year-old Jonathan Ball and 12-year-old Tim Parry, were killed in a 1993 IRA bomb in a bin in Warrington town center, Cheshire. Written by lead singer Dolores O’Riordan. The tragedy was made even more painful by the fact that the two children were caught in the explosion when they went out to buy Mother’s Day cards.
Dolores O’Riordan wrote ‘Zombie’ as a protest song against IRA bombing
(Reuters)
O’Riordan, from Limerick in the west of Ireland, was touring the UK at the time and wrote a protest song containing the lyrics “It’s not me, it’s not my family” to distance himself and other Irish people from the IRA. Action.
“We were on the tour bus and we were close to where it happened, so it really shocked us,” O’Riordan said in an interview at the time. “I was young, but I remember being shocked that innocent children would be involved in something like that.”
In a separate interview, Ms O’Riordan added: “I remember watching on TV one of the mothers was devastated. I felt so sad for her, the way she carried him for nine months, through the morning sickness and everything. I thought that some motherfucker did that because he thought he was getting his point across.”
Other lyrics on “Zombie” include “What’s in your head?” O’Riordan is a member of the paramilitary group responsible for the Warrington bombing and other acts of violence that marked the turmoil in Northern Ireland and across the United Kingdom. is calling out fiercely. The song became recognized as an “anti-IRA” anthem and became a worldwide phenomenon, reaching number one on the charts in eight countries, and in 1995 she won the Song of the Year award at the MTV Europe Music Awards. was awarded.
However, due to its origins as a protest song, some argue that it is inappropriate as the anthem of the Irish Rugby team, one of the few sporting teams to represent both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. “It is an insult to republicans throughout Ireland and nationalists in the north,” he wrote. One person on Twitter/X.
‘Zombie’ became the first sporting anthem after O’Riordan’s death in 2018. The song was adopted by O’Riordan’s home county Limerick hurling team en route to winning that year’s All-Ireland Championship. The Munster rugby team also played the song in O’Riordan’s honor, and the crowd responded to its catchiness, so it became a standard post-match song and has now been transferred to the national team.
Irish fans have adopted ‘zombies’ at this World Cup
(Reuters)
Many celebrities have defended the song’s use, citing its anthem-like nature as why it is perfect as a stadium celebration song.
Former Ireland international Shane Byrne said of ‘Up Front with Katie Hannon’: Yes, it was originally written as a protest song. But sometimes a good song is just a good song. ”
Ireland’s Leo Varadkar has said he would sing Zombie if he played in the World Cup. “It’s a great song,” he told radio station Newstalk. “I think it’s a song that everyone can feel good singing. It’s an anti-terrorism song. It’s not a nationalist or unionist song.”
Colum Eastwood, leader of Northern Ireland’s Social Democratic and Labor Party (SDLP), tweeted: “Zombie is an anti-war song written after the IRA murdered two children in Warrington.” Stop trying to make it different. And stop pretending that opposing IRA atrocities is the same as supporting British atrocities. Most of us were against both. ”
In 2023, the song surpassed 1 billion streams on Spotify, demonstrating its enduring popularity, and the remaining members of The Cranberries tweeted their joy at reaching the milestone.
“I’m so happy to hear that Zombie has surpassed 1 billion streams on @Spotify. Dolores will be over the moon! Thank you to all the fans for the incredible support To do.” the band wrote on Twitter/X.
The “zombie” controversy is similar to the controversy surrounding the Wolf Tones song “Celtic Symphony.” The song has become the national anthem at some concerts and sporting events, despite the lyrics praising the IRA, including the phrase “Raise the ra!”. ”.
The Irish women’s football team will be fined in 2022 after a video leaked on social media of them singing “Ah, ah, Raise the Ra” in the dressing room after a World Cup play-off win over Scotland. I was forced to apologize.