The beauty about living in a world of diversity is that everyone’s take is unique. The same set of clothes worn by different people can look entirely different. The same ingredients cooked by different cultures can come out completely different. Just like this, the same piece of music can be very different depending on the artist/singer behind the mic. It is critical to hear “Zombie” from others than The Cranberries since that helps to understand the song from multiple angles. This post argues that “Zombie” is not just a song against war and violence; instead, it is a symbol of resilience. This is important because it extends the potential application of the song beyond just protests and wars and connects readers on a personal level to the song. Everyone faces moments when resilience is necessary regardless of whether that conflict/situation involves violence or not. This symbolism can be seen from the different covers of the song since many of the cover artists created their versions not to specifically target war, but to spread the general message of fighting for your rights and making sure to persevere through hardships. 

Bad Wolves - Zombie

This cover by Bad Wolves was released in 2018 after the death of Dolores O’Riordan, the lead singer of The Cranberries. It follows the structure of the original song closely without much modification to the original melody. Also, the instrumentals are used very similarly as the original version. For instance, the electric guitars produce a heavy, grunge sound. According to the group, the minimal modification was due to the fact that the purpose of the cover was to commemorate Dolores O’Riordan (Camp). Therefore, rather than changing the structure or elements of the song, the group simply followed her styles (Camp). The lead singer, Tommy Vext, adapts a singing style that closely follows Dolores O’Riordan; he controls the roughness of his voice by starting out soft but then equipping coarse and emotional vocals near the climax of the song. However, this does not mean that there was no new insight on the song. The inherent difference in the voice between Vext and O’Riordan gives the song a different feeling. Tommy Vext’s voice is much deeper and echoes more, which gives a more grand feeling to the song. Overall, this song’s message is not about violence, but about praising the resilience that Dolores O’Riordan showed throughout her life, battling alcoholism and depression (Powell). Even though the lyrics did not change, the contextual background that the group stands on gives the song a whole different meaning. 

Clödie - Zombie

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxZG5PCoa4s

This version of “Zombie” by Clödie changes many of the musical components from the original version. First of all, the instrumentals are acoustic, meaning that all of the ‘rock-sounding’ instruments such as electric guitars and bass are removed. Instead, only an acoustic guitar and a piano comprise the backbone of the melody line. The singer’s voice is naturally harsh-sounding, which makes the cover have a similar dystopian feel as the original version. However, because of the difference in the instrumentals, this version feels more mellow and calm. It feels as if this version of the song would take place after the peak of the violence – when everything has happened and people are calmly reflecting. The Cranberries' version feels more powerful and energetic because of the vocals and the instrumentals, but it may not be appropriate for a site of mourning. However, this version tells a similar message that can be presented for a more toned-down setting. In fact, the whole group is originally from Poland, where wars and violence have taken over the nation in the past (McGregor). Most notably, the occupation of Poland by the Nazis is a representation of the pain that Poland experienced from violence. However, they did not have any armed conflicts as recent as Ireland depicted by The Cranberries (McGregor). This context matches the more nostalgic, wistful atmosphere that is built by the singer that indicates looking back to an event from a long time ago. 

SARA’H - Zombie (français)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LljEOSpLrTA

Music and language are closely connected in our perception (Jancke). Even the same piece can be perceived completely differently when sung in a different language. The specific intonations and accents of that language can also affect how people interpret the piece (Jancke). Also, since the lyrics have to be written again, the message of the song might vary as well. The above version of “Zombie” by SARA’H was completely rewritten in French. First of all, this has an effect on a new level of audiences – those that speak French. This group of people are now able to hear the lyrics and understand them closer to heart since it is spoken in their language. But more importantly, the song feels softer from the change in the language. The rounder and more subtle endings of ‘e’ in French (Jancke) makes the song more elegant and polite. While personal perception varies, it is undeniable that the use of French gives makeover to the song.

There are countless covers of the song “Zombie”, but the above three covers showed distinct similarities and contrasts from the original version. As with a typical cover, most of these covers do not completely transform the piece. Instead, it interprets the song in its own ways that will change how listeners perceive it. Overall, we see that the change in instrumentals and vocals made the song to be more collected and mellow while some of the artists like the Bad Wolves implied a different message to be said in their versions (honoring Dolores). The key point, though, is that the covers show that the song is not just about war as described in other parts of this project. It is about the spirit of defending yourself and fighting for what you believe in. And this is critical for anyone because everyone has something to fight for throughout their time in life. 

Bibliography

Camp, Zoe. “Hear Bad Wolves' "Zombie" Cover Dolores O'Riordan Was to Guest on Before Death.” Revolver Magazine, 19 January 2018, https://www.revolvermag.com/music/hear-bad-wolves-zombie-cover-dolores-oriordan-was-guest-death/. Accessed 8 November 2024.

Clödie. “Zombie - Clödie (The Cranberries Acoustic Cover) - Dolores O’Riordan.” YouTube, 7 July 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxZG5PCoa4s. Accessed 8 November 2024.

Jäncke, Lutz. “The Relationship between Music and Language - PMC.” National Library of Medicine, 7 April 2012, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3338120/. Accessed 8 November 2024.

Krokus, Vitaly. “Bad Wolves - Zombie (Official Video).” YouTube, 22 February 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9XaS93WMRQQ. Accessed 8 November 2024.

McGregor, Claire. “Clodie Sings Haunting Cover of Zombie.” The Music Man, 2023, https://www.themusicman.uk/clodie/. Accessed 6 November 2024.

SARA'H. “ZOMBIE ( FRENCH VERSION ) THE CRANBERRIES / BAD WOLVES ( SARA'H COVER ).” YouTube, 14 September 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LljEOSpLrTA. Accessed 8 November 2024.