What do you feel when the bittersweet memories of adolescence return, seeming current, even though they are not?

You feel like you're still in the same situation, in the same place, and with the same feelings/sensations, or almost.

For me, 'Bury The Hatchet' by the Cranberries is the Western video of 'Promises' that often played in snippets on 'Superclassifica' with Vanessa Incontrada on Italia Uno, every Sunday at lunchtime.

That was an imperceptible reason for interest, which later became attention in October, after that summer, with the video recalling images of the 'Brimful of Asha' group by Cornershop, 'Just my imagination'.

And also the song, of course: in December '99, for my 17th birthday, I bought 'Bury the Hatchet'.

And when I played the CD, bit by bit, that album, and then the previous discography of the group (recorded on tape thanks to the loans of CDs from an acquaintance of mine from a gym I went to), became the soundtrack of a third-year high school life of loneliness and feeling, towards girls, suffering and fascinating, combined with the songs of the recently deceased Fabrizio De André, until early September 2000.

The sequence of the first 7 songs out of 14 is one of the most exciting musical memories of a time when some of the new releases by artists or albums of those already known led me to make the artists my own: that of high school.

If musically from 'Animal Instinct' to 'Desperate Andy' the group doesn't say anything new in terms of sounds, however, that sequence creates an emotion in me that starts with a fairly calm ballad, moving to a well-paced but not so Rock song ('Loud and Clear'), continuing with a more powerful yet domestic Rock ('Promises'), a slightly lighter song to shake off the quite significant 'agitation' of the previous track ('You and Me'), an apparently dramatic song about past youth ('Just my imagination'), a fairly calm but deep song about the infidelities of one's partner (Dolores was already married at the time) ('Shattered') and an optimistic one, at least in music and interpretation, to close in momentary serenity, before continuing from track 8 or from Side B when cassettes still existed.

From 'Saving Grace' to 'Sorry Son' (the one with the 'Psychedelic breeze', the 'psychedelic breeze' in the lyrics: what courage!*), a series of passable but almost negligible songs in my opinion today, excluding the quiet 'What's on my Mind' and the ethereal and, in Dolores' voice, delicate 'Dying in the Sun' (which I sang on a late January morning, at the most significant cemetery in Genoa, in the section of Anglo-American war casualties**, a few days after Dolores' death***).

'Bury the Hatchet' closes the period of great international success for the group and stylistically of the first production that made them great in history.

A real interest from me would not happen again with the next album. And in the future, I remember, thinking about the Cranberries would always and only mean the high school period. Unforgettable...

*for a song dedicated to a child

**the white crosses used in the Anglo-Saxon world

***to whom I became attached

Tracklist Lyrics Samples and Videos

01   Animal Instinct (03:29)

Suddenly something has happened to me
As I was having my cup of tea
Suddenly I was feeling depressed
I was utterly and totally stressed
Do you know you made me cry
Do you know you made me die

And the thing that gets to me
Is you'll never really see
And the thing that freaks me out
Is I'll always be in doubt
It is a lovely thing that we have
It is a lovely thing that we
It is a lovely thing, the animal
The animal instinct

So take my hands and come with me
We will change reality
So take my hands and we will pray
They won't take you away
They will never make me cry, no
They will never make me die
And the thing that gets to me
Is you'll never really see
And the thing that freaks me out
Is I'll always be in doubt

The animal, the animal,
the animal instinct to me
It's the animal, the animal,
the animal instinct to me
It's the animal, it's the animal,
it's the animal instinct in me x2

02   Loud and Clear (02:43)

I hope that you miss me
Put me down on history
I feel such a reject now
Get yourself a life
I hope that you're sorry
For not accepting me
For not adoring me
That's why I'm not your wife

People are stranger
People in danger
People are stranger
People deranged or

I remember there was
Nothing I could ever do
Never could impress you
Even if I tried
Tell somebody who cares
Fill the room with empty stares
Go to bed and say my prayers
Keep them satisfied

People are stranger
People in danger
People are stranger
People deranged

Loud and clear I make my point my dear

I hope that you never
Get the things you wanted to
Now I cast a spell on you
Complicate your life
Hope you get a puncture
Everywhere you ever drive
Hope the sun beats down on you and
Skin youself alive

Ra la la la la la la la
Ra la la la la la la la x4

03   Promises (05:25)

You'd better believe I'm coming
You'd better believe what I say
You'd better hold on to your promises
Because you bet you'll get what you deserve

She's going to leave him over
She's going take her love away
So much for your eternal vows, well
It does not matter anyway

Why can't you stay
Here a while
Stay here awhile
Stay with me

Oh oh oh oh oh
All the promises we made
All the meaningless and empty words I prayed
Prayed praaaayed
Oh oh oh oh oh
All the promises we broke
All the meaningless and empty words I spoke
Spoke spooooke

What of all the things that you taught me
What of all the things that you'd say
What of all your prophetic preaching
You're just throwing it all away

Maybe we should burn the house down
Have ourselves another fight
Leave the cobwebs in the closet
'Cause tearing them out is just not right

Why can't you stay
Here awhile
Stay here awhile
Stay with me

Oh oh oh oh oh
All the promises we made
All the meaningless and empty words I prayed
Prayed praaaayed

Oh oh oh oh oh
All the promises we broke
Promises we broke
All the meaningless and empty words I spoke
Spoke Spooooke

Oh oh oh oh oh
All the promises we made
Promises we made
All the meaningless and empty words I prayed
Prayed praaaayed

Oh oh oh oh oh
All the promises we broke
Promises we broke
All the meaningless and empty words I spoke
Spoke Spooooke

Oh eh, oh eh, oh eh
Oh eh, Oh Eh x3

Do-do-do, Do-do-do
Do-do-do, Do-do-do

04   You and Me (03:33)

05   Just My Imagination (03:39)

There was a game we used to play
We would hit the town on Friday night
And stay in bed until Sunday
We used to be so free
We were living for the love we had and
Living not for reality

It was just my imagination x3
THAT was a time I used to pray
I have always kept my faith in love
It's the greatest thing from the man above
The game I used to play
I've always put my cards upon the table
NEVER be said that I'd be unstable

It was just my imagination x3

There is a game I like to play
I like to hit the town on Friday night
And stay in bed until Sunday
We'll always be this free
We will be living for the love we have
Living not for reality

It's not my imagination x3
Not my x8

06   Shattered (03:41)

I'm trying to control myself
So please don't stand in my way
I've waited for the longest time
This is what I wanted in my way
Move over, move over
There's a climax coming in my way
Move over, move over
There's a climax coming in my way

I don't like you, don't compromise
Shattered by your weakness
Shattered by your smile
And I'm not very fond of you, and your lies
Shattered by your weaknesses
Shattered by your smile

All the kids are going back to school
The summer's over it's the golden rule
And now I'm coming out to play
So please don't stand in my way
And all the things that seemed once to be
So important to me
Seem so trivial now that I can see

Move over, move over
There's a climax coming my way x2

Please don't stand in my way

07   Desperate Andy (03:42)

He always holds on to his girlfriend
That's where he likes to be
He like to wear the ball
and the chain on his neck
A false sense of security

And when he goes he goes with a smile
And when he goes he goes with a smile
And when he goes he goes with a smile
And when he goes he goes with a smile

Desperate Andy a-a-a-a
Re la la la la la la
Desperate Andy a-a-a-a
Re la la la la la la la la la

The world is your oyster now
You can do as you want to do
The world is your oyster now
So go out and get high
and get whatever you want to

Ma-na-na, ma-na-na,
ma-na-na, ma-na-na
Ma-na-na, ma-na-na,
ma-na-na, ma-na-na

He used to be a closet biker they say
A 1957 BSA
He used to collect writing paper
They wonder wonder wonder
wonder wonder of

Desperate Andy a-a-a-a
Ra la la la la la la
Isn't it dandy a-a-a-a
Ra la la la la
Desperate Andy a-a-a-a
Ra la la la la la la la la la

The world is your oyster now
You can do as you want to do
The world is your oyster now
So go out and get high
and get whatever you want to

The word is your oyster now
You can do as you want to do
The world is your oyster now
So go out and get laid
and get whatever you want to
The world is your oyster
The world is yours

It's yours it's yours
it's yours it's yours
It's yours it's yours
it's yours it's yours

08   Saving Grace (03:08)

It could happen here today
It could happen here today
And I can't wait to see your face
No I can't wait to see your face

Can you hold on while
I take hold of myself
Can you hold on while
I take hold of myself

You're the little thing,
my saving grace
You're just a little thing,
my saving grace

It could happen here today
It could happen here today
You are my saving grace
You are my saving grace

Will you be strong while
I take hold of myself
Will you be strong while
I take hold of myself

It could happen here today
It could happen here today
You are my saving grace
You are my saving grace

09   Copycat (02:52)

They had an accident
and they never noticed anyway
A lack of originality
couldn't focus on the day
So much for the radio
everybody sounds the same
Everybody wears the same clothes now
and everybody plays the game

Copycat, copycat, copycat
Copy copy copy copy yourself
Copycat, copycat, copycat
Copy copy copy everyone else

I've got a great idea
I will change things on my own
I see my vision very clear,
wouldn't wanna be another clone
So much for the radio, the radio is sad
Sad, sad, sad

They had an accident
but they never noticed anyway
A lack of originality
couldn't focus on the day
So much for the radio
everybody sounds the same
Everybody wears the same clothes now,
and Everybody plays the game

Copy everyone else x4

10   What's on My Mind (03:10)

Baby I would do anything for you
Nobody's ever treated me
quite like you do
I've wasted too much time
I've wasted too much time
And I'm gonna tell you
what's on my mind
Yea yea

I was wrong all along
There could be somebody like thee
Here we are finally
I've found my
I've found my

Maybe it'll be quite sometime
I love you forever
and we will be waiting in time
I'm wasting no more time
I'm wasting no more time
I'm always gonna tell you
what's on my mind
Yea yea

I was wrong all along
There could be somebody like thee
Here we are finally
I've found my
I've found my

11   Delilah (03:31)

Shout shout shout Delilah
Shout shout shout at the top of your lungs
Shout shout shout Delilah
Shout shout shout until the kingdom comes

Stay away from me
Just stay away from my house
Stay away from me
Stay away or I'll sort you out

Shout shout shout Delilah
Shout shout shout 'till the kingdom comes

Treading on my dreams
Stop treading on my dreams x2

Out out out Delilah
Out out out stay out of my place
Out out out Delilah
Out out out or I'll rearrange your face

He'll never really be
He'll never be your lover
He'll never really be
He'll never really be your lover

So stay away from me
Just stay away from my house
Stay away from me
Just stay away or I'll sort you out

Shout shout shout Delilah
Shout shout shout 'till the kingdom comes

Treading on my dreams
Stop treading on my dreams x2

Delilah x5

12   Fee Fi Fo (04:45)

Fee fi fo she smells his body
She smells his body
And it makes her sick to her mind
He has got so much to answer for
To answer for, To ruin a child's mind

How could you touch something
So innocent and pure
Obscure
How could you get satisfaction
From the body of a child
You're vile, sick

It's true what people say
God protect the ones who help themselves
In their own way
It's true what people say
God protect the ones who help themselves
In their own way

He was sitting in her bedroom
In her bedroom
And now what should she do
She's got so much insecurity
And his impurity It was a gathering gloom

How could you touch something
So innocent and pure
Obscure
How could you get satisfaction
From the body of a child You're vile, sick

Fee fi fo x4

13   Dying in the Sun (03:28)

Do you remember
The things we used to say?
I feel so nervous
When I think of yesterday

How could I let things
Get to me so bad?
How did I let things get to me?

Like dying in the sun
Like dying in the sun
Like dying in the sun
Like dying x2

Will you hold on to me
I am feeling frail
Will you hold on to me
We will never fail

I wanted to be so perfect you see
I wanted to be so perfect

14   Sorry Son (03:23)

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Other reviews

By KrYsTaL

 "Dolores is no longer that anorexic waif with a chilling voice, she no longer sings about the injustices of war or the sufferings of the parents of a drug addict."

 "Together with her companions, she 'buries the hatchet,' she is no longer mad at the world."