•
Rating:
These four Irish guys, who, when they started out, had the sole purpose of making good music that would reach people, certainly did not think that one day they would compose an album that can be comfortably included among the classics of authorial pop-rock of the last thirty years.
An artistic triumph and an extraordinary commercial success (18 million copies sold so far) - aided by a legendary single. The intro of "Zombie" is really simple. Sweet guitar opening, Charleston touch, and the arrival of the hard guitar. Simple, but after a minute you realize you are facing a great song. After the intro, the instruments step aside and accompany Dolores's voice very soberly, without ever overshadowing her, with the guitar occasionally stepping in with some sparkling notes. Then the chorus with the epic vocalizations and distortion used to perfection. In a technically superior but less intelligent band than the Cranberries, the song would have been lost in noise or some idiotic virtuosity. Four chords for a monumental masterpiece of songwriting.
But "No Need to Argue" is not just "Zombie," but an almost miraculous series of inspired tracks: "Ode to My Family" (delicate electric arpeggio, delicate string arrangement, delicate singing); "Ridiculous Thoughts" (their rhythmic masterpiece, with an angry Dolores against journalists who had criticized her); "Daffodil Lament" (a long suite, perhaps the peak of the album); "Dreaming My Dreams" (whispered love declaration, with the chorus gently underscored by the violin); "21" (simple but effective folk-rock); "Disappointment" (a slow rhythm enlivened by the drums); "I Can't Be With You" (the pop track of the album, with Dolores missing her partner); "Yeat's Grave" (acoustic guitar introducing a wonderful psychedelic pop-rock); "No Need to Argue" (an organ and an almost Gregorian chant that conclude the album).
If we want to find a flaw, it is in the number of tracks - despite the reasonable 50-minute length. With a couple of songs fewer, it would have been better.
But the worst flaw is the absurd position of "Zombie." Such a song should have been in one place only, at the end, perhaps with the peaceful "No Need to Argue" preparing the way for the wrenching finale.
Tracklist Lyrics Samples and Videos
01 Ode to My Family (04:30)
Doo doo-doo doo, doo doo-doo doo
Doo doo-doo doo, doo doo-doo doo
Doo doo-doo doo, doo doo-doo doo
Doo doo-doo doo, doo doo-doo doo
Understand the things I say
Don't turn away from me
'Cause I spent half my life out there
You wouldn't disagree
D'you see me, d'you see
Do you like me, do you like me standing there
D'you notice, d'you notice
Do you see me, do you see me
Does anyone care?
Unhappiness was when I was young
And we didn't give a damn
'Cause we were raised
To see life as fun and take it if we can
My mother, my mother she hold me
Did she hold me when I was out there
My father, my father, he liked me
Oh, he liked me, does anyone care?
Understand what I've become
It wasn't my design
And people everywhere think
Something better than I am
But I miss you, I miss
'Cause I liked it, 'cause I liked it
When I was out there
D'you know this, d'you know
You did not find me, you did not find
Does anyone care?
Unhappiness was when I was young
And we didn't give a damn
'Cause we were raised
To see life as fun and take it if we can
My mother, my mother she hold me
Did she hold me, when I was out there
My father, my father, he liked me
Oh, he liked me, does anyone care?
Does anyone care?
Does anyone care?
Does anyone care?
Does anyone care?
Does anyone care?
Does anyone care?
Does anyone care?
Doo doo-doo doo, doo doo-doo doo
Doo doo-doo doo, doo doo-doo doo
Doo doo-doo doo, doo doo-doo doo
Doo doo-doo doo, doo doo-doo doo
Doo doo-doo doo, doo doo-doo doo
Doo doo-doo doo, doo doo-doo doo
03 Twenty One (03:07)
I don't think it's going to happen anymore
You took my thoughts from me, now I want nothing more
And did you think you could just take it all away
I don't think it's happening, this is what I say
Leave me alone
Leave me alone
Leave me alone
'Cause I found it all
Twenty One
Twenty One
Twenty One
So I don't think it's going to happen anymore
I don't think it's going to happen anymore
Twenty One
Twenty One
Twenty One
Twenty One
Twenty One
Twenty One
Today
Today
Today
Today
Twenty One
Twenty One
Twenty One
Twenty One
Twenty One
Twenty One
Twenty One
Twenty One
Twenty One
Twenty One
Twenty One
Twenty One
Twenty One
Twenty One
04 Zombie (05:06)
Another head hangs lowly
Child is slowly taken
And the violence causes 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 their bombs, and their guns
In your head, in your head
They are crying
In your head, in your head
Zombie, zombie, zombie-ie-ie
What's in your head, in your head?
Zombie, zombie, zombie-ie-ie-ie-oh
Another mother's breaking
Heart is taken over
When the violence causes silence
We must be mistaken
It's the same old theme
Since 1916
In your head, in your head
They're still fighting
With their tanks, and their bombs
And their bombs, and their guns
In your head, in your head!
They are dying
In your head, in your head
Zombie, zombie, zombie-ie-ie
What's in your head, in your head?
Zombie, zombie, zombie-ie-ie-ie-oh
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, hey-oh, yeah, yeah, yeah
05 Empty (03:26)
Something has left my life
And I don't know where it went to
Somebody caused me strife
And it's not what I was seeking
Didn't you see me, Didn't you hear me
Didn't you see me standing there
Why did you turn out the lights
Did you know that I was sleeping
Say a prayer for me
Help me to feel the strength I did
My identity, has it been taken
Is my heart breakin, on me
All my plans fell through my hands
They fell
Through my hands, on me
All my dreams, it suddenly seems
It suddenly seems
Empty
06 Everything I Said (03:52)
It makes me lonely,
It makes me very lonely
When I see you here waitin' on
He makes me tired, he makes me very tired
And inside of me, lingers on
But you have your heart
Don't believe it, and you will find it
Waitin' on
Everything I said, oh, well I meant it
And inside my head, holdin' on
'Cos if I died tonight
Would you hold my hand, no
Would you understand
And if I lived in spite
Would you still be here, no
Would you disappear
Surely must be you
But I don't make you lonely
I'll get over you
But I don't make you lonely
07 The Icicle Melts (02:54)
When
When will the icicle melt,
And when
When will the picture show end
I should not have read the paper today
Cause a child, child he was taken away
There's a place for the baby that cried
And there's a time for the mother who cried
And she will hold him in her arms sometime
Cause nine months is too long
How could you hurt a child
Now does this make you satisfied
I don't know what's
happening to people today
When a child, he was taken away
There's a place for the baby that died
There's a time for the mother who cried
And she will hold him in
her arms sometime
Cause nine months is too long
There's a place for the baby that died
There's a time for the mother who cried
And you will hold him in
your arms sometime
Cause nine months is too long
08 Disappointment (04:14)
Disappointment you shouldn't have done
you couldn't have done
you wouldn't have done
the things you did then
And we could've been happy
What a piteous thing, a hideous thing
was tainted by the rest
But it won't get any harder
And I hope you'll find your way again
And it won't get any higher
But it all boils down to what you did there
In the night we fight, I fled you're right
It was exactly there
I decided
But it won't be any harder
And I hope you'll find your way again
And it won't get any higher
But it all boils down to what you did there
09 Ridiculous Thoughts (04:31)
Twister oh, does anyone see through you
You're a twister oh, an animal
But you're so happy, how?
I didn't go along with
You're so happy how?
Nananana
But you're gonna have to hold on
You're gonna have to hold on
You're gonna have to hold on
hold on hold on
Or we're gonna have to move on, we're gonna have to move on
Or we're gonna have to move on
move on move on
I feel alright
And I cried so hard the
Ridiculous thoughts (ahah how)
I feel alright alright alright alright
Twister, oh, I shouldn't have trusted in you
Twister, oh, Ananana
It's not gonna happen now
You're not gonna make fun of me
Happen now, Ananana
Chorus
I feel alright
And I cried so hard the
Ridiculous thoughts (ahah how)
I feel alright alright alright alright
Ahahahahahah
You should have lied
But I cried so hard the
Ridiculous thoughts (ahah how)
We should have lied, a lied a lied a lied
But you're gonna have to hold on
You're gonna have to hold on 8+
hold on hold on hold on hold on hold on
Well you're gonna have to hold on
You're gonna have to hold on, to me
11 Yeat's Grave (02:59)
Silenced by death in the grave
W B Yeats couldn't save
Why did you stand here
Were you sickened in time
But I know by now
Why did you sit here?
In the GRAVE
W. B. Yeats "Second"
Why should I blame her
That she filled my days
With misery or that she would of late
Have taught to ignorant men most violent ways
Or hurled the little streets upon the great
Had they but courage
Equal to desire
Sad that Maud Gonne couldn't stay
But she had Mac Bride anyway
And you sit here with me
On the isle Inisfree
And you are writing down everything
But I know by now
Why did you sit here
In the grave...
Why should I blame her
Had they but courage equal to desire
12 Daffodil Lament (06:14)
Holdin' on
That's what I do, since I met you
And it won't be long
Would you notice, if I left you?
And it's fine for some
'Cause you're not the one, you're not the one
There
There, there, there...
There, there
All night long, laid on my pillow
These things are wrong
I can't sleep here
So lovely
So lovely
So lovely
I have decided to leave you forever
I have decided to start things from here
Thunder and lightning won't change what I'm feelin'
And the daffodils look lovely today...
And the daffodils look lovely today...
Look lovely today
Through your eyes I can see the disguise
Through your eyes I can see the dismay
Has anyone seen lightning?
Has anyone, looked lovely?
And the daffodils look lovely today...
And the daffodils look lovely today...
Look lovely today
Look lovely (look lovely)
Look lovely (look lovely)
Look lovely (look lovely)
Look lovely (look lovely)
Look lovely (look lovely)
Look lovely (look lovely)
Look lovely (look lovely)
Look lovely (look lovely)
Look lovely
Nah, nah
Nah, nah-nah, nah-nah, nah
Nah, nah-nah, nah-nah, nah
Nah, nah-nah, nah-nah, nah
Nah, nah-nah, nah-nah
''[The ''Lament of the Monastary'' ends the song]''
13 No Need to Argue (02:54)
There's no need to argue anymore
I gave all I could
But it left me so sore
And the thing that makes me mad
Is the one thing that I had
I knew, I knew, I'd lose you
You'll always be special to me
And I remember all the things we once shared
Watching TV movies on the living room arm chair
But they say it will work out fine
Was it all a waste of time
Cause I knew, I knew, I'd lose you
You'll always be special to me
Will I forget in time
You said I was on your mind
There's no need to argue
No need to argue anymore
There's no need to argue anymore
Special
Loading comments slowly
Other reviews
By Kurt81
The thing that makes the album exceptional is Dolores O’Riordan’s voice, which puts on a true show.
Zombie... signifies the band’s social commitment against war and especially their commitment to child protection.
By Totisque
I get a shiver when I hear the opening riff of "Zombie".
Dolores was sad, yes. But at least, back then, she communicated it with her eyes and her powerful, angry, distant voice.
By Angeldust82
"'Zombie' is one of the keystone tracks of the entire decade."
"No Need To Argue is far from perfect... but after all, this is what the Cranberries are."
