Combining the melodic jangle of post-The Smiths indie pop with the lilting, trance-inducing sonic textures of late-80s dream pop and adding a slight Celtic tint, The Cranberries became one of the more successful groups to emerge from the indie scene of the early 90s. Led by vocalist Dolores O'Riordan, whose keening, powerful voice was the most distinctive element of the group's sound, the group initially made little impact in the United Kingdom.
It wasn't until the lush ballad "Linger" became an American hit in 1993 that the band also achieved mass success in the U.K. Following the success of "Linger", The Cranberries quickly became international stars, as both their 1993 debut album, Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can't We?, and its 1994 follow-up, No Need to Argue, sold millions of copies and produced a string of hit singles like "Dreams", "Zombie" and "Ode to My Family".
By the time of their third album, 1996's To the Faithful Departed, the group had added distorted guitars to its sonic palette and attempted to make more socially significant music, which resulted in a downturn in the band's commercial fortunes.
During the next few years, the band cancelled a large tour and rumours of a breakup were widespread. In 1999, they released Bury the Hatchet to mixed reviews. In 2001, the band issued Wake Up and Smell the Coffee to rave reviews. The album debuted at number 46 in the US charts.
In 2002, The Cranberries released the compilation Stars: The Best of 1992-2002, which was supported by the single "Stars".
In 2003, The Cranberries announced they were taking some time to pursue individual careers. They decided to put the next album on hold. After more than a dozen years of relentless touring and promotion, which had seen them clocking up album sales in excess of 43 million and playing to hundreds of thousands of fans around the globe, the band decided it was time for a break.
In 2007, Dolores O'Riordan released her debut solo album titled Are You Listening?. Two years later she released her second solo album, No Baggage.
On 25 August 2009, Dolores O'Riordan announced that The Cranberries will be reuniting for a North American tour to begin in mid-November 2009, to be followed by dates in Europe in early 2010. O'Riordan indicated that the band will be playing songs from her solo albums and a lot of The Cranberries classic hits as well as some new music written by the group together.
The Cranberries recorded Roses at the Metalworks Studios in Toronto (Canada) from 18 April to 15 May 2011 with producer Stephen Street, who previously collaborated with the band on first, second and fifth albums. The Cranberries worked on 15 tracks during the Roses session, although not all will be included on the album. The album is scheduled for release on 14 February, 2012.
On 26 May 2016, the Cranberries announced that they would start their next tour in Europe. The first show was held on June 3.
A new "unplugged" Cranberries album titled Something Else, featuring the band's hits along with three new songs, was released on 28 April 2017 through BMG. The album received mostly positive reviews.
On 15 January 2018, lead singer Dolores O'Riordan was found dead of drowning in a London hotel room. The Cranberries confirmed in September 2018 that they would not continue as a band, releasing their final album In the End in April 2019 and disbanding afterward.Noel Hogan stated: "the Cranberries was the four of us. We don’t want to do this without Dolores. So we’re going to leave it after this."
The Cranberries' final album In the End has been nominated for Best Rock Album at the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards. The awards take place at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on January 26, 2020.
Official site: http://www.cranberries.com.
Free to Decide
The Cranberries Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I live as I choose or I will not live at all
So return to where you've come from
Return to where you dwell
Because harassment's not my forte
But you do it very well
And I'm not so suicidal after all
I'm free to decide, I'm free to decide
And I'm not so suicidal after all, at all, at all, at all
You must have nothing more with your time to do
There's a war in Russia and Sarejevo, too
So to hell with what you're thinking
And to hell with your narrow mind
You're so distracted from the real thing
You should leave your life behind, behind
'Cause I'm free to decide, I'm free to decide
And I'm not so suicidal after all
I'm free to decide, I'm free to decide
And I'm not so suicidal after all at all, at all, at all
Free
I'm free to decide, I'm free to decide
And I'm not so suicidal after all at all, at all, at all
At all, at all, at all
The song 'Free to Decide' is an anthem of freedom and independence. The lyrics are a manifesto of the singer's determination to live her life her own way without being influenced by others. She declares that her life is not worth anything more than what she chooses it to be, and she will not live if she cannot make her own choices. The chorus repeats the phrase 'I'm free to decide,' which is a clear assertion of her autonomy.
The second verse of the song is a response to those who try to manipulate and judge her choices. The lyrics urge them to return to where they came from, as harassment is not the singer's forte. The line 'you do it very well' implies that the person she is addressing is skilled at manipulation and harassment. The verses also provide a commentary on the world's current state, especially the war in Russia and Sarajevo. The line 'you're so distracted from the real thing' conveys the message that people should focus on the real issues in the world rather than wasting their time on trivial pursuits.
Overall, the song is a powerful message of asserting one's independence and refusing to be bullied by others. It encourages listeners to live their lives on their terms, pursue their dreams, and not get bogged down by others' opinions.
Line by Line Meaning
It's not worth anything more than this at all
Living life as one's true self is the only thing that matters, nothing else is worth sacrificing for.
I live as I choose or I will not live at all
Living according to one's own choices is the only way to live, compromise is not an option.
So return to where you've come from
Go back to where you belong.
Return to where you dwell
Return to your own life, your own business.
Because harassment's not my forte
Bullying and intimidating others is not something I'm good at, nor is it something I desire to do.
But you do it very well
You, on the other hand, are very good at harassing and bullying me.
I'm free to decide, I'm free to decide
I have complete freedom to make my own choices and decisions.
And I'm not so suicidal after all
Contrary to your belief, I'm not willing to harm myself or take extreme measures, because I value my life and my freedom.
You must have nothing more with your time to do
You seem to have no purpose or worthwhile activity in your own life, so you focus on harassing me.
There's a war in Russia and Sarejevo, too
There are more important and pressing issues in the world which require attention and action, such as wars and conflicts happening right now.
So to hell with what you're thinking
I don't care about or want to know what you're thinking or planning to do.
And to hell with your narrow mind
Your limited and biased perspective is not something I want or need to engage with.
You're so distracted from the real thing
You're too preoccupied with harassing me to focus on what really matters in life.
You should leave your life behind, behind
You need to move on from this obsession with me and focus on your own life instead.
'Cause I'm free to decide, I'm free to decide
My freedom to choose is more powerful than any form of intimidation or harassment you can throw at me.
And I'm not so suicidal after all
I won't succumb to pressure or threats just because you want to force me into something extreme.
Free
Freedom is a powerful and essential human right.
I'm free to decide, I'm free to decide
I have the right and the power to choose for myself.
And I'm not so suicidal after all at all, at all, at all
No matter what you think or do, I won't compromise my freedom or my life.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Dolores Mary O'Riordan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@HeroicHaroon
FOR DOLORES !!!!
@tizianacuscito
❤
@DerRadler
❤
@MedusaLaLuna
🤍❤️
@racheleberetta9201
❤
@karwand634
❤
@antontobias4355
Dolores will live forever in our hearts! 🥰
@julioeliasfernandez1588
Sin dudas 💔
@beniteztheconman
But your hearts will die in a few years.... then what?
@LucifursClark-se5jf
😅❤