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.
How
The Cranberries Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
(Standing alone)
However I should have known
(I should have known)
Never before, never again
You will ignore, I will pretend
Never before, never again
In your world, you're alone in your face
You're alone in your world
You're alone in your face
How, you said you never would leave me alone, how
How, you said you never would leave me alone
Now you're just walking away
(Walking away)
When you said you always would stay
(Always would stay)
Never before, never again
You will ignore, I will pretend
Never before, never again
You will ignore, I will pretend
In your world, you're alone in your face
Your alone in your world
Your alone in your face
How, you said you never would leave me alone, how
How, you said you never would leave me alone
Never before, never again
You will ignore, I will pretend
In your world, you're alone in your place
You're alone in your world
You're alone in your place
How, you said you never would leave me alone, how
How, you said you never would leave me alone
How, you said you never would leave me alone, how
How, you said you never would leave me alone
Alone
The lyrics of The Cranberries's song How capture the emotions of a person feeling abandoned and betrayed by someone they trusted. The opening lines set the tone of the song as the singer realizes that the person they rely on is no longer there for them. The lyrics "never before, never again, you will ignore, I will pretend" convey the idea that this is not the first time the person has been let down, and they will pretend that everything is okay.
The chorus of "How, you said you never would leave me alone" is an expression of the singer's confusion and hurt they feel. They believed the other person's promises but now feel betrayed. The lines "Now you're just walking away, when you said you always would stay" further cement this betrayal, emphasizing that the singer feels the other person has turned their back on them unexpectedly.
The line "In your world, you're alone in your face" highlights how the other person's actions have caused them to become self-absorbed and disconnected from the singer. It's clear that the person feels isolated and lonely with their emotions. In the end, the song's repetition of "How, you said you never would leave me alone," further drives home the singer's hurt and confusion.
Line by Line Meaning
Look, you're standing alone
I see that you are by yourself.
(Standing alone)
You are physically not with anybody else.
However I should have known
But I should have been able to predict this situation.
(I should have known)
It was my responsibility to anticipate this outcome.
Never before, never again
This was a unique situation that will not happen again.
You will ignore, I will pretend
You will choose to disregard my presence and I will act as if everything is okay.
In your world, you're alone in your face
In your perspective, you are alone in your problems and struggles.
You're alone in your world
You feel isolated and disconnected from the rest of society.
You're alone in your face
You feel like no one else can relate to the difficulties you are facing.
How, you said you never would leave me alone, how
I am confused and hurt that you promised to always be there for me, but now you are abandoning me.
Now you're just walking away
You are leaving without any explanation or closure.
(Walking away)
You are physically moving farther away from me and the situation.
When you said you always would stay
You gave me your word that you would not leave me.
In your world, you're alone in your place
You feel like you do not belong and are not accepted in any community or setting.
How, you said you never would leave me alone, how
I am still struggling to comprehend how you could break your promise and abandon me.
Alone
The overwhelming feeling of being by oneself and having nobody to turn to.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Peermusic Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DOLORES MARY O'RIORDAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind