“Linger” also appears in “Click” (2006), where, like O’Riordan, the song is linked to Sandler’s character’s first kiss.
Linger
The Cranberries Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Don't let it burn
Don't let it fade
I'm sure I'm not being rude
But it's just your attitude
It's tearing me apart
It's ruining every day
And honey so did you
So why were you holding her hand?
Is that the way we stand?
Were you lying all the time?
Was it just a game to you?
But I'm in so deep
You know I'm such a fool for you
You got me wrapped around your finger
Do you have to let it linger?
Do you have to, do you have to, do you have to let it linger?
Oh, I thought the world of you
I thought nothing could go wrong
But I was wrong, I was wrong
If you, if you could get by
Trying not to lie
Things wouldn't be so confused
And I wouldn't feel so used
But you always really knew
I just want to be with you
And I'm in so deep
You know I'm such a fool for you
You got me wrapped around your finger
Do you have to let it linger?
Do you have to, do you have to, do you have to let it linger?
And I'm in so deep
You know I'm such a fool for you
You got me wrapped around your finger
Do you have to let it linger?
Do you have to, do you have to, do you have to let it linger?
You know I'm such a fool for you
You got me wrapped around your finger
Do you have to let it linger?
Do you have to, do you have to, do you have to let it linger?
The Cranberries' "Linger" is a melancholic song about a person who is torn between two worlds – the past and the present, love and pain. The song starts with the singer asking the person she is addressing to return, to not let their love burn or fade. She is bothered by their attitude and how it is slowly hurting her every day. She reminisces about the time when they both swore to be true to each other and wonders why the person was holding another woman's hand. Was their relationship a façade, just a game? The singer is deeply in love with this person, and they have her wrapped around their finger. She asks them if they have to let it linger, indicating that she cannot move on unless they give her closure.
The singer's emotions are palpable in the way she sings, with a mixture of vulnerability and strength. She speaks about how she thought the world of the person, and how wrong she was to think that nothing could go wrong. She wishes that they could be together without the confusion and the hurt, but she knows that it's too late for that. The chorus repeats the questions, "Do you have to let it linger?" as if the singer is begging for an answer. The song ends with a repetitious call to the person to not let their love for each other linger.
Line by Line Meaning
If you, if you could return
If only you could come back to me
Don't let it burn
Don't let our love die
Don't let it fade
Don't let our love disappear
I'm sure I'm not being rude
I don't mean to be impolite
But it's just your attitude
But your behavior is hurting me
It's tearing me apart
It's causing me a lot of pain
It's ruining every day
It's making every day difficult for me
I swore, I swore I would be true
I promised to always be faithful to you
And honey so did you
And I believed you did too
So why were you holding her hand?
So why were you being intimate with someone else?
Is that the way we stand?
Is that how we treat each other?
Were you lying all the time?
Did you lie to me this whole time?
Was it just a game to you?
Was our love just a game to you?
But I'm in so deep
But I'm deeply involved
You know I'm such a fool for you
You know I'm hopelessly in love with you
You got me wrapped around your finger
You have complete control over me
Do you have to let it linger?
Do you have to keep our love hanging in the air?
Do you have to, do you have to, do you have to let it linger?
Do you have to hold our love in limbo like this?
Oh, I thought the world of you
I had such high regard for you
I thought nothing could go wrong
I thought our love was invincible
But I was wrong, I was wrong
But I was mistaken
If you, if you could get by
If only we could make it work
Trying not to lie
If we both made an effort not to deceive each other
Things wouldn't be so confused
Our situation wouldn't be so complicated
And I wouldn't feel so used
And I wouldn't feel like a pawn in your game
But you always really knew
But you were always aware
I just want to be with you
I only want to be with you
You know I'm such a fool for you
You know I'm powerless against your charms
You got me wrapped around your finger
You have me under your spell
Do you have to let it linger?
Do you have to keep our love hanging in the air?
Do you have to, do you have to, do you have to let it linger?
Do you have to hold our love in limbo like this?
You know I'm such a fool for you
You know I'm hopelessly in love with you
You got me wrapped around your finger
You have complete control over me
Do you have to let it linger?
Do you have to keep our love hanging in the air?
Do you have to, do you have to, do you have to let it linger?
Do you have to hold our love in limbo like this?
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Noel Anthony Hogan, Dolores Mary O'Riordan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@ericvalls2685
Lyrics | The Cranberries - Linger
If you, if you could return
Don't let it burn
Don't let it fade
I'm sure I'm not being rude
But it's just your attitude
It's tearing me apart
It's ruining every day
I swore, I swore I would be true
And honey so did you
So why were you holding her hand?
Is that the way we stand?
Were you lying all the time?
Was it just a game to you?
But I'm in so deep
You know I'm such a fool for you
You got me wrapped around your finger
Do you have to let it linger?
Do you have to, do you have to, do you have to let it linger?
Oh, I thought the world of you
I thought nothing could go wrong
But I was wrong, I was wrong
If you, if you could get by
Trying not to lie
Things wouldn't be so confused
And I wouldn't feel so used
But you always really knew
I just want to be with you
And I'm in so deep
You know I'm such a fool for you
You got me wrapped around your finger
Do you have to let it linger?
Do you have to, do you have to, do you have to let it linger?
And I'm in so deep
You know I'm such a fool for you
You got me wrapped around your finger
Do you have to let it linger?
Do you have to, do you have to, do you have to let it linger?
You know I'm such a fool for you
You got me wrapped around your finger
Do you have to let it linger?
Do you have to, do you have to, do you have to let it linger?
@bloodcayne
Linger Lyrics
If you, if you could return
Don't let it burn
Don't let it fade
I'm sure It's might be rude
But it's just your attitude
It's tearing me apart
It's ruining every day
For me
I swore I would be true
And honey, so did you
So why were you holding her hand?
Is that the way we stand?
Were you lying all the time?
Was it just a game to you?
But I'm in so deep
You know I'm such a fool for you
You've got me wrapped around your finger
Do you have to let it linger?
Do you have to, do you have to, do have to let it linger?
Oh, I thought the world of you
I thought nothing could go wrong
But I was wrong, I was wrong
If you, if you could get by
Trying not to lie
Things wouldn't be so confused
And I wouldn't feel so used
But you always really knew
I just want to be with you
And I'm in so deep
You know I'm such a fool for you
You've got me wrapped around your finger
Do have to let it linger?
Do you have to, do you have to, do have to let it linger?
And I'm in so deep
You know I'm such a fool for you
You've got me wrapped around your finger
Do have to let it linger?
Do you have to, do you have to, do have to let it linger?
You know I'm such a fool for you
You've got me wrapped around your finger
Do have to let it linger?
Do you have to, do you have to, do have to let it linger?
@mobilepsycho
I will never forget hearing this for the first time, almost haunting. Her angelic voice is almost unbelievable. What a great band. Sorely missed. RIP dear Dolores.
@peterlangone1653
😢😢😢❤❤❤❤️🔥🔊💃🎵🕺💥💥💥
@seancabarle9133
Same here, I got a session of spinning around
@thesirdexkingdom6173
such a classic SW:Xsafghtrxfn tyr jxb
@andrewtipton5682
Me too, after knowing the journey it's even better❤
@unloveableandre
Same here. Few songs are essentially perfect and get you from the first time. This one was just amazing. Same with Smiths (There is a light...), James (Sit Down)...
@kevinroberts6666
Dolores O’Riordan wrote “Linger” about her first kiss. As a result of the kiss – which happened in a nightclub – O’Riordan fell in love. A few weeks later, the man she kissed went up to the dance floor with another girl right in front of O’Riordan. In an interview with Gerry Ryan in 2002 O’Riordan said: “I was heartbroken! I was only 18 and it was just a kiss, you know? At that age it’s heartbreaking.”
Since Dolores O’Riordan was only 18 when she wrote the song, it depicts a sense of innocent youthfulness. This youthfulness is perfectly translated into the melancholic vibes of “Linger”.
@MelvinJ64
This should be a Top comment. Thanks for bringing context to the song and its words 😌
@bellaamore7521
Thank you ❤
@inferiordior
I thought she was 17 when that all happened