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.
Not Sorry
The Cranberries Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But I'm not sorry if I do insult you
I'm sad, not sorry 'bout the way that things went
And you'll be happy and I'll be forsakin' thee
I swore I'd never feel like this again
But you're so selfish
You don't see you're doing to me
I keep on looking through the window again
No, I'm not sorry if I do insult you
You told me lies
And I cried, and I cried, and I cried
'Cause you lied, lied
And I cried
Yes I cried, yes I cry, I cry, I cry again
I realize
As he sighed and he sighed and he sighed
'Cause you lied, lied
And I cried
Yes I cried, yes I try, I try, I try again
Keep on looking through the window again
But I'm not sorry if I do insult you
I'm sad, not sorry 'bout the way that things went
And you'll be happy and I'll be forsakin' thee
I swore I'd never feel like this again
But you're so selfish
You don't see you're doing to me
I keep on looking through the window again
No, I'm not sorry if I do detest you
No, I'm not sorry if I do detest you
You told me lies
And I cried, and I cried, and I cried
'Cause you lied, lied
And I cried
Yes I cried, yes I cry, I cry, I cry again
I realize
As he sighed and he sighed and he sighed
'Cause you lied, lied
And I cried
Yes I cried, yes I try, I try, I try again
Keep on looking through the window again
The Cranberries' "Not Sorry" is a powerful song that is open to interpretation, but the most apparent meaning revolves around a love gone wrong. The lyrics describe a feeling of sadness and betrayal that the singer is experiencing, which may have come from being lied to by someone she trusted. She continues to look out of the window, seemingly searching for something or someone, but she is not sorry for any of the potentially hurtful things she might say or do.
The lines "You told me lies, and I cried" and "I realized as he sighed and he sighed and he sighed" hint towards her significant other being at the root of her sadness. The repeated "I cried" and "I try, I try, I try again" convey a feeling of helplessness and frustration at a relationship that has seemingly gone beyond repair. The singer may have come to the realization that her partner is selfish and does not see the pain that he is causing her, leading to the phrase "you don't see what you're doing to me."
Line by Line Meaning
Keep on looking through the window again
Continuously searching for an answer or a sign of hope
But I'm not sorry if I do insult you
Expressing oneself honestly, without regret or remorse
I'm sad, not sorry 'bout the way that things went
Emotionally affected by the situation, but not willing to apologize for how it turned out
And you'll be happy and I'll be forsakin' thee
Acknowledging that one's happiness may come at the expense of someone else's suffering
I swore I'd never feel like this again
Making a promise to avoid being hurt in the same way as before
But you're so selfish
Observing a lack of empathy and consideration for others
You don't see you're doing to me
Realizing that the other person does not understand the impact of their actions on oneself
No, I'm not sorry if I do insult you
Reaffirming that honesty and self-expression are more important than avoiding confrontation
You told me lies
Being deceived or betrayed by someone else
And I cried, and I cried, and I cried
Expressing deep emotional pain and hurt caused by the other person's actions
'Cause you lied, lied
Pointing out the reason for the emotional distress - the other person's lies and deceit
Yes I cried, yes I cry, I cry, I cry again
Continuing to feel the same pain and heartbreak over and over again
I realize
Coming to a new understanding or insight about the situation
As he sighed and he sighed and he sighed
Implying that the other person is not taking responsibility for their actions and is instead trying to dodge blame
No, I'm not sorry if I do detest you
Admitting to feeling intense dislike or hatred towards the other person
Keep on looking through the window again
Continuing to search for a way out or a new perspective on the situation
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: NOEL ANTHONY HOGAN, DOLORES MARY O'RIORDAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind