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.
Pretty )
The Cranberries Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You're so pretty the way you are.
And you had no reason to be so insolent to me.
La, la, you got to say it if you want to,
But you won't change me.
La, la, you got to say it if you want to,
But you won't change me.
You're so pretty the way you are.
And you had no reason to be so insolent to me.
La, la, you got to say it if you want to,
But you won't change me.
La, la, you got to say it if you want to,
But you won't change me.
The Cranberries' song "Pretty" is a simple yet powerful track about self-acceptance and standing your ground. The repeated line "You're so pretty the way you are" serves as a reminder to embrace one's natural beauty and not let anyone else's insults or criticisms affect your self-worth. The song addresses someone who has acted insolently towards the singer, likely making derogatory comments about their appearance, and tells them that while they are free to express their opinions, they will not be able to change the singer's confidence in themself.
The song's message of self-love and resilience is particularly poignant given the context of the band's history. The Cranberries faced considerable criticism and sexism in their early years, with many dismissing lead singer Dolores O'Riordan as just another pretty face. The repeated use of "la, la" in the chorus could be interpreted as a dismissal of these negative comments, a refusal to engage with those who seek to tear down one's self-esteem.
Overall, "Pretty" is a powerful reminder to value oneself and not let others define your self-worth. It is a message that continues to resonate with audiences, particularly young girls and women facing societal pressure to conform to narrow beauty standards.
Line by Line Meaning
You're so pretty the way you are.
The singer thinks that the person being addressed is beautiful just the way they are.
And you had no reason to be so insolent to me.
The singer didn't see any justification for the other person's rudeness towards them.
La, la, you got to say it if you want to,
The singer is saying that the other person is free to speak their mind.
But you won't change me.
The singer is confident that the other person's criticism won't make them change.
You're so pretty the way you are.
The singer reiterates that they find the other person beautiful as is.
And you had no reason to be so insolent to me.
The singer reminds the other person that they see no reason for their rudeness.
La, la, you got to say it if you want to,
The singer repeats that the other person is free to speak their mind.
But you won't change me.
The singer confidently asserts that the other person's criticism will not impact them.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: NOEL ANTHONY HOGAN, DOLORES MARY O'RIORDAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind