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.
Promises
The Cranberries Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ooh
Ooh
Ooh
You'd better believe I'm coming
You'd better believe what I say
You'd better hold on to your promises, because
She's going to leave him over
She's going take her love away
So much for your eternal vows
Well it does not matter anyway
Why can't you stay
Here awhile
Stay here awhile
Stay with me
Oh, oh, oh
All the promises we made (promises we made)
All the meaningless and empty words I prayed
Prayed, prayed
Oh, oh, oh
All the promises we broke (promises we broke)
All the meaningless and empty words I spoke
Spoke, spoke
Do-do-do
Do-do-do
Do-do-do
Do-do-do
Do-do-do
Do-do-do
Do-do-do
Do-do-do
What of all the things that you taught me
What of all the things that you'd say
What of all your prophetic preaching
You're just throwing it all away
Maybe we should burn the house down
Have ourselves another fight
Leave the cobwebs in the closet
'Cause tearing them out is just not right
Why can't you stay here awhile
Stay here awhile
Stay with me
Oh, oh, oh
All the promises we made (promises we made)
All the meaningless and empty words I prayed
Prayed, prayed
Oh, oh, oh
All the promises we broke (promises we broke)
All the meaningless and empty words I spoke
Spoke, spoke
Oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh
All the promises we made (promises we made)
All the meaningless and empty words I prayed
Prayed, prayed
Oh, oh, oh
All the promises we broke (promises we broke)
All the meaningless and empty words I spoke
Spoke, spoke
Oh eh, oh eh, oh eh, oh eh, oh eh
Hey hey
Do-do-do
Do-do-do
Do-do-do
Do-do-do
Do-do-do
Do-do-do
Do-do-do
Do-do-do
Do-do-do
Do-do-do
Do-do-do
Do-do-do
Do-do-do
Do-do-do
Do-do-do
Do-do-do
The Cranberries’ song, “Promises” is a song about a relationship that is falling apart due to broken promises. The singer asks why the other person cannot stay with her and fulfill the promises they’ve made to each other. She sings “You bet you'll get what you deserve” which is taking a dig at the other person, implying they will get what is coming to them if they continue to break promises. The singer knows that the other person is going to leave her, and she has come to terms with it. She describes their vows as “meaningless and empty words” because they haven’t been kept.
In spite of the pain and hurt caused by the broken promises, the singer is nostalgic and longs to hold on to the happy moments they once shared. She wishes the other person would stay with her a while longer and not give up on their love. She’s asking the person to hold on to the promises they’ve made because she believes promises are what give relationships stability and meaning. However, the other person may have other plans, and she might lose her love soon.
The singer also questions the other person’s morality and asks what happened to all the things they taught her and the prophetic preaching, which are now being thrown away. She believes they should work on the relationship and not tear it apart. The song ends on a melancholic note as the singer repeats the chorus about the broken promises, emphasizing the hurt caused by them. As a result, the song “Promises” is a bittersweet reflection on a relationship that is falling apart due to unfulfilled promises.
Line by Line Meaning
You'd better believe I'm coming
I am coming, and you had better believe it.
You'd better believe what I say
My words are true, and you should believe them.
You'd better hold on to your promises, because
Don't forget the promises you made, because
You bet you'll get what you deserve
You will receive what you earn.
She's going to leave him over
She is planning to leave him because
She's going to take her love away
She will take her love with her.
So much for your eternal vows
Your promises of forever are meaningless.
Well it does not matter anyway
The situation doesn't matter anymore.
Why can't you stay
I wish you would stay.
Here awhile
Spend some time here, in this place.
Stay here awhile
Don't leave so soon.
Stay with me
Remain by my side.
All the promises we made (promises we made)
The vows and pledges we committed to each other.
All the meaningless and empty words I prayed
The worthless, ineffective things I said in hopes of help.
All the promises we broke (promises we broke)
The commitments we failed to keep.
All the meaningless and empty words I spoke
The hollow things I said that had no impact.
What of all the things that you taught me
All the things you taught me, what about them?
What of all the things that you'd say
The things you said to me, what about them?
What of all your prophetic preaching
The advice and predictions you made, what about them?
You're just throwing it all away
You're giving up and getting rid of all of it.
Maybe we should burn the house down
Perhaps we should ruin everything completely.
Have ourselves another fight
Let's start another argument between ourselves.
Leave the cobwebs in the closet
Don't address the lingering problems you have.
'Cause tearing them out is just not right
It would be wrong and unnecessary to try and fix everything.
Oh eh, oh eh, oh eh, oh eh, oh eh
Emotional sound effect.
Hey hey
Exclamation expressing surprise or excitement.
Do-do-do
Musical sound effect.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DOLORES MARY O'RIORDAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind