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.
Yeat
The Cranberries Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
La-la-la-la
William Butler Yeats couldn't save
La-la-la-la
Why did you stand here?
Were you sickened in time?
But I know by now
Why did you sit here?
In the grave
In the grave
In the grave
In the grave
Why should I blame her?
That she filled my days with misery
Or that she would of late have taught to ignorant men
Most violent ways
Or hurled the little streets upon the great
Had they but courage equal to desire?
Sad that Maud Gonne couldn't stay
La-la-la-la
But she had MacBride anyway
La-la
And you sit here with me
On the isle Innisfree
And you are writing down anything
But I know by now
Why did you sit here?
Ah-ah (ah-ah)
In the grave
In the grave
In the grave
In the grave
La-la-da-da
La-la-da-da
La-la-da-da-da-da-da
La-la-da-da
La-la-da-da
La-la-da-da-da-da-da
William Butler
William Butler
William Butler
William Butler
Why should I blame her?
Had they but courage equal to desire
Had they but courage equal to desire (William Butler, William Butler)
William Butler
The Cranberries’ song Yeat is a beautiful ode to the life and legacy of the great Irish poet William Butler Yeats. The song addresses the poet’s role in society, and the fear of being forgotten after death. The melancholic lyrics reflect upon the burden of Yeats’ creativity, how his passion for art and poetry had weighed him down and drained his spirit. The opener to the song is “Silenced by death in the grave, William Butler Yeats couldn't save,” here the singer portrays Yeats as a victim of his own talent, and how the inevitability of death gave him no respite from the constant pressure from his creativity.
The singer, Dolores O'Riordan, then goes on to ask, "Why did you sit here in the grave?" which implies that she is addressing Yeats specifically, and pondering why the great poet is laid to rest in this soil. She reflects on the fact he was a beacon for hope and inspiration, and yet his life’s work was overshadowed by his death. O’Riordan understands that Yeats was a man who had given his everything to his artistic craft but was silenced by mortality, and wasn’t able to continue to contribute to the world. She acknowledges Yeats' influence on the world of literature and his legacy that has continued to touch generations long after his death.
In conclusion, The Cranberries’ song Yeat is a powerful reminder of the brevity of life and the impact we can make on the world around us. The song celebrates Yeats’ achievements while lamenting his untimely death. It serves as a potent reminder that while death may come for us all, it’s our contributions to the world that live on after us.
Line by Line Meaning
Silenced by death in the grave
William Butler Yeats has already passed away and lies buried in the grave.
William Butler Yeats couldn't save
Yeats couldn't escape the inevitability of death and couldn't salvage himself.
Why did you stand here
Why did Yeats decide to live his life rooted to the same place?
Were you sickened in time
Did the aging process take a toll on Yeats, leading him to lose his passion for life?
But I know by now
Despite these questions, the artist has come to an understanding about Yeats.
Why did you sit here
What made Yeats choose to remain in the same place and not to move on?
In the grave
The final resting place of Yeats.
Why should I blame her
The artist wonders if he should harbor resentment towards Maud Gonne.
That she filled my days
Gonne occupied the artist's days with despair and sadness.
With misery or that she would of late
Whether it was the constant suffering or the fact that Gonne recently turned towards extreme ideologies.
Have taught to ignorant men most violent ways
Gonne may have propagated violent ideologies towards ignorant men.
Or hurled the little streets upon the great
Gonne may have incited rebellion by the poor against the rich.
Had they but courage equal to desire?
The singer muses if things would have been different if the people had the necessary courage to act on their desires.
Sad that Maud Gonne couldn't stay
The singer laments that Maud Gonne had to leave him.
But she had MacBride anyway
Gonne married John MacBride instead.
And you sit here with me
The artist addresses Yeats' spirit who listens to the song and muses with him.
On the isle Innisfree
The two of them are on the island of Innisfree, using it as a backdrop to explore their thoughts.
And you are writing down everything
Yeats is constantly making notes and recording everything in his poems.
But I know by now
The singer has figured out Yeats' obsession with recording everything.
Why did you sit here
The artist once again wonders why Yeats chose to stay in the same place.
In the grave
The final resting place of Yeats.
Why should I blame her
The artist ponders whether to blame Maud Gonne for his despair and sadness.
Had they but courage equal to desire?
The singer wonders again if things would have been different if people had the necessary courage to act on their desires.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Dolores Mary O'riordan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind