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's Grave
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 Yeats' Grave is a haunting tribute to the celebrated Irish poet with the same name, who passed away in 1939 but left behind an immortal legacy of verse. The lyrics of the song reference the poet’s burial place at Drumcliffe Churchyard in County Sligo, Ireland, and the eternal stillness that has silenced Yeats in the grave. However, the singer is mystified as to why Yeats chose to be laid to rest in a grave that now bears his name, particularly since he was such a prodigious creator of literature and ideas.
The songwriter then comments on the Yeats’ relationship with his muse and love interest, Maud Gonne, who is also buried in the same churchyard. Gonne inspired the poet to create some of his most passionate and beautiful work, but the two were never able to be together during their lifetimes. Here, the lyrics suggest that Yeats and Gonne might have a brighter fate to enjoy on the mythical isle of Innisfree, where peace and freedom are said to reign. The final verse returns to the theme of Yeats’ ultimate quietude in the grave, but wonders if he has ever really left. By writing down all that he saw and felt, Yeats has left a lasting imprint of himself, inspiring generations of readers and writers to come.
Line by Line Meaning
Silenced by death in the grave
The great poet Yeats is now dead and gone and is lying in his grave, silent.
William Butler Yeats couldn't save
The poet Yeats couldn't save himself from the clutches of death.
Why did you stand here
Why did Yeats, in his lifetime, choose to stand here in this place?
Were you sickened in time
Did you fall ill and die because of the passage of time?
But I know by now
I have come to realize the real reason why you did what you did.
Why did you sit here
Why did you choose to sit here and write all your thoughts down?
In the grave
Even after death, Yeats continues to remain seated here, buried inside this grave.
Why should I blame her
Why should I blame Maud Gonne for all the misery that she brought into my life?
That she filled my days
She filled my days with sorrow and despair.
With misery or that she would of late
She was the one who, in her later years, taught violent ways to ignorant men or who led them astray.
Have taught to ignorant men most violent ways
If only men had the courage to follow their desires, then perhaps they would not have been led astray by someone like Maud Gonne.
Or hurled the little streets upon the great
Maud Gonne caused chaos and uproar in the streets, harming the innocent and powerful alike.
Had they but courage equal to desire?
If only people had the bravery to follow their desires, would they be able to avoid falling under the influence of someone like Maud Gonne?
Sad that Maud Gonne couldn't stay
It is unfortunate that Maud Gonne could not remain in Yeats's company.
But she had MacBride anyway
But Maud Gonne had found someone else to share her life with, someone named MacBride.
And you sit here with me
Yet, even after everything that has happened, Yeats still sits here with me on the isle of Innisfree.
On the isle of Innisfree
Yeats and the artist are on Innisfree, a place of peace and tranquility.
And you are writing down everything
Yeats continues to write down everything that comes to his mind.
But I know by now
The singer has a clear understanding of why Yeats does what he does.
Why did you sit here
The artist continues to wonder why Yeats chose to sit here and write his thoughts down.
In the grave
Even after his death, Yeats continues to remain seated here, buried inside this grave.
Why should I blame her
The artist wonders whether there is any point in blaming Maud Gonne for all the troubles she caused.
Had they but courage equal to desire
Perhaps things could have gone better for Yeats and others like him, had they only had the courage to follow their hearts and desires.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Dolores Mary O'riordan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind