Ireland Vs New Zealand Rugby World Cup kicked off at 08:00 PM (BST) at Stade de Frace in Paris on 14 October 2023 (Saturday). Everything was fine until people heard Ireland’s team’s unofficial anthem, ‘Zombie,’ during the Rugby World Cup.
Ireland won and, as decided, the fans sang the team’s unofficial anthem after the full-time whistle. The Irish rugby team represents Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. So, singing ‘Zombie’ embarrassed North’s nationalists and Ireland’s republicans, according to some Twitter users.
Due to its anthemic nature, the song was played as an anthem by the Munster rugby team to honor Dolores O’Riordan after she died in 2018. It is how it turned into a national anthem for the Irish rugby team over time.
It shows how some people appreciate a song to the extent that they play it anywhere, overlooking the lyrics, whereas others dive deep into the meaning of every word of the song.
Story Behind Zombie
Dolores O’Riordan performed as the lead singer in the band The Cranberries. She wrote the protest song, ‘Zombie,’ to address the troubles in Northern Ireland. Released on 19 September 1994, Zombie became a top song in Belgium, Australia, Iceland, France, Germany, and Denmark.
O’Riordan wrote ‘Zombie’ during the 1993 Cranberries’ English Tour to reflect the conflicts in Northern Ireland from the 1960s to 1998. The Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) stood against the British rule in Northern Ireland.
The protest was followed by 10,000 bomb attacks by paramilitary groups in England and Ireland at the cost of thousands of innocent lives.
However, O’Riordan specifically wrote the song for two boys, Tim Parry, 12, and Jonathan Ball, 3, who went to purchase Mother’s Day cards and died in the Warrington Bombings.
Jonathan succumbed to injuries and died on the spot, whereas Tim died after five days in his father’s arms in a hospital due to head injuries. The bomb was planted in a garbage bin, and O’Riordan visited the site. Thus, Zombie turned out to be the most aggressive song written by her.
Zombie Controversy
Zombie was blacklisted because it allegedly violated the ITC guidelines and offended public feelings during the war. However, the censorship was lifted afterward. The lead singer of the Cranberries was criticized for writing ‘hard-hitting’ lyrics. However, she knew she prioritized battle over censorship.
Island Records knew how controversial the song was. Thus, they did not want to release it. Still, O’Riordan pushed, and the song was released. Soon, it became controversial, but she was ready for it.
Zombie became the most-played song on alternative radio in America, and The Cranberries became one of the biggest rock bands in the world, according to Billboard and The New York Times.
O’Riordan also addressed the paramilitary forces responsible for the bombings and related troubles in the song. She did not care whether her move was Catholic or protestant. She was only bothered by the innocent people, including the two boys who got killed.
O’Riordan did not write the song only because she was Irish. She knew she would be in trouble if someone got offended. Still, she wrote the song to express her emotions. Thus, Zombie became an anti-IRA anthem and an international phenomenon.
Has Zombie ever sounded better. The character shown by this Irish team is inspirational. What a night pic.twitter.com/a2Cdx2kxOY
— Donal Lenihan (@LenihanDonal) September 23, 2023
People’s Reaction To The Controversy
Amid the controversy, some people supported the song, saying that the chorus is catchy and anthemic, which is suited as a stadium celebration song. Many public figures came forward to defend it.
For instance, an Irish politician and Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, does not consider Zombie anti-nationalist or unionist. Instead, he considers it an anti-terrorism song that can be sung throughout the day. According to his statement on Newstalk, he would sing the song at the World Cup.
According to an Irish nationalist politician, Colum Eastwood, people must not portray Zombie as an anti-nationalist song. Instead, it is an anti-war song that depicts how two innocent kids were killed due to the Warrington bombings. He discourages people from comparing the IRA’s deeds with that of the British.
Shane Byrne, the former Irish rugby union player, preferred the song for its tune, though he knows the original nature and lyrics.
Meanwhile, Zombie became the fifth Irish song to have one billion streams, according to The Cranberries’ Instagram post amid the controversy. Previously, it became the first Irish song to get over one billion views on YouTube.
