10 Best Songs & Lyrics By 'The Cranberries' In Remembrance Of Lead Singer Dolores O'Riordan Who Died Suddenly At Age 46

After hearing about the sudden death of The Cranberries lead singer Dolores O'Riordan, it's time to take an emotional stroll down memory lane by listening to the best songs by her iconic band (and cry, of course). 

While some of us think of oatmeal when the word "cranberries" comes to mind, others think of killer alternative rock. The Cranberries are an Irish rock band whose band members comprised of lead singer Dolores O'Riordan, guitarist Noel Hogan, bassist Mike Hogan, and drummer Fergal Lawler.

The encapsulation of all things 90s and grunge, The Cranberries formed in Limerick and took the music scene by storm — with their edgy sound and pounding rhythms fitting well with the then musical culture. While classified as alternative rock, the talented members of The Cranberries extend beyond the artificial boundaries of genre, with their songs stemming from origins as unique as dream pop, jangle pop, post-punk, and Irish folk.

The Cranberries are one of the most commercially successful bands of the 90s, selling over 40 million albums worldwide.

After Niall Quinn left the band in 1990, an ad was placed in the paper for a female singer — that was when O'Riordan decided to pick up the slack by picking up the mic, auditioning with some of her own musical compositions. Since then, O'Riordan had become face of the band, with her powerful vocals swooning multinational audiences as much as her gorgeous pixie cut and alternative punk-rock girl style.

O'Riordan was the major force that pushed The Cranberries to the top of the Billboard 200 and Modern Rock Tracks charts. 

However, the glimmer of this Irish gem unexpectedly went out today, where she was found dead in London pursuing a recording session for the band. The beautiful and talented singer was only 46.

While the cause of death is still yet to be released, with the Irish Times citing her problems with her back and bipolar disorder, the fate of The Cranberries is put into question.

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In honor of this innovative musical genius, we've compiled a list of the ten best songs of The Cranberries that now have a new and even more beautiful meaning upon O'Riordan's death.

Though O'Riordan is no longer with us, the passionate intensity of her music will live on for decades to come.

1. "Zombie" from No Need to Argue (1994)

Another head hangs lowly
Child is slowly taken
And the violence, caused such silence
Who are we mistaken?

But you see, it's not me
It's not my family
In your head, in your head, they are fighting
With their tanks, and their bombs
And their bombs, and their guns

In your head, in your head they are crying
In your head, in your head
Zombie, zombie, zombie-ie-ie
What's in your head, in your head
Zombie, zombie, zombie-ie-ie, oh

Another mother's breaking
Heart is taking over
When the violence causes silence
We must be mistaken

It's the same old theme
Since nineteen-sixteen
In your head, in your head, they're still fighting
With their tanks, and their bombs
And their bombs, and their guns
In your head, in your head, they are dying

In your head, in your head
Zombie, zombie, zombie-ie-ie
What's in your head, in your head
Zombie, zombie, zombie-ie-ie

​

2. "Linger" from Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can't We? (1993)

If you, if you could return
Don't let it burn
Don't let it fade
I'm sure I'm not being rude
But it's just your attitude
It's tearing me apart
It's ruining every day
For me
I swore I would be true
And fellow, so did you
So why were you holding her hand?
Is that the way we stand?
Were you lying all the time?
Was it just a game to you?
But I'm in so deep
You know I'm such a fool for you
You've got me wrapped around your finger
Do you have to let it linger?
Do you have to, do you have to, do have to let it linger?

Oh, I thought the world of you
I thought nothing could go wrong
But I was wrong, I was wrong
If you, if you could get by
Trying not to lie
Things wouldn't be so confused
And I wouldn't feel so used
But you always really knew
I just want to be with you
And I'm in so deep
You know I'm such a fool for you
You've got me wrapped around your finger
Do have to let it linger?
Do you have to, do you have to, do have to let it linger?

And I'm in so deep
You know I'm such a fool for you
You've got me wrapped around your finger
Do have to let it linger?
Do you have to, do you have to, do have to let it linger?

You know I'm such a fool for you
You've got me wrapped around your finger
Do have to let it linger?
Do you have to, do you have to, do have to let it linger?

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3. "Dreams" from Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can't We? (1993)

Oh my life, is changing everyday
In every possible way
And oh my dreams, it's never quite as it seems
Never quite as it seems
I know I've felt like this before, but now I'm feeling it even more
Because it came from you
And then I open up and see, the person falling here is me
A different way to be

I want more, impossible to ignore
Impossible to ignore
And they'll come true, impossible not to do
Impossible not to do
And now I tell you openly, you have my heart so don't hurt me
You're what I couldn't find
A totally amazing mind, so understanding and so kind
You're everything to me

Oh my life, is changing everyday
In every possible way
And oh my dreams, it's never quite as it seems
Cause you're a dream to me
Dream to me

​

4. "Promises" from Bury the Hatchet (1999)

I've been coming home late night
I've been sleeping past day light
I'm waking up you're not by my side
Baby that ain't right
I wanna be there with you
I really do be missing you
Everything I do is for you
And I really do adore you
You're getting so big now
You're making me so proud cuz
You are such a star
And you know that you are
So every single little moment
I can't be there to hold your hand
I need for you to know that
I need for you to know that
Anything should happen, anything should happen
'Cause anything could, if anything should happen
Know that you'll be alright, know that you'll be alright

Just promise you'll be alright, promise you'll be alright
If anything (Alright, promise I'll be alright)
(Promise I'll be alright, promise I'll be alright)
If anything should happen (Promise I'll be alright)
(Promise I'll be alright, promise I'll be, promise I'll be, alright)

Swear that I can still feel you here
I just can't believe you're not here
I've been needing you
All I dream is you
Don't think I can make it
I don't think I can make it
But then I hear you say that
I bet not do nothing crazy
'Cause Nami really needs you
And I would never leave you
'Cause I am in the stars
And everywhere you are
And every single little moment
Every single bit of sunshine just
Know that I am right by your side
Know that you are right by my side
So I'm gonna make you so proud
You don't ever have to worry 'bout me
No, you don't ever have to worry 'bout me

Promise I'll be alright, promise I'll be alright
Wish that you were here now
I'm missing you right here but
Promise I'll be alright, promise I'll be alright
Promise I'll be alright, promise I'll be, promise I'll be
Promise I'll be alright, just know that I'll be alright
Know that I'll be alright, know that I'll be, know that I'll be alright

Alright, alright, alright
Alright, alright, alright

Everything is alright, everything's in your mind
Life is what you make it, life is what you make it
And anything can happen, anything can happen
But you just gotta get past it, you just gotta laugh at it
And anything can happen, you fall down get back up
And you better believe that nothing holding me back
So everything is alright, everything is alright
Everything is alright, promise I'll be
Promise you'll be, promise we'll be alright

Hello, echo

​

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5. "Ode To My Family" from No Need to Argue (1994)

Understand the things I say
Don't turn away from me
'Cause I spent half my life out there
You wouldn't disagree
D'you see me, d'you see
Do you like me, do you like me standing there
D'you notice, d'you know
Do you see me, do you see me
Does anyone care?

Unhappiness, where's when I was young
And we didn't give a damn
'Cause we were raised
To see life as a fun and take it if we can
My mother, my mother she'd hold me
Did she hold me, when I was out there
My father, my father, he liked me
Oh he liked me, does anyone care?

Understand what I've become
It wasn't my design
And people everywhere think
Something better than I am
But I miss you, I miss
'Cause I liked it, 'cause I liked it
When I was out there
D'you know this, d'you know
You did not find me, you did not find
Does anyone care?

Unhappiness was when I was young
And we didn't give a damn
'Cause we were raised
To see life as fun and take it if we can
My mother, my mother she'd hold me
Did she hold me, when I was out there
My father, my father, he liked me
Oh he liked me, does anyone care?

Does anyone care?

​

6. "When You're Gone" from To the Faithful Departed (1996)

Hold on to love, that is what I do
Now that I've found you
And from above, everything's stinking
They're not around you

And in the night I could be helpless
I could be lonely slipping without you
And in the day, everything's complex
There's nothing simple when I'm not around you

And I miss you, when you're gone
That is what I do, baby, baby
And it's going to carry on
That is what I do, hey, baby

Hold on to my hands
I feel I'm sinking, sinking without you
And to my mind, everything's stinking
Stinking without you

And in the night I could be helpless
I could be lonely, slipping without you
And in the day, everything's complex
There's nothing simple when I'm not around you

And I miss you, when you're gone
That is what I do, baby, baby, baby
And it's going to carry on
That is what I do, hey baby, baby

Hey, baby, baby
Babe, hey, hey

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7. "Analyse" from Wake Up and Smell the Coffee (2001)

Close your eyes close your eyes
Breathe the air out there
We are free, we can be wide open

For you opened my eyes, to the beauty I see
We will pray, we will stay wide open

Don't analyse, don't analyse
Don't go that way, don't live that way
That would paralyse your evolution

La ah ah this greatest moment
La ah ah the greatest day
La ah ah the greatest love of them all

Close your eyes, close your eyes
Breathe the air, out there
Fantasise, fantasise we are open

For you opened my eyes, to the beauty I see
We will pray, we will stay together

La ah ah this greatest moment
La ah ah the greatest day
La ah ah The greatest love of them all

​

8. "Animal Instinct" from Bury the Hatchet (1999)

Suddenly something has happened to me
As I was having my cup of tea
Suddenly I was feeling depressed
I was utterly and totally stressed
Do you know you made me cry
Do you know you made me die

And the thing that gets to me
Is you'll never really see
And the thing that freaks me out
Is I'll always be in doubt
It is a lovely thing that we have
It is a lovely thing that we
It is a lovely thing, the animal
The animal instinct

So take my hands and come with me
We will change reality
So take my hands and we will pray
They won't take you away
They will never make me cry, no
They will never make me die

And the thing that gets to me
Is you'll never really see
And the thing that freaks me out
Is I'll always be in doubt

The animal, the animal, the animal instinct in me
It's the animal, the animal, the animal instinct in me
It's the animal, it's the animal,
It's the animal instinct in me.

​

9. "Go Your Own Way" from To the Faithful Departed (1996)

Loving you 
Isn't the right thing to do 
How can I ever change things 
That I feel

If I could 
Maybe I'd give you my world 
How can I 
When you won't take it from me

You can go your own way 
Go your own way 
You can call it 
Another lonely day 
You can go your own way 
Go your own way

Tell me why 
Everything turned around 
Packing up 
Shacking up's all you want to do

If I could 
Baby I'd give you my world 
Open up 
Everything's waiting for you

You can go your own way 
Go your own way 
You an call it 
Another lonely day 
You can go your own way 
Go your own way
Ah, ah, ah...

​

10. "Salvation" from To the Faithful Departed (1996)

To all the people doing lines 
Don't do it, don't do it 
Inject your soul with liberty 
It's free, it's free 
To all the kids with heroin eyes 
Don't do it, don't do it 
'Cause it's not, not what it seems 
Oh no it's not, not what it seems 

Salvation, Salvation, Salvation is free 
Salvation, Salvation, Salvation is free 

To all the parents with sleepless nights 
Sleepless nights 
Tie your kids home to their beds 
Clean their heads 
To all the kids with heroin eyes 
Don't do it, don't do it 
'Cause it's not, not what it seems 
No no it's not, not what it seems 

Salvation, Salvation, Salvation is free 
Salvation, Salvation, Salvation is free​

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