"Zombie" is about the ethno-political conflict in Ireland. This is obvious if you know anything of the singer (Dolores O'Riordan)'s Irish heritage and understood the "1916" Easter Rising reference.
"Another head hangs lowly
Child is slowly taken
And the violence caused such silence
Who are we mistaken
-
Another mother's breaking
Heart is taking over"
Laments the Warrington bomb attacks in which two children were fatally injured on March 23rd, 1993. Twelve year old Tim Parry was taken off life support with permission from his mother after five days in the hospital, virtually braindead.
"But you see it's not me
It's not my family"
References how people who are not directly involved with the violence feel about it. They are "zombies" without sympathy who refuse to take action while others suffer.
Amphetamine Annie-dog
Has her leash and a face
Her velvet spleen her shackle spine
Her diamond curse
It comes with mine
A vessel she
For violent I
Confession arms a wake
Mine, mine you were always mine
Possessed by my taste
And below the angel dog
Combs her hair and sings her psalms
The bombs go off
She doesn't notice
It all goes wrong
She sets things tragic
She is Venus
She is mars
She's electric
And the struggle of
Upon my face we leave no trace
But in her stomach mercury aged
She holds the blood
She carves the knives
She digs the wives in our babies
Amphetamine Annie-dog
Pulls her trash
And her stories
From place to place
And bed to bed
Gives of herself and the magnet head
Another floor another ceiling
Counting stairs with double meanings
Is it wrong to be swallowed whole
To disappear in her
To give her the priceless peace
Of giving up control
We tumble out into the streets
And Annie-dog she drags her leash
Pretty face
Ugly mouth
Bitter bred and so released
And by the no
And by the yes
Annie goes if you couldn't guess
A simple man
A sycophant
Her elephant with the laughing call
She wants clean sheets
And fresh flowers
And dental shots
And the Hong Kong glue
Amphetamine Annie-dog
Has her leash and a face
Has her leash and a face
Her velvet spleen her shackle spine
Her diamond curse
It comes with mine
A vessel she
For violent I
Confession arms a wake
Mine, mine you were always mine
Possessed by my taste
And below the angel dog
Combs her hair and sings her psalms
The bombs go off
She doesn't notice
It all goes wrong
She sets things tragic
She is Venus
She is mars
She's electric
And the struggle of
Upon my face we leave no trace
But in her stomach mercury aged
She holds the blood
She carves the knives
She digs the wives in our babies
Amphetamine Annie-dog
Pulls her trash
And her stories
From place to place
And bed to bed
Gives of herself and the magnet head
Another floor another ceiling
Counting stairs with double meanings
Is it wrong to be swallowed whole
To disappear in her
To give her the priceless peace
Of giving up control
We tumble out into the streets
And Annie-dog she drags her leash
Pretty face
Ugly mouth
Bitter bred and so released
And by the no
And by the yes
Annie goes if you couldn't guess
A simple man
A sycophant
Her elephant with the laughing call
She wants clean sheets
And fresh flowers
And dental shots
And the Hong Kong glue
Amphetamine Annie-dog
Has her leash and a face
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@Kahiara Actually I think the husband passed away,
"She sang for you last night
She heard you were calling"
Many people say they have felt, heard, or seen their loved ones after they have passed.
"Don't be scared now
Close your eyes
She holds guard tonight
Go on forward no remorse
Life will take it's course"
This is said to the late husband by a third part (never named), who encourages him to pass on. Because life will eventually continue. The phrase "holds guard" refers to the ( en.wikipedia.org/wiki/… ) which is a Christian ceremony held after someone dies. Now it is usually held right after the funeral, but in most celtiic countries the wake is held before the funeral.
"She danced with you last night so you will remember
All you have shared, a lifetime."
This sentence feels as if the only thing it wants to convey is their history together, namely, husband and wife. For the rest it just refers back to the first verse.
Alma Matters
Morrissey
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The man has pseudo-friends who constantly criticize his actions. They moralize him, "teach" him and advise him to make a significant change in his life, because the way he is and what he does is not what they say it should be. They may find his life lame or immoral. They hold themselves up as role models. The man replies that he will make his own choices and decisions and he does not agree to unconditionally make himself under the influence of questionable quality advice. He justifies this by saying that there is always someone for whom he will be important, no matter what he does and no matter what he is. Although it is not said directly, I read it as meaning that he will always be important to himself in every way and he will always have his own support.
"Everyone is different and maybe that's a good thing, but you exceeded that mark 1000 times" - I remember very well how sad the words I once heard (from my peers and it was in negative context) at school made me feel.
Loved by You
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2021
Lauv
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On my first listen to Adore I wondered if Billy Corgan knew of that old song. But what the heck does "velvet spleen" mean? Yes, I was born in 1954.