"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.
Dolly [speaking]:
Put your hand on her waist and stand
With her right in your left hand
And one and one two three, ah! one two three,
Oh, no, this one...and one two three
one two three
Cornelius [speaking]:
Look I'm dancing!
Well, I was.
Dolly [speaking]:
Of course you were, Mr. Hackl!
[singing]
Take the someone whose arms you're in
Hold onto her tight and spin
And one two three, one two three, one two three
Cornelius:
Look, I'm dancing!
Dolly:
Come here.
Turn around and turn around, try floating through the air
Can't you be a little more aesthetic?
Cornelius:
Don't you think my dancing has a polish and a flair?
Dolly:
The word I think I'd use is athletic!
Cornelius:
Well my heart is about to burst
My head is about to pop
And now that I'm dancing who cares if I ever stop!
Dolly:
That's wonderful, Mr. Hackl!
Cornelius:
...Look, everybody! I, Cornelius Hackl...Sport
...I'm dancing!
Dolly:
You're next, Mr. Tucker!
Glide and step and then step and glide
Barnaby:
And everyone stand aside!
Dolly:
Oh, not yet Mr. Tucker! One, two, three...
One, two, three, ah!
Cornelius
Look, he's dancing!
Dolly
I think he's phenomenal!
You could learn to polka if you worked a week or so
Or the tango filled with passion seething
Barnaby:
I might join the chorus of the castle garden show
Dolly:
Whatever you do, Mr. Tucker, kee-keep breathing
All three:
For my heart is about to burst
My head is about to pop
And now that we're dancing who cares if we ever stop!
All:
Make the music weave a spell
Whirl away your worry
Things look almost twice as well
When you're slightly blurry
As around and around you go
Your spirits will hit the top
And now that we're dancing
Who cares if we ever stop
One-two-three
One-two-three
One-two
And now that we're dancing
Who cares if we ever stop!
Put your hand on her waist and stand
With her right in your left hand
And one and one two three, ah! one two three,
Oh, no, this one...and one two three
one two three
Cornelius [speaking]:
Look I'm dancing!
Well, I was.
Dolly [speaking]:
Of course you were, Mr. Hackl!
[singing]
Take the someone whose arms you're in
Hold onto her tight and spin
And one two three, one two three, one two three
Cornelius:
Look, I'm dancing!
Dolly:
Come here.
Turn around and turn around, try floating through the air
Can't you be a little more aesthetic?
Cornelius:
Don't you think my dancing has a polish and a flair?
Dolly:
The word I think I'd use is athletic!
Cornelius:
Well my heart is about to burst
My head is about to pop
And now that I'm dancing who cares if I ever stop!
Dolly:
That's wonderful, Mr. Hackl!
Cornelius:
...Look, everybody! I, Cornelius Hackl...Sport
...I'm dancing!
Dolly:
You're next, Mr. Tucker!
Glide and step and then step and glide
Barnaby:
And everyone stand aside!
Dolly:
Oh, not yet Mr. Tucker! One, two, three...
One, two, three, ah!
Cornelius
Look, he's dancing!
Dolly
I think he's phenomenal!
You could learn to polka if you worked a week or so
Or the tango filled with passion seething
Barnaby:
I might join the chorus of the castle garden show
Dolly:
Whatever you do, Mr. Tucker, kee-keep breathing
All three:
For my heart is about to burst
My head is about to pop
And now that we're dancing who cares if we ever stop!
All:
Make the music weave a spell
Whirl away your worry
Things look almost twice as well
When you're slightly blurry
As around and around you go
Your spirits will hit the top
And now that we're dancing
Who cares if we ever stop
One-two-three
One-two-three
One-two
And now that we're dancing
Who cares if we ever stop!
Lyrics submitted by Ice
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