Music’s Commentary on Conflict

 

Thesis

Music comments on society in a palatable way by artists creating pieces that amplify what is going on in the world. Specifically, in a historical context, music can show us the past and bring insight into history. The music forged out of Ireland in response to the 30 year conflict known as The Troubles shines a light on the political violence, tragedy and suffering that Ireland endured. Irish bands U2 and The Cranberries both protested the hardships of their country through song. 

Historical Context 

The Troubles was a conflict in Ireland that began in 1968 and raged on for 30 bloody years till 1998. The conflict was over the decision to have Northern Ireland remain part of the UK or unite with the rest of Ireland. In the 17th century Britain claimed Ireland, a  primarily Protestant region, and it began to flourish. In south Ireland the Catholics had less resources and suffered. This is where the tensions started, which was amplified by the UK's decision to politically split Ireland in half, having independent governments in the 20th century. This decision split the country politically, building aggression between the protestants in the north and a lesser population of Catholics in the north and the southern Catholics who opposed British rule. This tension finally reached a breaking point in 1968 beginning The Troubles. The two opposing parties were the Republican Party who were mostly Catholic and the Loyalists who were mostly Protestant. The Republicans fought to free Ireland completely from British rule and ultimately unify Ireland under one party. The Loyalists wanted to remain under British rule and pushed for discriminatory policies against Catholics. Religion was a huge part of this conflict because of the political association with what religion you followed. Catholics were heavily discriminated against by the Protestants. This discrimination was caused by Protestant dominated government in the north leading to unfair voting rights, employment discrimination and segregation. The Troubles were famously very violent and brutal with 3,500 deaths reported from beginning to end. The Good Friday Agreement in 1998 was what finally brought an end to the conflict with an agreement to share Northern Ireland with Britain. 

“Sunday Bloody Sunday”

“Sunday Bloody Sunday” was released in 1983 written and performed by the Irish rock band U2. The song was off the album War and was written as a response to the massacre known as Bloody Sunday. In 1972, in Derry, North Ireland, there was a peaceful protest held against the British’s rule. British soldiers descended on the protesters and began firing unprovoked, resulting in killing 26 unarmed protesters. This event came to be known as Bloody Sunday and further exacerbated the tension between the two sides resulting in a push for the creation of army forces like the IRA, UDA and RUC for both sides.

“Sunday Bloody Sunday” is a powerful protest cry against the conflict and this pleading sadness is reflected in every aspect of the song. The rock ‘n’ roll sound of the song is emblematic of the 80s genre’s sound, with the advancements in technology at the time adding electric violin and MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface). The song’s instrumentals capture the immense frustration and anger felt by the band with the timbre of the song being harsh and aggressive. Loud snare drums accompany heavy guitar as the instruments echo a belligerent militant beat that matches the powerful vocals. The vocal harmonies in the song ruminate the message of protest of the song creating the methodical chant “Sunday Bloody Sunday” through the song and especially at the end drilling the tragedy of the day into people's heads. The lyrics of the song touch on the religious aspects of the conflict with lyrics like “To claim the victory Jesus won (Sunday Bloody Sunday)”. This lyric shows the unbearable brutality to only emerge victorious for your own religion that Jesus has won for all who worship. A part of the song that directly references the tragedy of which the song is based on is the lyrics “Bodies strewn across the dead end street” a gut wrenching reminder of the 26 innocent people killed that day. 

The song is not a rebel movement against a side of the conflict but the collective cry of the people from both sides for an end to the violence and destruction. U2 gave a stronger voice to the morning people of Ireland and gave more international support to end the violence. 

My personal thoughts on the song are that it holds a very powerful sentiment towards the conflict, especially at a time where there was little end in sight. Bono, U2’s lead singer, sings with gut wrenching emotion. 

“Zombie”

In 1994 The Cranberries, an Irish rock band, released “Zombie” written by the lead singer Dolores O’ Riordan off their album No need to argue. “Zombie” was written in response to the IRA bombings in Warrington, England. The IRA is the Provisional Irish Republican Army, a paramilitary group that fought to unite Ireland from UK rule. They were known for using guerrilla tactics targeting police and army. In 1993 the IRA placed two separate bombs in trash cans in Warrington, England and detonated them, ending up killing three year old Johnathan Ball and twelve year old Tim Perry as well as injuring 54 others. This sparked mass outrage across political parties and internationally, ultimately it was a major contributor to the conflict finally ending. “Zombie” was a protest song against The Troubles and the IRA pleading for a stop to the violence and senseless death. 

Musically “Zombie” is so heartbreaking with the lyrics and delivery making you feel the pain the singer holds for her country. The band strays away from their usually rock alt sound to a more gritty metal tone. The timbre of the song evokes a gritty aggressive sound that has an almost whining pleading feeling to it. A powerful element of the song is the vocal delivery from the lead singer. She adds a yodel adjacent quality to her vocals adding that desperately pleading and angry emotion. She also uses a less aggressive vocal delivery choosing to use a softer more innocent tone to reflect the utter disparity she embodies adding to the timbre of the song. The instruments perfectly complement the vocals with echoey haunting electric guitars and crashing snare drums. The repetition of the lyric “zombie” is not only referring to the mindless soldiers but toward the people who turn a blind eye to the violence and inadvertently pull the trigger by encouraging the ongoing brutality. The lyric “it’s not me it not my family” is to say that this is not Ireland this is the IRA we're not the IRA. The IRA’s actions that horrific day was not Ireland, it was an extremist group that just wanted to win no matter the cost. The song reflects on the constant state of anguish the country has been in for hundreds of years with the lyric “it’s the same old thing since 1916” referencing the conflicts that have been happening even before The Troubles. 

The song acts as a protest against the actions of the IRA and a cry for the conflict to end with the song reflecting on the endless suffering the people of Ireland have endured even before The Troubles. 

This song is what originally introduced me to The Troubles and eventually made me center this blog around the music that came from this time. My favourite aspect of the song is how the singer's voice carries so much raw emotion. I truly enjoy it so deeply and now knowing the content makes me feel the powerful emotions even more. 

Social Commentary 

“Sunday Bloody Sunday” and “Zombie” are rock protest anthems against the atrocities of The Troubles. Both songs are about very different events and come from very different time periods but they cry the same message of a plea for peace. Protest songs like these act as a collective voice of the people, acting as an anthem for the people to rally around and push for change. These songs also serve as a way to shine a light on what’s happening to people around the world who wouldn’t have known otherwise creating more outrage about it, therefore more public pressure on the government to come to an agreement. There were many more songs created about The Troubles and these songs even aided in the end to the conflict. Music like this is so important because it shows the emotions and tragedies of the people in these situations in an absorbable way that brings more attention to the problem. Even today songs about The Troubles are still being written serving as a constant reminder of the tragedies over the 30 bloody years. 

Personal Journey

I think this class has definitely made me a more active listener when it comes to music. I would really gravitate towards the beat or instrumentals but during this class I started to try and pay attention to the lyrics more and I found myself enjoying the music I love even more. I have come to appreciate the complexity of how music is created with discovering that there’s so much behind it. I really enjoy breaking down the music I would have never thought to look at closer but now they hold a lot more meaning to me. Discovering new music was really something I really had fun with whether that be Mongolian throat singing or Jpop metal. The sense of community within the class was also very encouraging with thoughtful input that really helped me improve my understanding of the class. I chose this class because I had never been taught a formal music class and I’m so happy I chose it was definitely my favorite class this semester. 

R/ASKHISTORIANS.“What events are being referenced in the Cranberries song “Zombie”, when the lyrics go “It’s the same old theme since 1916”, and how are they relevant to the song”. Reddit, 2020, https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/e52p2v/what_events_are_being_referenced_in_the/?solution=fad860bd2a2c636afad860bd2a2c636a&js_challenge=1&token=bbbe4bf1c9a2b5160829c4be34da5861c2f5c1edbed99edd6e1b9f4f1bb37253&jsc_orig_r= . Accessed 25 Apr. 2026

UK ESSAYS. “Sunday Bloody Sunday And Zombie English Literature Essay”. Uk Essays, 1 Jan 2015, https://www.ukessays.com/essays/english-literature/sunday-bloody-sunday-and-zombie-english-literature-essay.php. Accessed 25 Apr. 2026.

PEACE BUILDER.“A BRIEF HISTORY OF “THE TROUBLES” ”. Peace Builder,  Feb 2009,  https://emu.edu/now/peacebuilder/2009/02/a-brief-history-of-the-troubles/. Accessed 25 Apr. 2026.

JAUNEHANA. “Bloody Sunday: When Men go to war”. Medium, 18 Nov. 2018, https://medium.com/jaunehana/bloody-sunday-when-men-go-to-war-9727227fd5bb. Accessed  Apr. 2026.