Salvation (The Cranberries song) explained

Salvation
Cover:Salvation single.jpg
Type:single
Artist:the Cranberries
Album:To the Faithful Departed
B-Side:
  • "I'm Still Remembering"
  • "I Just Shot John Lennon" (live)
Studio:Windmill Lane (Dublin, Ireland)
Genre:Pop punk
Length:2:24
Label:Island
Producer:
Prev Title:Ridiculous Thoughts
Prev Year:1995
Next Title:Free to Decide
Next Year:1996

"Salvation" is the lead single from Irish rock band the Cranberries' third studio album, To the Faithful Departed (1996). Released on 8 April 1996 by Island Records, the single reached number one on the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart for four weeks and was a chart hit in Europe and Australia, peaking at number four in Iceland, number six in Italy, number seven in New Zealand, and number eight in Australia and Ireland. The music video for the song was directed by Olivier Dahan and filmed in France.

Content

"Salvation" talks about drug abuse, and how one should refrain from falling into it. The directness of the song was regarded as bland and too preachy by the media and critics, but Dolores O'Riordan said that it wasn't supposed to be an anti-drug song per se, but "kind of anti the idea of becoming totally controlled by anything, any substance at all", O'Riordan stated to Kurt Loder—adding that she knew what it was like and that "it wasn't a nice experience and it didn't get me anywhere. It just confused me more".[1] She explained that the meaning behind the song was "reality [being] reality, and unfortunately, no how much you go away, you come back, and it's always here".[2]

Critical response

Daina Darzin from Cash Box named "Salvation" Pick of the Week, viewing it as "a really big edgy, completely memorable sound that just begs to be on the radio." She added, "A clever, ironic look at drug culture from both a kid's and parents' viewpoint, the track is propelled by Dolores O'Riordan's strong, evocative voice, a wailing horn section, and monster drums. Dark and driving with a nearly perfect pop sensibility, "Salvation" should find a happy home at both alternative and heavy music stations."[3] Dan Caffrey of Consequence of Sound noted that the song "features an abrasive horn section and punk rock aesthetic that fit in quite nicely with the remainder of the video, which makes you forget about front-woman Dolores O'Riordan's overreaching words pretty quickly".[4]

Roisin O'Connor of The Independent described it as a "fast-tempo track that served as a scathing condemnation of growing drug abuse in Ireland was taken from the band's 1996 album To the Faithful Departed, around the same time as ecstasy use reached alarming new heights.[5] Kevin Courtney from Irish Times felt it's "less irritating" than "Zombie", "but also less substantial, sounding like secondhand Siouxie & The Banshees or The Breeders, but it still manages to leave a bit of a sting before abruptly vaporising in an explosion of drums. - Stephen Street's lush, layered production is replaced by a hard, edgy directness, suggesting that Dolores and the boys, have finally found - the confidence to leap fearlessly into the healing flames."[6] A reviewer from Music Week gave the song three out of five, adding that "this is more upbeat than previous offerings. The fans will lap it up."[7]

Music video

The accompanying music video for "Salvation" was directed in March 1996 by Olivier Dahan in France,[4] for the company Bandits Productions.[8]

The video was the last video for the band to gain heavy rotation on MTV, as later singles failed to gain traction on the network.[1] The video featured a crazed clown (a hybrid of horror monsters Freddy Krueger, Pennywise, and Pinhead) floating around a castle and its surroundings and driving a group of young girls around in a car, implied to be in the thralls of drug addiction.[4] The video cuts between images of Dolores O'Riordan singing the song and a pair of adults, who alternate between trying to wake a comatose daughter from her slumber, and the evil clown tying up and terrorizing the couple (who are now in latex catsuits) with the now awake daughter kissing the clown.[4]

"Salvation" was nominated for the MTV Video Music Award for Best Art Direction, held at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, NY, 4 September 1996.[9] [10]

Track listings

  1. "Salvation"
  2. "I'm Still Remembering" (album version)
  3. "I Just Shot John Lennon" (live version)

Note: "I Just Shot John Lennon" was recorded live at The Point, Dublin, on 2 June 1995 for Radio Telefis Eireann. A limited-edition version of this format packaged in a box was also released.[13]

  1. "Salvation"
  2. "I'm Still Remembering" (album version)

Charts

Weekly charts

Weekly chart performance for "Salvation"!Chart (1996)!Peak
position
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[16] 20
Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40)[17] 4
Italy (Musica e dischi)[18] 6

Year-end charts

Year-end chart performance for "Salvation"!Chart (1996)!Position
Australia (ARIA)[19] 79
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[20] 74
Canada Rock/Alternative (RPM)[21] 43
Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40)[22] 40
US Modern Rock (Billboard)[23] 29

Release history

Region!scope="col"
DateFormat(s)Label(s)
United Kingdom8 April 1996Island[24]
United States16 April 1996Contemporary hit radio[25]
Japan19 April 1996CD[26]

Cover versions

Earthsuit, a Christian rock group, performed a live cover of this song during their last few tours.[27] [28] Prayer for Cleansing, a vegan straight edge metalcore group, covered the song on their EP The Tragedy released in 2004.[29] Senses Fail, an emo post-hardcore group, covered this song as a bonus track on their 2006 album Still Searching.[30] Ursula, a hardcore crust punk group from California, covered the song on their 2019 second 4-track EP Regurgitate.[31]

Notes and References

  1. News: Snapes . Laura . 15 January 2018 . The Cranberries: five of Dolores O'Riordan's best performances. live . . https://archive.today/20200705130122/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2018/jan/15/dolores-oriordan-five-of-her-best-cranberries-performances . 5 July 2020 . 5 July 2020.
  2. News: Cranberries "Departed". https://web.archive.org/web/20180118010956/http://www.mtv.com/news/1427574/cranberries-departed/. dead. 18 January 2018. MTV News. 8 February 2018.
  3. Daina. Darzin. Pop Singles. Cash Box. 11 May 1996. 7. 12 November 2022.
  4. News: Caffrey . Dan . 12 November 2008 . Ridiculously Awesome Music Videos: The Cranberries' "Salvation". live . Consequence of Sound . https://archive.today/20131227173645/http://consequenceofsound.net/2008/11/ridiculously-awesome-music-videos-the-cranberries-salvation/ . 27 December 2013 . 5 July 2020 .
  5. News: O'Connor . Roisin . 15 January 2018 . Dolores O'Riordan dead: 9 of the best songs by The Cranberries - Iconic frontwoman has died aged 46 . live . The Independent . UK . https://archive.today/20200705122949/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/dolores-o-riordan-dead-the-cranberries-best-songs-zombie-linger-ode-to-my-family-lyrics-band-a8160756.html . 5 July 2020 . 5 July 2020.
  6. Courtney, Kevin (5 April 1996). "Single File". Irish Times.
  7. Reviews. Music Week. 30 March 1996. 10. 13 August 2021.
  8. Book: Rège, Philippe. 16 December 2009 . Encyclopedia of French Film Directors. 1 . France . . 278 . 978-0-810-86137-4.
  9. Reece. Douglas . 10 August 1996. MTV Video Awards Noms. live. . 108. 32. 84. 0006-2510. https://web.archive.org/web/20200706173515/https://books.google.fr/books?id=wgcEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA84. 6 July 2020. 5 July 2020.
  10. Web site: 1996 MTV Video Music Awards. . n.d. . Rock On The Net . 5 July 2020.
  11. Salvation. The Cranberries. 1996. UK & Australasian CD single liner notes. Island Records. CID 633, 854 617-2.
  12. Salvation. The Cranberries. 1996. Japanese CD single liner notes. Island Records. PHCR-8360.
  13. Salvation. The Cranberries. 1996. UK limited CD single liner notes. Island Records. CIDX 633, 854 619-2.
  14. Salvation. The Cranberries. 1996. UK cassette single sleeve. Island Records. CIS 633, 854 616-4.
  15. Salvation. The Cranberries. 1996. European CD single liner notes. Island Records. CIDT 633, 854 616-2.
  16. 18 May 1996. Hits of the World: Eurochart (IFPI/Nielsen Marketing Research) 05/18/96. Billboard. Nielsen Business Media. 108. 20. 46. 0006-2510.
  17. News: Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (1.6. – 7.6. '96). Dagblaðið Vísir. is. 26. 1 June 1996. 2 October 2019.
  18. Web site: Classifiche. Musica e dischi. it. 30 May 2022. Set "Tipo" on "Singoli". Then, in the "Artista" field, search "Cranberries".
  19. Web site: The ARIA Australian Top 100 Singles 1996. Australian Record Industry Association. Imgur. https://web.archive.org/web/20151102010347/http://i.imgur.com/t1PYbhG.jpg. 2 November 2015. 23 February 2019.
  20. Web site: Rapports annuels 1996. Ultratop. fr. 23 February 2019.
  21. RPM Year End Alternative Top 50. RPM. Library and Archives Canada. 23 February 2019.
  22. News: Árslistinn 1996. Dagblaðið Vísir. is. 25. 2 January 1997. 30 May 2020.
  23. This Year in Music: Hot Modern Rock Tracks. Billboard. 28 December 1996 . December 25, 2023.
  24. New Releases: Singles. Music Week. 47. 6 April 1996. 29 June 2021.
  25. Selected New Releases. Radio & Records. 1141. 44. 12 April 1996. 4 August 2021.
  26. Web site: サルベーション ザ・クランベリーズ. Salvation The Cranberries. Oricon. ja. 7 February 2024.
  27. News: . Earthsuit releases new album . . Washington, D.C.. 12 November 2003. 5 July 2020.
  28. Aaron Saraco . 27 July 2007 . Earthsuit - Fire Escape 05/17/02 - Salvation/Distortion . https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211213/Zlq2gnrvhfI . 2021-12-13 . live. 5 July 2020. . Aaron Saraco. YouTube.
  29. Web site: Prayer For Cleansing - Tragedy - Released on July 23, 2004 . . n.d. . Interpunk . 5 July 2020.
  30. News: . Senses Fail Still Searching . antiMusic . 1 October 2007 . 5 July 2020.
  31. News: Ramirez . Carlos . 15 April 2019 . Ursula: Cali Hardcore Punkers Take on The Cranberries' "Salvation" on New EP . live. No Echo . https://archive.today/20200705111958/https://www.noecho.net/features/ursula-cranberries-salvation . 5 July 2020. 5 July 2020.