Richard BodinA few weeks ago, on several occasions, I went to see Wreckquiem, the new play by Mike Finn in the Lime Tree Theatre, featuring Pat Shortt. One particular moment got me deep in the guts every time I saw it. And every time I saw it, I could observe a sea of watering eyes all around me. In this particular moment, the characters on stage were silent, contemplative, while the music was speaking. This particular track that threw everyone in such an emotional experience was none other than “Dreams”, the first single by the legendary local Limerick band The Cranberries.
From Limerick with love
Formed in 1989, when most of them were 17, The Cranberries signed their first deal in 1991 with Island Records for six albums. At that time, they had already made a name for themselves all over Limerick. A few copies EP on cassettes, with three songs had already sold out fast, and they sent a demo to many record labels in London and raised a lot of interest from major labels. The demo included early versions of “Dreams” and “Linger” which would become their first and second single and receive an overwhelming success.
The Sound of Something Awakening
“Dreams”, released in 1992, would take you places immediately, from the first notes. The song opens straight with a stomping rhythm section, while a lingering synth melody mingles with pulsing and crystalline guitar. While you sit there, already with goosebumps, the voice of Dolores O’Riordan resonates, sweet and powerful, expressing emotions you didn’t even know could be rendered vocally. For anyone outside of Limerick, discovering The Cranberries on the radio for the first time, it comes as a shock. The song goes on, building up in intensity until the climax where Dolores voice dances with her boyfriend’s at the time —Mike Mahoney— who is doing back vocals.
The song, written by an 18-year-old Dolores O’Riordan, was actually about her first love. She explained: « I wrote that about my first love when I was living in Ireland. It’s about feeling really in love for the first time». For someone getting out of their teenage years, writing such a powerful song about love, is nothing short of fascinating. There’s something uniquely raw about “Dreams” — it doesn’t just express love, it captures the moment it awakens. It’s the sound of someone discovering how big emotions can be. The meeting of Dolores, and Noel Hogan who created the melodies, was a perfect combination. Thirty years later, the song is still as powerful and gut wrenching.
The Cranberries’ Legacy
For Hogan, it was a bit different. As you can imagine, over a career spanning over three decades, playing those songs regularly, they became just part of the setlist. As he explained to NME in 2019:
“It’s only really since Dolores passed away that I’ve grown a proper appreciation for songs like ‘Linger’ and ‘Dreams’. They were just songs in the set list for us; everybody else was losing their mind about them. And when I listen to them now I realise how great they are for someone so young, which I never, ever appreciated until a year ago. We must have played it a gazillion times in our lives and it just becomes a part of the set, but it’s different now. We’re so lucky to have left that behind, to have that legacy.”
And what a legacy. “Dreams” alone has been used in countless movies and TV series. You probably heard it in Mission Impossible, You’ve Got Mail, Dream Scenario, Derry Girls, Beverly Hills 90210… I could go on. That first single was followed by a string of powerful releases — “Linger”, of course, but also the legendary “Zombie” which propelled the band to international stardom, “Salvation”, “When You’re Gone”…
She Remains
Dolores left us tragically in 2018, far too soon. But she didn’t just leave a legacy — she left moments. Moments like the one shared by the audience of Wreckquiem, eyes glistening in the dark. Like the ones her bandmates lived with her in studios or on stages around the world. Moments uniting people, in a concert, over movies, or even the homecoming of the All-Ireland Hurling cup in Limerick…
Her voice remains, and still resonates, tender, fierce, powerful, still capable of stirring emotions deep in our guts.
She’s still a dream to us.
