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The Cranberries - Linger



Cranberries guitarist Noel Hogan wrote the music for this song before Dolores O'Riordan joined the band. Originally, it had lyrics written by the group's first singer, a bloke named Niall Quinn. When O'Riordan auditioned for the band, she had some ideas for the song, and after she was hired, she wrote her own set of lyrics, turning it into a song of regret based on a soldier she once fell in love with.


The emotional, girlie sound was a huge departure for the band, but wildly successful. The song got lots of airplay from radio stations looking for an alternative to rap or grunge, and MTV put the video in heavy rotation. The Cranberries became one of the best-selling bands of the mid-'90s.


Dolores O'Riordan described this as "a love song.


" In the lyric, she describes being mistreated by her love and seeing him with another girl, yet unable to break free because he lets their relationship linger. This hardy seems the stuff of dreams, but the feeling of first love is what O'Riordan keyed in on. It brought her back to a time of innocence.



Lyrics


If you, if you could return


Don't let it burn


Don't let it fade


I'm sure I might be rude


But it's just your attitude


It's tearing me apart


It's ruining everything


And I swore, I swore I would be true


And honey, so did you


So why were you holding her hand?


Is that the way we stand?


Were you lying all the time?


Was it just a game to you?



But I'm in so deep


You know I'm such a fool for you


You've got me wrapped around your finger


Do you have to let it linger?


Do you have to, do you have to, do you have to let it linger?



Oh, I thought the world of you


I thought nothing could go wrong


But I was wrong, I was wrong


If you, if you could get by


Trying not to lie


Things wouldn't be so confused


And I wouldn't feel so used


But you always really knew


I just wanna be with you



And I'm in so deep


You know I'm such a fool for you


You've got me wrapped around your finger


Do you have to let it linger?


Do you have to, do you have to, do you have to let it linger?



And I'm in so deep


You know I'm such a fool for you


You've got me wrapped around your finger


Do you have to let it linger?


Do you have to, do you have to, do you have to let it linger?


You know I'm such a fool for you


You've got me wrapped around your finger


Do you have to let it linger?


Do you have to, do you have to, do you have to let it linger?

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