Hollywood by The Cranberries Lyrics Meaning – Dissecting The Glitter and Gloom
Lyrics
I’ve got a picture in my head, in my head, in my head
It’s me and you, we are in bed, we are in bed
You’ll always been there when I call, when I call
You’ll always been there most of all, all, all, all
This is not Hollywood, like I understand
Is not Hollywood, like, like, like
This is not Hollywood, like I understand
Is not Hollywood, like, like, like
Run away, run away, is there anybody there?
Run away, run away, is there anybody there?
Get away, get away, get away
Get away, get away, get away
Oh, oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh, oh
I’ve got a picture in my room, in my room
I will return there I presume, it should be soon
The greatest irony of all, shoot the wall
It’s not so glamorous at all, all, all, all
This is not Hollywood, like I understand
Is not Hollywood, like, like, like
This is not Hollywood, like I understand
Is not Hollywood, like, like, like
Run away, run away, is there anybody there?
Run away, run away, is there anybody there?
Get away, get away, get away
Get away, get away, get away
Oh, oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh, oh
This is not Hollywood, runaway
This is not Hollywood, like, like, like
Like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like (runaway)
Like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like (runaway)
Like, like, like, like (runaway)
The bewitching emerald voice of Dolores O’Riordan carried The Cranberries to celestial heights in the ’90s, weaving spellbinding narratives through the fabric of post-punk and alternative rock. One of their lesser-sung yet profoundly astute tracks, ‘Hollywood,’ lies nestled within their illustrious tapestry of sound—a song glittering with the seductive veneer of fame and the stark shadow it casts.
‘Hollywood’, a track from The Cranberries’ critically acclaimed 1996 album, ‘To the Faithful Departed,’ often slides under the radar, eclipsed by their blockbuster hits. Yet, it is in this overshadowed corner of their discography where the band unfurls a canvas daubed with the paint of disillusionment and introspection, critiquing the feigned utopia of Hollywood.
The Glitz and the Grim: A Tale of Two Realities
The song commences with imagery that tugs at the strings of intimacy and private yearning. ‘I’ve got a picture in my head,’ sings O’Riordan, painting a tableau of personal dreams and bedroom confidences shared between lovers. The juxtaposition of this private idyll with the public spectacle of Hollywood begins the journey of jarring contrasts.
By uttering, ‘This is not Hollywood, like I understand,’ the lyrics invoke the realization that the shimmering mirage of Hollywood—perpetuated by both the ones within and the ones who gaze from afar—is not the nurturing creature it purports to be. It is a beast that asks you to run, to get away, highlighting the haunting realization that expectation rarely dances hand in hand with reality.
Chasing Shadows: The Song’s Hidden Meaning
While at surface level ‘Hollywood’ could be dismissed as a straightforward disillusionment with the entertainment capital of the world, a deeper look into its lyrics reveals that the song is a universal parable about the pursuit of ideals and the harsh clapback of reality. The persistent ‘like’ punctuating the chorus resembles the similes we construct about life, only to unravel them in the clutches of lived experience.
Moreover, the repeated plea to ‘run away’ serves as a stark reminder of our innate response to flee from the disillusionment we face. Whether it’s through love, dreams, or career, the song universally resonates with the struggle of chasing shadows—ideals that, upon close inspection, turn out to be as ephemeral as the glint of sunlight on a Hollywood award.
The Soundtrack to Escapism: Melodic Retreats and Rythmical Resistance
Musically, ‘Hollywood’ creates an aural landscapen of urgency and a breathless flight from the disillusionment. Careening through the high-tempo beats and O’Riordan’s airy yet poignant vocal delivery, listeners find themselves in the thick of the chase—a sonic embodiment of the adrenaline-fueled escape from Hollywood’s false promises.
The Cranberries have always been adept at wrapping their stark and earnest messages in layers of haunting melodies and jangling guitar lines. In ‘Hollywood,’ the guitars sprint with abandon, crafting strident paths away from the untenable, while the relentless drumbeat is the pounding heart of one resolved to resist.
Memorable Lines That Haunt and Heal
‘The greatest irony of all, shoot the wall / It’s not so glamorous at all,’ offers a harrowing glimpse into the facade of perfection. Success often requires that artists present a fortified front, a wall upon which the projected images of celebrity are shot. But O’Riordan’s lyrics unravel the irony that, behind this projection, lies an unglamorous truth beset with trials and tribulations.
These lines hold heavy significance as they echo a universal sentiment far beyond the reaches of Hollywood. It’s a statement on the human condition, where everyone has a wall—be it emotional or otherwise—that we brandish to safeguard our vulnerabilities, only to realize it often barricades us from authentic living.
The Cranberries’ Mirror to Society
With ‘Hollywood,’ The Cranberries held up a mirror to not just the crumbling veneer of Tinseltown, but to the societal structure of idolizing unattainable perfection. The band challenges the listener to scrutinize what lies beyond the smoke and mirrors—to look past the gilded narrative sold to us by mass media and prevalent culture.
It is in such savagely beautiful songs that the band cemented their legacy—not content to merely entertain, they sought to enlighten. ‘Hollywood’ thus etches its place in the canon of music as a timeless testament to what music can be: not just sound and fury, but the incisive voice of truth cutting through the harmonious choruses of the status quo.
