I picked up another cache of music CDs from the library today, including a 3-disc set called, “Greatest Ever Rock Ballads.” “Linger” is on it, along with a wide mix of good, bad, and ugly “rock ballads.” Included were one shocker and one surpriser. The shocker was a song called, “Womankind,” by a band called Little Angels, where the beginning of it is a blatant ripoff of George Harrison’s melody for “Isn’t It a Pity.” The surpriser was a cover of, “Piece of my Heart” by Nazareth.

from wikipedia:  The Cranberries was an Irish rock band formed in Limerick, Ireland in 1989 by lead singer Niall Quinn, guitarist Noel Hogan, bassist Mike Hogan, and drummer Fergal Lawler. Quinn was replaced as lead singer by Dolores O’Riordan in 1990…. In early 2009, after a six-year hiatus, the Cranberries reunited and began a North American tour, followed by shows in Latin America and Europe. The band recorded their sixth album Roses in May 2011, and released it in February 2012. Something Else, an album covering earlier songs together with the Irish Chamber Orchestra, was released in April 2017.

On 15 January 2018, lead singer Dolores O’Riordan was found dead of drowning in a London hotel room. She had recently arrived in London for a recording session. The Cranberries confirmed in September 2018 that they will not be continuing as a band. They said that they will release their final album In the End in 2019 and disband after that.

“Linger” is a song composed by Irish musicians Dolores O’Riordan and Noel Hogan, released in 1993. The song, which has an acoustic arrangement featuring a string section, became the band’s first major hit, peaking at #3 in the Republic of Ireland, #8 in the United States, and #14 in the United Kingdom. The song remained in the Billboard Hot 100 for 24 weeks.

From songfacts: “Linger” was the first track that O’Riordan and Hogan wrote together. Hogan told Q Magazine in a 2018 interview that he had little idea of what a huge hit it would be, mainly because when the band used to rehearse in their early days, he couldn’t hear it properly.

“We didn’t have much gear, so Dolores would plug a microphone into the guitar amp,” he recalled. “That sound was dreadful so I actually never got to hear the lyrics until we demoed it. I could hear the melody and the odd words here and there, and we got that ‘linger’ was in there somewhere.”

Eventually, The Cranberries scraped the money together to record the tune and Hogan got to hear O’Riordan’s vocals properly. He recalled that he was pleasantly shocked. “She sang that and it was like, ‘Oh my gosh… this is actually good!'”

If you, if you could return
Don’t let it burn
Don’t let it fade
I’m sure I’m not being rude
But it’s just your attitude
It’s tearing me apart
It’s ruining every day
For me
I swore I would be true
And fellow, 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 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 want to 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 have to let it linger?
Do you have to, do you have to, do 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 have to let it linger?
Do you have to, do you have to, do have to let it linger?

You know I’m such a fool for you
You’ve got me wrapped around your finger
Do have to let it linger?
Do you have to, do you have to, do have to let it linger?

Writer/s: NOEL ANTHONY HOGAN, DOLORES MARY O’RIORDAN