"Ode to My Family" is a song by Irish band the Cranberries, released on 21 November 1994 by Island Records as the second single from their second studio album, No Need to Argue (1994). The song was written by bandmembers Dolores O'Riordan and Noel Hogan. It was a hit in Oceania and several European countries, topping the charts in Iceland, and reaching number four in France, number five in Australia, and number eight in New Zealand. Its music video was directed by Samuel Bayer. In 2017, the song was released as an acoustic, stripped down version on the band's Something Else album.

Composition

"Ode to My Family" is written in the key of D major with a tempo of 94 beats per minute. The entire piece follows the chord progression 4/4 |: D | Bm | F♯m | Gsus2 D/A :| ostinato.

Content

The song, written by singer Dolores O'Riordan and guitarist Noel Hogan, is about O'Riordan's yearning for her simple life as a child after having achieved success, and includes a string arrangement composed by O'Riordan.

Critical reception

Dave Sholin from the Gavin Report felt that O'Riordan's delivery "gives this song a special meaning, which makes for a compelling musical experience." Chuck Campbell from Knoxville News Sentinel said that the new album "offers a bucolic opening" in "Ode to My Family". Dave Jennings from Melody Maker viewed it as "a curious but brave choice as a single" featuring "a highly personal and intriguing lyric." He added, "Dolores delivers it with her usual fierce conviction, and the song becomes a slightly guilty pleasure, like you're eavesdropping on a domestic row." Pan-European magazine Music & Media wrote, "Let Dolores be your station's guardian angel. Real Christmas family spirit is generated by this ballad which surpasses all the rest currently available when it comes to sincerity." In 2018, Billboard and Stereogum ranked the song number eight and number four, respectively, on their lists of the top ten Cranberries songs.

Music video

The single's accompanying music video, shot in black-and-white, was directed by Samuel Bayer, who had also directed the band's video for their preceding single, "Zombie". Bayer stated on his Facebook account that the "Ode to My Family" music video was cut by Robert Duffy (video editor), and the "Zombie" video was cut by Eric Zumbrennen.

Track listings

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications and sales

Release history