Yes, this lyric is undoubtedly about child abuse, but I think there's more to it. Well, O'Riodan was great composer or co-composer, but not always equally good as lyricist. Sometimes, however, she 'made it' and this song is one of that positive examples.
First, it's interesting on literary level. Dolores uses 'fragmentary narration' here, a bit like Joyce used to. So-called 'stream of consciousness'. Short description of what happens, then associations and reflections appear just like that, with no 'bridge' between, next short description etc.
Second, this song is also a statement, and the religious one. 'God helps those who help themselves' is typically Protestant approach. Dylan in 'With God on Our Side' did negate this approach from Jewish point of view, looking at history and politics. Cranberries did the same from Catholics side, and on individual example. Because if God really cared only of those who care of themselves, then what about someone too weak to self-protect (child in this case)? And even worse: if God was always on stronger one's side, then what if a sinner is strong enough to get everything he wants, does sinner 'have God on his side' then? Cranberries seem to believe it doesn't make sense.
Next intriguing issue is the title, that 'Fee Fi Fo' which the song begins and ends with, and which seemingly couldn't fit less with such a serious subject. It sounds like careless whistling, sign of some disrespect. It can be the abuser's approach - he doesn't care at all what he just did to a little girl (destroyed her self-respect, robbed her from dignity, killed her innocence) - which would mean he's a kind of psychopath. Also this can be the approach of other people, who either don't notice at all something wrong has happened, or pretend they didn't notice, or (at the worst) underestimate it, thinkin' it's trifle. Or it can be the victim's attitude, who tries to either hide from herself a real meaning of what's happened, or just forget it, to proctect herself from the mental pain.
Also the sound of car engine on the very end of track sounds meaningful.Maybe it symbolizes that perpetrator has escaped from punishment, avoided it. And notice that the same or very similar sound effect returns on the beginning of 'Dying Inside' (on Cranberries' next album), which's lyric could descript the effect of this abuse: he hurt her very 'self' so hard that now she's dying inside, and he still couldn't care less.
Yes, this lyric is undoubtedly about child abuse, but I think there's more to it. Well, O'Riodan was great composer or co-composer, but not always equally good as lyricist. Sometimes, however, she 'made it' and this song is one of that positive examples. First, it's interesting on literary level. Dolores uses 'fragmentary narration' here, a bit like Joyce used to. So-called 'stream of consciousness'. Short description of what happens, then associations and reflections appear just like that, with no 'bridge' between, next short description etc. Second, this song is also a statement, and the religious one. 'God helps those who help themselves' is typically Protestant approach. Dylan in 'With God on Our Side' did negate this approach from Jewish point of view, looking at history and politics. Cranberries did the same from Catholics side, and on individual example. Because if God really cared only of those who care of themselves, then what about someone too weak to self-protect (child in this case)? And even worse: if God was always on stronger one's side, then what if a sinner is strong enough to get everything he wants, does sinner 'have God on his side' then? Cranberries seem to believe it doesn't make sense. Next intriguing issue is the title, that 'Fee Fi Fo' which the song begins and ends with, and which seemingly couldn't fit less with such a serious subject. It sounds like careless whistling, sign of some disrespect. It can be the abuser's approach - he doesn't care at all what he just did to a little girl (destroyed her self-respect, robbed her from dignity, killed her innocence) - which would mean he's a kind of psychopath. Also this can be the approach of other people, who either don't notice at all something wrong has happened, or pretend they didn't notice, or (at the worst) underestimate it, thinkin' it's trifle. Or it can be the victim's attitude, who tries to either hide from herself a real meaning of what's happened, or just forget it, to proctect herself from the mental pain. Also the sound of car engine on the very end of track sounds meaningful.Maybe it symbolizes that perpetrator has escaped from punishment, avoided it. And notice that the same or very similar sound effect returns on the beginning of 'Dying Inside' (on Cranberries' next album), which's lyric could descript the effect of this abuse: he hurt her very 'self' so hard that now she's dying inside, and he still couldn't care less.