Like their breakout hit "Linger," this rocker from the fourth Cranberries album takes on a guy who did not hold up his end of a relationship. Lead singer Dolores O'Riordan wrote "Linger" about her first love; that song finds her appealing to his empathy, whereas "Promises" finds her much more combative, warning the guy: You better hold on to your promises Because you bet, you'll get what you deserve The song makes reference to "eternal vows," indicating it's about a divorce, and based on a relationship she either made up or observed. At the time, she had been married about five years.
The video, by the French director Olivier Dahan, takes place in a washed-out, miniaturized Old West, where a witch chases a cowboy, firing spells at him as he rides away for dear life - apparently he didn't keep his "promises."
This song got some exposure when it appeared in the 1999 episode of the TV series Charmed titled "She's a Man, Baby, a Man!"
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