"Promises" is a rock song by Irish rock band the Cranberries. It is the first single from the band's fourth album,Bury the Hatchet,released in 1999. The song was the only single from the album to chart in the US and the last single before their hiatus. The song,which has a heavy rock beat with strident lead guitar,deals with the subject of divorce. A music video involving a cowboy confronting a witch/scarecrow hybrid (played by Maïwenn),directed by Olivier Dahan,was released to promote the single.
"Promises" became the band's ninth and last UK top-forty hit,reaching number 13 on the UK Singles Charts and number 19 in Ireland. Elsewhere,the song peaked atop the Spanish Singles Chart and reached the top 20 in Canada,Iceland,New Zealand,Norway,and Switzerland while also charting in several other European countries. It also peaked at 12 on the U.S. Alternative Airplay chart.
A music video directed by Olivier Dahan was released in 1999 to promote the single,shot in the style of an old western film. The sheriff of an unnamed town and one of his deputies are found inside the police station guarding what seems to be a ball of energy that is held prisoner inside a cell,while another deputy is far away in the desert picking up flowers. While the latter is completely absorbed in this endeavor,a nearby female scarecrow (played by Maïwenn) suddenly comes to life and starts chasing him. The cowboy quickly gets on his horse and makes haste back to town,trying to fend off the creature with his pistol along the way while she showers him with energy rays shot from her hands. Most of the video involves the chase between the scarecrow witch and the deputy,as well as the band members playing their instruments atop the town's water tower. The deputy finally makes it to town and enters the police station,where he quickly informs the sheriff about the incoming scarecrow and her apparent purpose to free the aforementioned energy orb. The sheriff,apparently very secure of his gun skills,calms down both of his men and exits the station to challenge the scarecrow to a duel. The sheriff is first to draw and shoot,but the scarecrow stops the bullet in midair with her teeth,much to the sheriff's bewilderment. She then shoots an energy ray from her mouth and disintegrates the sheriff,leaving only his smoking boots still standing behind. The scarecrow frees the energy orb from its captivity and both then fly away,with the words "The End" appearing on the screen.
↑ Promises (UK CD2 liner notes). The Cranberries. Island Records. 1999. 572 593-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
↑ Promises (Canadian maxi-CD single disc notes). The Cranberries. Island Records. 1999. 314 572 569-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
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