Artist: The Cranberries
Released on: Wake Up And Smell The Coffee (Track #7)
Duration: 5:15

LYRICS

I, I went to hell, I might as well learn by my mista-(ee)-a-a-akes
I, at twenty-four, was insecure, do whatever it ta-(ee)-a-a-akes

Come on and wake up, wake up, wake up, wake up
Shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up
It’s ti-i-i-ime, smell the coffee, the coffee-ee-e-e-ee-e
Wake up, wake up, wake up, wake up
Shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up
This ti-i-i-ime, smell the coffee, the coffee-ee-e-e-ee-e

She’s only got one reason to live, this is your li-(ee)-i-i-(ee)-ife
She’s only got one message to give, give it toni-(ee)-i-ight
She’s so gorgeous, I-I-I-I’ll do anything
She’s so gorgeous, I-I-I-I’ll lose everything
Everything

CREDIT INFORMATION

Music by Noel Hogan & Dolores O’Riordan
Lyrics by Dolores O’Riordan
Produced by Stephen Street
Engineered by Cenzo Townsend assisted by Emma Jane Lennon and Shay Dooher at Windmill Lane, Dublin
Mixed at Town House Studios, Shepherds Bush (London) by Stephen Street and Cenzo Townsend assisted by Tom Stanley
Mastered at Sterling Sound by George Marino
Publishing administered by Universal Music Publishing, Ltd, London

MEANING

Dolores in 2002, “It’s kind of like I have an awakening occurring right now in my life and I kind of just have woken up and I’m smelling the coffee, and it’s kind of like encouraging other people maybe to venture on that beautiful awareness, awakening.”
Fergal on VH1 in 2002, “A realization that life isn’t all about work, work, work. Life is to be enjoyed. You’ve only got one chance, and it’s too late when you’re 60 or 70 and you turn around and say I should’ve done this, or I should’ve done that. Follow your heart.
In another interview in 2002 Fergal explained what the title of the album and the song means, “It’s a realization. Most of the band has a family now and is married with kids and stuff. They bring so much joy into your life and open your eyes to a different side of life. It’s like, I’ve finally woken up and smelled the coffee. It’s hit me. This is what it’s all about.”
Dolores, “You do have to wake up to these realities. I can’t believe the amount of young people I know who have, for example, skin cancers. The song Wake Up And Smell The Coffee is about myself and becoming aware, in a general sense along these lines. On a more personal level, it’s also about looking at the face of my daughter, seeing myself in her and hoping she doesn’t go through any of sadness I went through.” (Hot Press · November 2001)
Noel in 2001, “’Wake Up And Smell The Coffee’ is a phrase […] to say, enjoy the moment. We have reach maturity after ten years of some success moments, very bad moments, and moments of a lot of confusion, and now we are adopting that philosophy, to notice everything you have, of the luck you have, and to enjoy everything, because maybe it can be the last chance you have. And that’s what we do, enjoy the album recording process, the concerts, everything!”

NOTES

The title of the song was used to name the tour of the band in 2002, “Wake Up And Smell The Coffee Tour”
The title of the song is also the title of the album and it’s the first time since “No Need To Argue” (and “Uncertain” before that).
The song was probably played live for the first time during the “Musica Si” TV show in Madrid on 26 November 2001.
It was the opening song of many concerts in 2002.