The Lyrics of Coldplay: Part of a Deep Musical Palette

I want you to take your love to the violet hill. Where melody inhales the twilight hour and words find there eloquence in maturity. I want you to stop for a moment and dream of a lover that holds you dearly, warm and patient. I want you to close your eyes and listen to a stripped down version of The Hardest Part. Listen to it as one man, one piano and one soul. Can you hear the passion? Can you hear the story? There is something remarkable when this track is played live by Chris Martin of the band Coldplay something sobering, true and amazing. I have found that there are remarkable moments in Coldplay’s music and I would like to talk about it here. There seems to be for the most part a deep and powerful connection between emotion and communication that drives the heart of Coldplay’s songs. As Chris Martin stated once in an interview, “Coldplay is more about emotions at two in the morning.” Let us explore the music and word combination here.

Let us start our journey with the eminent and formidable track Clocks. It is as passionate, as it is mystic. The triads of the notes form the sound of almost water enough to send you into a trance. When the base and drums form a power and strike you like a backbone of crescendo that reaches to into your heart and makes you feel the listlessness wanting communicated in the song. The words back up the musical emotions as Chris Martin states, “Home, home, where I wanted to go,” and the melody makes you expect the next line of triads as if your were watching a clock. The mystery creeps in and there is a certain cryptic feel to the lyrics. There is talk about an overwhelming tide and opportunities missed. Then, after careful study you realize that there is a subtle social commentary presented in the song that is not uncommon of Chris Martin. This commentary however, is not a product of analysis. Instead, it is an intimate and deeply psychological portrait of someone that is driven by a clock. Still, the passion of the song leads one to wonder about whether or not there is an alternate meaning about the strongest of human emotions, love.

Which bring us to the sonically lighter song, Yellow. This song works off of a guitar riff that is acoustic and then becomes a clear electric tone. Then, when the riff ends there are the subtle and tender lyrics. The slow tempo and brightness of the guitar are all conducive to the love lament. The chorus states “look how they shine for you,” and the declarations become a sonnet of existing unrequited hold and infatuation. The object of the songs attentions is on a pedestal looking down on Chris Martins showering of affection.

But, one could not leave a discussion of Coldplay without looking at their politics and the way that it informs their music. Currently, in there album Viva La Vida there are several strong tracks that are accompanied by visual elements that seem to imply a since of lost empires. The use of the French piece on the cover of the album art seems to imply the stance that revolutions are in the air and that politics is at hand. Perhaps it is. The title track Viva La Vida is about a dictator that falls and becomes a failure in the world’s eyes, this is blended with orchestral beats that give a simple classical melody to the sad tail in the lyrics. This chorus states “I used to rule the world, legions would rise when I gave the word. Now in the morning when I sleep alone, swept the streets that I used to roam.” This is almost frightening when you look at the broader scope of Chris Martins politics. He is rather out spoken about western influences in foreign markets and heavily involved in Oxfam, his charity. The comparison between the lyrics of Viva La Vida and the fall of the western economy are eerie and foreboding.

In short, I have the deepest respect for Coldplay and the emotions that the lyrics and music elicit. I hope that what I have written here will help you to further your listening and work toward better lyric writing as I am also learning. Please feel free to comment and ask whatever question you would like.