Spring Break
Coldplay's 'Viva La Vida' makes for sad listening
Kathleen McKiernan
Issue date: 12/2/08 Section: Entertainment
12/02/08 - Coldplay's Viva La Vida is a rollercoaster of ups and downs - not unlike today's world.
From "Viva la Vida's" anti-authoritarian chants to "Violet Hill's" antiwar protest, the band's fourth album released June 11 is a testament to challenging the status quo. It combines optimism with sadness and regret reflecting the hardship, and the hope felt today.
Track four, "42" exemplifies the odd blend of despair and hope. The song begins with a depressing beat and vocalist Chris Martin singing, "Those who are dead are not dead/ They're just living my head/ And since I fell for that spell
I am living there as well."
The song continues, describing living with regret. "42" quickly becomes a catchy upbeat song, despite continuing on about regret and loss in its lyrics. On a positive note, however, the song can be seen as encouraging in that it inspires one to live life in whatever short a time one has.
Coldplay keeps the listener guessing for the next track, knowing how different each song is. The album begins with "Life in Technicolor," an instrumental compilation by the band that inspires hope, capturing the listener's curiosity in what could follow this moving sound. Yet, "Yes," a track about loneliness and lust, sounds creepily depressing with Martin singing in a deep monotone.
Viva La Vida features some dense metaphorical lyrics that make Coldplay so much more than the dissatisfied punk rock bands, screaming about inequalities. The track "Viva La Vida," about a king who loses his kingdom, addresses the irony of people disfavoring a government meant to protect them. It reminds the listener of how easily things can slip away. The track is unlike other Coldplay songs in that, with its upbeat riff, it has a steady bass drum beat and percussion, including a church bell.
"Cemeteries of London" questions all the supposed truths in life, including God. Yet, in its slightly depressing way, it offers a mantra and optimism, urging the confused to join together. This song also questions tradition and the status quo, calling for those people who "through the dark streets, they'd go searching to see God in their own way."
In a way that's fitting for Coldplay, Viva La Vida challenges its listeners to live life, question authority and find their own beliefs. Through its combination of inspiring and melancholy lyrics, the album makes the simple point that life is not perfect for anyone, but it is okay. Persistence gets one through.
From "Viva la Vida's" anti-authoritarian chants to "Violet Hill's" antiwar protest, the band's fourth album released June 11 is a testament to challenging the status quo. It combines optimism with sadness and regret reflecting the hardship, and the hope felt today.
Track four, "42" exemplifies the odd blend of despair and hope. The song begins with a depressing beat and vocalist Chris Martin singing, "Those who are dead are not dead/ They're just living my head/ And since I fell for that spell
I am living there as well."
The song continues, describing living with regret. "42" quickly becomes a catchy upbeat song, despite continuing on about regret and loss in its lyrics. On a positive note, however, the song can be seen as encouraging in that it inspires one to live life in whatever short a time one has.
Coldplay keeps the listener guessing for the next track, knowing how different each song is. The album begins with "Life in Technicolor," an instrumental compilation by the band that inspires hope, capturing the listener's curiosity in what could follow this moving sound. Yet, "Yes," a track about loneliness and lust, sounds creepily depressing with Martin singing in a deep monotone.
Viva La Vida features some dense metaphorical lyrics that make Coldplay so much more than the dissatisfied punk rock bands, screaming about inequalities. The track "Viva La Vida," about a king who loses his kingdom, addresses the irony of people disfavoring a government meant to protect them. It reminds the listener of how easily things can slip away. The track is unlike other Coldplay songs in that, with its upbeat riff, it has a steady bass drum beat and percussion, including a church bell.
"Cemeteries of London" questions all the supposed truths in life, including God. Yet, in its slightly depressing way, it offers a mantra and optimism, urging the confused to join together. This song also questions tradition and the status quo, calling for those people who "through the dark streets, they'd go searching to see God in their own way."
In a way that's fitting for Coldplay, Viva La Vida challenges its listeners to live life, question authority and find their own beliefs. Through its combination of inspiring and melancholy lyrics, the album makes the simple point that life is not perfect for anyone, but it is okay. Persistence gets one through.
