Intro :
One of my fondest memories was walking into a huge stadium packed full of people to see Coldplay’s live performance. That night was a night I would never forget. It was the first concert I had ever been to and up to this day, is still my favorite. I will always remember their amazing performance, the wild energy of the crowd, the crazy lights and fireworks shooting out of the stage, and the lights of the crowd’s wristbands twinkling different colors in unity to the beat of the songs. This concert started my love for Coldplay and their inspiring, creative, and profound music. Walking out of that huge stadium I felt the warm feelings of inspiration and happiness.
Background:
Coldplay is a British rock band that was formed in London in 1996. The band is made up of the lead vocalist and pianist Chris Martin, guitarist Johnny Buckland, bassist Guy Berryman, and drummer Will Champion who all met at the University of London college. They first started recording their music in 1998. Coldplay’s first major-label release was in the summer of 2000. People say that their music is very different from the currently popular music landscape. Their soulful, haunting, intelligent songs have set them apart from other genres of music. They’re known for their endless supply of sailing melodies, emotional outpourings, and serious but ultimately upbeat lyrics. Their purpose is to put out songs that address world poverty or environmental issues rather than lending their music to advertisements.
Coldplay is one of the most successful bands of the 21st century, selling millions of records worldwide, earning numerous major awards, touring all around the world, and garnering recognition and praise from music scholars all over the world. The band is mainly known for its most popular songs “Speed of Sound” and the 2 grammy award-winning songs “Clocks” and their 2008 single “Viva La Vida”. In an interview with Maclean's magazine, Coldplay guitarist Jon Buckland explains that “connection to listeners on an emotional level is the most important thing in music for us. We're not the cool, detached kind of people; we're passionate about what we're doing." In this interview, Coldplay also said "We were trying to say that there is an alternative. That you can try to be catchy without being slick, poppy without being pop, and you can be uplifting without being pompous... We wanted to be a reaction against soulless rubbish”.
Song introduction:
The song I chose to do is called “Everyday Life” by Coldplay. “Everyday Life” shares the name of their upcoming album. Their album has a comforting and hopeful perspective on life, despite all its imperfections, there massage is to focus on the experience and hope that can be found in it. Chris Martin says that this record is very personal to him and it has no filter. An important message that he said, was after receiving a bunch of hate he realized that you should be the best you can possibly be and not worrying about what every buddy thinks of you because you can’t please everyone. Everyday Life is about how life is often draining and difficult for people. This song paints a picture of how there is beauty in the good and bad of everyday life and the struggles of life in a different light. The lyrics describe how we are all connected through the feeling that every human being has felt of some form of pain, failure, or sadness which we all share in common.
Song Analysis:
Coldplay says that the album “It’s all about just being human,” frontman Chris Martin told Annie Mac on BBC Radio 1. “Every day is great and every day is terrible…It just feels kind of free, there’s so much life bursting out on the planet.” They talk about how their album “Everyday Life” is their reaction to the perceived negativity that’s everywhere, and although there is a lot of struggle and pain in the world there is also positivity and “so much great life happening”. They say that “So in a way, it’s just trying to make sense of things, saying what we feel and what we see.”
“Verse 1
What in the world are we going to do?
Look at what everybody's going through
What kind of world do you want it to be?
Am I the future or history?
The lyrics ask what we as people are going to do about the state of the world. There is so much that can be fixed. He asks us to “look at what everybody’s going through” and help make the world more like what we know it should be. In asking if he is “the future or the history” he’s asking if he can help change the world or if it will only get worse.
Chorus 1
'Cause everyone hurts
Everyone cries
Everyone tells each other all kinds of lies
Everyone falls
Everybody dreams and doubts
Got to keep dancing when the lights go out
Chorus 1 explains why we should care about making the world better. It’s filled with people who are in pain, who grieve, who struggle, and who may lie and doubt, but who dream and hope too. Humanity is united in our shared experiences. And he tells us that through whatever we go through, whatever we may face, we need to hold fast to hope and “keep dancing when the lights go out.”
Verse 2
How in the world am I going to see
You as my brother
Not my enemy?
In the second verse he is not addressing humanity, but a specific person or group of people. To make the world a better place you have to change things in your own life.
Chorus 2
'Cause everyone hurts
Everyone cries
Everyone sees the color in each other's eyes
Everyone loves
Everybody gets their hearts ripped out
Got to keep dancing when the lights go out
Gonna keep dancing when the lights go out
Hold tight for everyday life
Hold tight for everyday life
The second chores complete the idea of the first. Instead of pointing out that people sometimes lie, he says that “everyone sees the color in each other’s lies,” instead of saying that “everyone falls”, he says that “everyone loves.” This focuses on humanity’s beauty which, adds to the thought that while we share in one another’s sorrow and grief, we also share in the same joys and happiness.
Outro
At first light
Throw my arms out open wide
Hallelujah
Yes
In these lyrics, we are told that hope is worth hanging on to. He sees that the world is getting better. The beauty “ at first light” makes him “throw his arm out open wide” and sings “hallelujah.” In “everyday life” he finds joy.
Conclusion:
“Everyday Life,” tells people that you can hope for the future because good does exist and that you aren’t alone. Even though things may be challenging now, the beauty and value of everyday life will come back, and that it is worth the wait. This album and the song talks about how the world does need change but you can help by having hope and by focusing on what unites us rather than what divided us. This song and album will forever inspire me to be the best version of myself and to live life with kindness, patience, and gratitude and to see the good in things rather than seeing all negative. And to take care of the environment you live in because it might never be the same if we don’t.
Sources
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Anderson, Arielle. “What Does ‘Everyday Life’ by Coldplay Mean?” The Pop Song Professor, The Pop Song Professor, 10 Nov. 2019, www.popsongprofessor.com/blog/2019/11/10/what-does-everyday-life-by-coldplay-mean.
/* custom css */.tdi_83_51f .tdb-author-name-wrap{ align-items: baseline; }.tdi_83_51f .avatar{ width: 20px; height: 20px; margin-right: 6px; , et al. “Coldplay's Chris Martin Explains the Inspiration behind New Tracks 'Orphans' and 'Arabesque' and New Album 'Everyday Life': NME.” NME Music News, Reviews, Videos, Galleries, Tickets and Blogs | NME.COM, 24 Oct. 2019, www.nme.com/news/music/coldplays-chris-martin-explains-inspiration-behind-new-tracks-orphans-arabesque-new-album-everyday-life-2560487.
Cerio, Michael. Coldplay Shares Unlikely Inspiration Behind 'Everyday Life', 22 Nov. 2019, www.radio.com/music/alternative/coldplay-shares-unlikely-inspiration-behind-everyday-life.
Photos
/* custom css */.tdi_83_f4e .tdb-author-name-wrap{ align-items: baseline; }.tdi_83_f4e .avatar{ width: 20px; height: 20px; margin-right: 6px; , et al. “Coldplay Rumoured to Be Releasing ‘Experimental’ New Album next Month: NME.” NME Music News, Reviews, Videos, Galleries, Tickets and Blogs | NME.COM, 14 Oct. 2019, www.nme.com/news/music/coldplay-rumoured-releasing-experimental-new-album-next-month-2556801.
“Coldplay: Live 2012.” The Movie Database, www.themoviedb.org/movie/140405-coldplay-live-2012/images/backdrops.
Seddy. “Coldplay Photo: Mylo Xyloto Tour [December 9, 2011].” Fanpop, www.fanpop.com/clubs/coldplay/images/27765910/title/mylo-xyloto-tour-december-9-2011-photo.
Google Images, Google, www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.miraclefoundation.org%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2016%2F11%2FColdplay.png%2Ccoldplay.
Sparks, Hannah. “Coldplay Postpones New Album Tour over Carbon Footprint Concerns.” New York Post, New York Post, 21 Nov. 2019, nypost.com/2019/11/21/coldplay-postpones-new-album-tour-over-carbon-footprint-concerns/.
Rowley, Glenn. “Coldplay Preaches Humanity in Global 'Everyday Life' Video: Watch.” Billboard, 9 Dec. 2019, www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop/8545788/coldplay-everyday-life-video-watch.
/* custom css */.tdi_83_5e2 .tdb-author-name-wrap{ align-items: baseline; }.tdi_83_5e2 .avatar{ width: 20px; height: 20px; margin-right: 6px; , et al. “Coldplay's New Songs 'Orphans' and 'Arabesque' – Reviewed.” NME Music News, Reviews, Videos, Galleries, Tickets and Blogs | NME.COM, 24 Oct. 2019, www.nme.com/blogs/nme-blogs/coldplay-orphans-arabesque-track-reviews-2560714.
Teddy. “Coldplay Photo: Mylo Xyloto Tour [December 9, 2011].” tt11417594/mediaviewer/rm4215308545.
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