Another Coldplay album, another collection of songs with lyrics that could easily double as self-empowerment mantras. Or painted onto antique plates and sold on Etsy. Or, if we need a cynicism timeout, further confirmation that Chris Martin has reached a level of sincerity we can consistently rely on.
Since the band’s fourth album, 2008’s Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends, Martin has introduced established themes in his lyrics: birds, water, space, what it really means to be human, man. This is all easy fodder for Coldplay detractors, but aside from the fact that the approach is clearly working on a commercial level, I’m going to boldly say: Martin’s predictable anti-pessimism is pleasant, actually. I’ll take two more albums of it! Vanilla tastes good!
Sometimes it’s just fine to listen to a song about how one day you’re going to persevere against haters and experience the magic of love and look at stars like Oscar Wilde. In honor of Coldplay’s just-released MOON MUSiC, let’s take a look at some of Martin’s most rabidly heartfelt, disgustingly earnest lines. As the man himself once sang, “Every siren is a symphony.â€
10.
“iAAM,†MOON MUSiC
Everyone taking aim
Let it rain, let it rain, let it rain
I’ll be back on my feet again
’Cause I am a mountain
“iAAM†checks off numerous Coldplay boxes — a title that reads as the declarative “I am,†lyrics about the sea, a defensive posture — while also sounding like something written explicitly for Minecraft. Equating yourself with a mountain is pretty bold; I am pretty sure one of Earth’s most majestic features does not care about humanity. (If anything, mountains probably hate us for all the trash we keep leaving on them.) Still, this mishmash of meteorological and geological references is assertive and hopeful. Has Martin considered going on The Summit?
9.
“Magic,†Ghost Stories
And if you were to ask me
After all that we’ve been through
“Still believe in magic?â€
Oh, yes, I do
Martin often frames love as a mysterious transformation that defies the rules of reality. These lyrics read “Hallmark card that a husband picked up for his wife after forgetting their anniversary,†but are still fairly charming. Doesn’t everyone want to think their relationship defies established laws of time and space? (Also, can someone please attend a magic show with Martin and record his reactions? This man would probably lose his mind at some simple sleight-of-hand and collapse with gratitude during a Prestige-style scenario.)
8.
“Hurts Like Heaven,†Mylo Xyloto
Written up in marker on a factory sign
“I struggle with the feeling that my life isn’t mineâ€
It’s so cold, it’s so cold
It’s so cold, it’s so cold
Here Chris Martin does flimsy Bruce Springsteen cosplay, writing about the disaffection of the working class. We must include because of the overall sentiment, but “written up in marker on a factory sign†is surprisingly vague. Is the sign in the factory? Is it a sign for a factory? This is not your lane, my guy.
7.
“How You See the World,†X&Y
Do you wanna talk about it?
Oh, you’re gonna get it right sometime
Is there something missing?
Is nobody listening?
This is more like it. Existential loneliness that reads like a therapist’s prompt is where Martin shines. Do you want to talk about it? Do you feel like there’s something missing? Do you think nobody’s listening? You’re not alone! “How You See the World†has so many earnest lines it evokes a Philip Jennings EST meeting.
6.
“Everything’s Not Lost,†Parachutes
’Cause my head just aches when I think of
The things that I shouldn’t have done
But life is for livin’, we all know
And I don’t wanna live it alone
Life is for living, Chris. So true!
5.
“Politik,†A Rush of Blood to the HeadÂ
Give me time and give me space
Give me real, don’t give me fake
Give me strength, reserve control
Give me heart and give me soul
Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends was when Coldplay really began to turn toward self-help messaging, but the signs were there in 2002’s A Rush of Blood to the Head. The album had one of the band’s definitive yearning love songs (“You don’t know how lovely you are†in “The Scientistâ€), some early metaphorical water (“Tides that I tried to swim against / Have brought me down upon my knees†in “Clocksâ€), and a push into authenticity emphasis. What works so well about “Politik†is how Martin links simple ideas together in a way that feels defining. Time and space; real, not fake; heart and soul — they’re all well-worn concepts, but in “Politik,†they feel both new and revelatory. Martin’s ability to package an arguably obvious notion as an insightful and original thought is going to define the upper half of this list.
4.
“Guns,†Everyday Life
The judgment of this court is we need more guns
StopÂ
Everything’s gone so crazyÂ
Okay, “Guns†isn’t the best reflection of Martin’s particular gift. The sentiment is respectable — gun violence is bad — but the song’s satire feels half-baked because Martin just doesn’t have the sarcastic sensibility needed. Paired with “Hurts Like Heaven,†the limits to Martin’s observational abilities become clear.
3.
“Birds,†A Head Full of Dreams
When you fly, won’t you
Won’t you take me, too?
In this world so cruel
I think you’re so cool
Rhyming “cruel†with “cool†… Chris Martin’s mind. Every middle-schooler brave enough to give their crush a Valentine in front of their peers and open themselves up to judgment deserves their own anthem, and “Birds†is it.
2.
“Humankind,†Music of the Spheres
We’re only human
But we’re capable of kindness
So they call us humankind
The ur-text of Martin and Coldplay’s “can’t everyone just get along?†ideology, a line that would sound right at home in a pot-smoke-filled freshman dorm, coming out of Bill and Ted’s mouths, or uttered by a precocious child. A bit of wordplay so self-satisfied in its whimsy that it circles right around to being appealing, even delightful, in its sense of innocence. Every person who has bought the Coldplay “Everyone is an alien somewhere†merch T-shirt has sung this lyric at the top of their lungs.
1.
“Lost!,†Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends
Just because I’m losin’
Doesn’t mean I’m lost
I’m still a little surprised J.R.R. Tolkien’s estate didn’t sue.
Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated Coldplay’s “iAAM†sampled a Maya Angelou poem. It was actually “ALiEN HiTS/ALiEN RADiO.â€