Viva La VidaColdplay is a British alternative rock band formed in London, England in 1998. The group consists of Chris Martin (vocals, piano, guitar), Jonny Buckland (lead guitar), Guy Berryman (bass), and Will Champion (drums). Coldplay has been very successful having sold more than 40 million albums with all of their albums being multi-platinum. Their next release is planned for December of 2009.

Coldplay has been unique in refusing to allow any of their songs to be used for product endorsements turning down multi-million dollar offers from Gatorade, Diet Coke, and The Gap. The group is strongly activist supporting Amnesty International and Oxfam’s ongoing Make Trade Fair campaign. The band claims that 15% of their profits go to charity. The group was outspoken against the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

Coldplay’s most recent album is “Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends”. This album was number 1 everywhere. Virtually every music magazine including Rolling Stone and Spin ranked it among the top 10 albums of the year. The phrase “Viva La Vida” translates into “Long Live Life” which is an interesting combination with the second part of the album’s name. The phrase comes from a painting by Frida Kahlo, the acclaimed 20th century Mexican artist. But the album cover art (shown at upper right) is from an 1830 painting by French artist Eugène Delacroix entitled Liberty Leading the People which commemorates the July Revolution of 1830, which toppled Charles X.

The song “Viva la Vida” has become the band’s highest-charting single. When asked about the song, Guy Berryman said: “It’s a story about a king who’s lost his kingdom, and all the album’s artwork is based on the idea of revolutionaries and guerrillas. There’s this slightly anti-authoritarian viewpoint that’s crept into some of the lyrics and it’s some of the pay-off between being surrounded by governments on one side, but also we’re human beings with emotions and we’re all going to die and the stupidity of what we have to put up with every day. Hence the album title.”

Viva La Vida
I used to rule the world
Seas would rise when I gave the word
Now in the morning I sleep alone
Sweep the streets I used to own

I used to roll the dice
Feel the fear in my enemy’s eyes
Listen as the crowd would sing
“Now the old king is dead! Long live the king!”

One minute I held the key
Next the walls were closed on me
And I discovered that my castles stand
Upon pillars of salt and pillars of sand

I hear Jerusalem bells a ringing
Roman Cavalry choirs are singing
Be my mirror, my sword and shield
My missionaries in a foreign field

For some reason I can’t explain
Once you go there was never
Never an honest word
And that was when I ruled the world

It was the wicked and wild wind
Blew down the doors to let me in
Shattered windows and the sound of drums
People couldn’t believe what I’d become

Revolutionaries wait
For my head on a silver plate
Just a puppet on a lonely string
Oh who would ever want to be king?

I hear Jerusalem bells a ringing
Roman Cavalry choirs are singing
Be my mirror, my sword and shield
My missionaries in a foreign field

For some reason I can’t explain
I know Saint Peter won’t call my name
Never an honest word
But that was when I ruled the world

I hear Jerusalem bells a ringing
Roman Cavalry choirs are singing
Be my mirror, my sword and shield
My missionaries in a foreign field

For some reason I can’t explain
I know Saint Peter won’t call my name
Never an honest word
But that was when I ruled the world