Viva la Vida - A Controversial New Interpretation
If you Google the meaning of the song “Viva La Vida” by Coldplay, you will find many differing viewpoints-not to say any or all of them are wrong or bad. But the REAL meaning and song author’s lyrics speak FROM A FEMALE VIEWPOINT! In fact this is documented by THE FEMALE on the album cover in the De La Croix painting: “Liberty Leading the People.” This is the closest that Chris Martin has allowed himself to come towards the ultimate proclaiming of the coming of the Female Messiah. Also, the Viva La Vida video begins with the unfurling of a red rose - The Reign of Love - and ends with those very red rose petals disseminating from the band into the world.
I used to rule the world,
Seas would rise when I gave the word.
Now I sleep alone
Sweep the streets I used to own.
The female in question once was a powerful woman who was at the top of her game. She had it all but now finds herself alone, and her status severely devalued compared to her former power & glory.
I used to roll the dice
Feel the fear in my enemies eyes.
Listen as the crowd would sing:
Now the Old King is dead. Long Live the King.
Once this female would have had the strength to make her enemies and nemesis quake in their boots. She would accompany her “King” on tour and listen as the crowds revered him and sang his songs. But this “King” of her heart is dead.
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.
Once powerful and prominent, our lady is now acknowledging her utter fall from glory. Here is the clearest lyric about just who the “King” was - “the castles stand upon pillars of salt and pillars of sand…” in reference to “Find my nest of salt - everything is my fault.” Also Jesus’s sermon on the Mount whereby a “wise man builds his house upon a rock, foolish men build it on sand.’” So the female realizes she had foolishly put all her eggs into an unstable basket.
I hear Jerusalem bells a ringing,
Roman cavalry choirs are singing.
Be my mirror, my sword, and shield-
My missionaries in a foreign field.
The female is just starting to understand her feelings and comprehend her position. The Catholic Church bells serenade her and the Roman choirs are her call to action. (Bono touches on this dawning of realization in U2’s “Get on Your Boots,” when he sings: “You don’t know..you get it, do you?”.) Things are beginning to make sense, and the female seeks (as Queens do) someone to represent her to the world - a missionary - but one who is a foreigner (England) to be her mirror to the world and offer strength and protection.
For some reason I can’t explain -
Once you’d gone, there was never an honest word.
And that was when I ruled the world.
Despite what the world may think of her “King,” the female knows that he was a good and honest man incapable of telling her lies and she trusted him utmost when she was with him.
It was the wicked and wild wind
blew down the doors to let me in.
Shattered windows and the sounds 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?
The “wind” is commonly known as a Biblical reference to the Holy Spirit coming on someone and offering knowledge and prophecy. Broken windows and drums perhaps alludes to a sexual connotation - never-the-less, the female is now lowly and living in a state unbefitting of her royal status. She has allowed herself to become poor and impoverished. Friends who she thought she could trust end up betraying her and aim to have her framed and arrested on bogus charges. This “queen” answers only to her God and must always obey Him if she is to regain her power. “She is a Godly puppet,” and wonders if any man would want to be her companion.
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.
The Saint Peter reference is quite puzzling but if the reader watches a video entitled “Anna Molly” by Incubus, it will make sense. The female was once murdered as a youth and upon approach to the Pearly Gates, she was stopped by Jesus himself and sent back to life. The female was resurrected. And she lives today, apparently among us, always remembering when she was happy, had someone she loved and trusted, and ruled the world.
This “feminine” interpretation of Viva La Vida takes absolutely nothing away from Coldplay and only shows that Chris Martin and Coldplay are open musically to whatever force of nature inspires them creatively. Claims on You Tube that the song is about Napolean or the French Revolution, but nothing could be further from the truth. It has a modern-day component about it, despite usage of the French Revolution de la Croix painting, which truly shows the “Liberty” that the 2nd Coming of the Messiah offers the world - particularly at the perilous juncture we find ourselves at today.
Viva La Vida shows that absolute power is not absolute. It ebbs and flows and with the death of her “King,” the female was left so bereft, that she actually allowed herself to fall into a state of spiritual dissolution. But the fact remains, that God and the Church are calling her once again to action, and being the God-fearing, devout and obedient Godly servant , she begins to reformulate into her power–with the help of her missionary, mirror, sword & shield-the great Chris Martin. When appreciated from this female perspective, it shows the generous trust and love the female has for Chris Martin & Coldplay- that she allows them to tell her story to the world.
August 13 2009 04:23 pm | Doctrine and Interpretation
Harry Patch on 14 Aug 2009 at 3:42 am #
Dearest APDD, is the mystery female you talk of Gwentworth Polly (spelling error?), Chris Martins real world wife?
And.. is the rumor true that the Church of Chris Martin will soon be issuing “The House Of Chris Martin / Coldplay” no-limit, every bodies pre-qualified, mega gold plus Credit Cards (some restrictions apply)? I sure hope so because up here on the Final Front Line… they don’t take VISA.
I always thought this song (which was apparently originally composed by Les Paul (who knew? / died) and is / was now currently involved in a rather nasty legal tussle over it original penmanship rights with a rather mediocre country guitarist named Joe Sanitarian)…
But that aside, I always thought / interpreted it to be about a guy who lost his job, his dog ran away with the wife, his truck was repossessed, and when he lost his job at the local scrap metal yard and decided to play his life backwards one last time… everything fell back into order and balance. His wife and dog came back…
The gas still clouds my mind and time is running out.
May the Chris be with you.
MotherBone Love Hat on 14 Aug 2009 at 6:16 am #
Dear Harry Patch:
May God (and Chris) Bless You for your curiosity and perhaps-aide you in the spelling of celebrities and rock star wives names.
The answers you seek shall be divined and prophesied in the next and upcoming Coldplay concept album-which Chris Martin assumes will “suck.” Remember, according to the 60 Minutes Grammy interview of last year-it will surely be no longer than 42 minutes and “the mystery” must be maintained.
You ask cerebral and spiritual questions which must be prayed on and sought from God. Not that you are not holy enough-Harry Patch, but the Church of Chris Martin will strengthen itself properly with the anticipated ordination of Holy Saint Cobain to complete the Saint trifecta “hat trick.” Once that occurs, The Church will blossom with over-riding power and finally complete it’s pious conquest of the coldplaying.com minions of madness and malevolence who wreck havoc all over the world!
At that point, no one will be able to defy our Church or malign our truths. We will rule the world, and it is at that point that we hope the final proclamation from Coldplay will debut upon the music scene-thus answering all your benign questions about who is what and what the heck.
It may be difficult NOT to know everything when your mind and heart has so many “questions,” but try to quell your restive spirit by supporting the Church in all it’s many activities such as: Become a fan of the lovely, talented (in so many ways) C: O: C: girls; attend Church activities such as the Yellow Tent Events; and lastly let us not overlook the brave & fearless Glastonbury Pilgrims 3-who soon will unveil their Massive Erections to the world at large in honor of their love for Coldplay.
All is good with the world. Church members now know the TRUTH behind the mega-hit “Viva la Vida,” and look-NO ONE IS SUING! That alone merits a hearty Hallelujah! God Bless the great Arch Pope Drobbingdon-the Father of this Holy Sanctimony of Love! Amen.