Many years ago, when Drobbingdon founded the Church of Chris Martin, Coldplay had just released AROBTTH. The album was filled with cries of hope for spiritual rebirth, and the expectation of a coming messiah. But two years later, they released X&Y, and the message had become one of salvation.
At some point between the two albums, Chris Martin had become conscious of the fact that he was not waiting for a messiah, he WAS that messiah. Let’s look at the evidence.
(Click the embedded links for fuller exegeses of these songs.)
First, from AROBTTH… God Put A Smile
Where do we go, nobody knows
I’ve gotta say I’m on my way down
Chris feels that life has no meaning. Yet he remains aware of an imminant divinity -
God give me style and give me grace
God put a smile upon my face
A normal person, he is no better and no more informed than the rest of us -
Now when you work it out I’m worse than you
Yeah when you work it out, I want it too
Now when you work out where to draw the line
Your guess is as good as mine…
He’s still looking for lines and meanings in In My Place…
In my place, in my place
Were lines that I couldn’t change
The lines which he could not change are the lines of prophecy in the Old Testament. These appear to predict a coming saviour, or messiah.
I was lost, I was lost
Crossed lines I shouldn’t have crossed
I was lost, oh yeah.
Chris wanders the Earth, (first World Tour!) waiting until the new Messiah appears -
Coldplay were profiled on 60 Minuteslast week, which included a tour around their studio. At one point Chris gestured to a list of band rules, and the camera panned around quickly to show a flash of a piece of paper stuck to the wall.
The CoCM recorded the show on our front-loading VCR and by cleverly using the “pause” button, we have been able to decode and transcribe the list for you. All hail!
Albums no longer than 42 minutes - means we have to write less stuff
We made poverty history. Fair Trade and all that is going well. What’s next? LET’S CURE CANCER!!!1!
Never mention that Chris is going bald ;¬)
While we’re at it, dont mention the “messiah” thing. We don’t want to piss off the Islams. Plus, it really annoys Gwyneth.
Only rip off Radiohead on marketing ideas from now on, IE offering free downloads etc. In Rainbows was rubbish, anyway.
Also, Keane have ruined the falsetto/piano thing forever. Sing in lower voice and maybe try strings or something instead?
Remember the rhythm/drums - less Oasis, more Level 42.
Computers are not recording aids. But they do run the backing tapes we use at gigs, but no-one’s noticed yet SO KEEP IT TO OURSELVES!!
Make the production brilliant, the songs classics and the whole thing totally original. Don’t think anyone’s tried that before.
In my place, in my place
Were lines that I couldn’t change
The lines which he could not change are the lines of prophecy in some of the books in the Old Testament. These appear to predict a coming saviour, or messiah. While Christians believe that Jesus was this Messiah, Jews are still waiting.
I was lost, oh yeah
I was lost, I was lost
Amazing Grace, a traditional hymn - “I was lost but now am found, was blind but now I see.” Interestingly, it was the sweet sound of Coldplay that saved this wretch, too!
Crossed lines I shouldn’t have crossed
The Cross - need I say more? (Also remincent of Ghostbusters.)
I was lost, oh yeah.
Yeah, how long must you wait for it?
Not long. Chris, the Messiah, is with us TODAY. (The Jews are wrong.)
Yeah, how long must you pay for it?
Probably a reference to Christ throwing the money-changers from the Temple. However, some commentators have interprited this as a reference to the increasing popularity of peer-to-peer filesharing programs such as Napster & Kazaa.
Yeah, how long must you wait for it?
Depends on your internet connection, really.
Oh for it
I was scared, I was scared
To me, it sometimes seems that we all bear the scars of modern life. On a deeper level, Chris has been scared by the jags on the crown of thorns and the nails through His hands.
Tired and under prepared
But I wait for it
If you go, if you go
Leave me down here on my own
“Down here” is, of course, to Chris, the Earth. He is looking up to his heavenly home and pleading with God, his Father, to give Him a chance to SAVE UOR SOULS. Consider Christ’s words upon the cross - “My Father, why hast thou forsaken me?”
Then I’ll wait for you (yeah)
Sing it
Please, please, please
Come back and sing to me
To me, me
Come on and sing it out, now, now
Come on and sing it out, to me, me
Come back and sing it
In my place, in my place
Were lines that I couldn’t change
And I was lost, oh yeah,
And here we come to the true meaning of ALL of Coldplay’s songs - OH YEAH. Because while the government, our parents and schoolteachers all say NO to us, Chris affirms and says YEAH. We DO live in a beautiful world.
Many years ago, when Drobbingdon founded the Church of Chris Martin, Coldplay had just released AROBTTH. The album was filled with cries of hope for spiritual rebirth, and the expectation of a coming messiah. But two years later, they released X&Y, and the message had become one of salvation.
