Released: 2008
Coldplay’s ‘Viva La Vida’ is all about the rise and fall of power. The narrator used to be a ruler but now is left alone, reflecting on their lost glory and mistakes.
The opening lines, ‘I used to rule the world / Seas would rise when I gave the word,’ set the stage for a once-powerful figure. This ruler had immense control but now ‘sleeps alone’ and ‘sweeps the streets’ they used to own.
In the verse ‘I used to roll the dice / Feel the fear in my enemy’s eyes,’ the narrator reminisces about their power. The crowd’s chant ‘long live the king’ signifies a transition of power, emphasizing how fleeting power can be.
‘One minute I held the key / Next, the walls were closed on me’ shows the sudden downfall. The ‘pillars of salt and pillars of sand’ symbolize a weak foundation, suggesting their power was built on unstable grounds.
The chorus with ‘Jerusalem bells a-ringing / Roman cavalry choirs are singing’ invokes a sense of grandeur. ‘Be my mirror, my sword and shield’ implies a desire for support and protection, while ‘missionaries in a foreign field’ represents spreading influence.
The line ‘For some reason, I can’t explain / Once you’d gone, there was never / Never an honest word’ suggests betrayal or deception after losing power. This marks the turning point of their reign.
The next verse paints a chaotic picture with ‘It was a wicked and wild wind / Blew down the doors to let me in.’ The narrator acknowledges how people were shocked by their rise and subsequent fall, and how revolutionaries now want them gone.
The haunting question ‘Oh, who would ever want to be king?’ reflects on the burdens of leadership. The repeated chorus further emphasizes the narrator’s longing for their lost power and the realization that their rule was dishonest.
In the final lines, ‘I know Saint Peter won’t call my name / Never an honest word / But that was when I ruled the world,’ there’s a sense of regret and acceptance. The narrator knows they won’t be remembered fondly, yet they can’t help but miss their former glory.
