Coldplay: Selling Secular Songs of Salvation & Sacrifice
I have to admit that I wasn't very impressed when I heard Coldplay's first single, "Yellow," when it hit the airwaves five or six years ago. I was a hopeless jazzoid at the time; my musical snobbery had elevated to a level of absurdity, wherein I scoffed at anything that lacked syncopation, complex rhythms, and intricate improvisational work.
It wasn't until I had a gig at a wedding reception that I started to listen to the lyrics. The couple had requested that we play the song, and it was easy enough, so set about learning to play it. It was this line that caught my attention: "Your skin & bones turn into something beautiful / You know, for you I'd bleed myself dry." To me, that sounded like something very familiar. "What else could it mean but the death and resurrection of Christ?" I thought to myself, "Or maybe he's referring to the transfiguration, and then the passion." Moreover, the last line is: "Look at the stars, look how they shine for you, and all the things you do." Psalm 19:1 - "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands."
I was intrigued. I listened with an attentive ear, determined to find something that would either solidify my assumptions or negate them. Though I have yet to find either, I have found one thing: the love portrayed in the lyrics of Coldplay songs is often either salvific, sacrificial, or both (though neither ever seem to occur in a spiritual context). Consider fragments from the following songs...
Shiver - "So I look in your direction / But you pay me no attention, do you? / I know you don't listen to me / 'cause you say you see straight through me, don't you?// I'll always be waiting for you" - Describes a patient love that waits despite current disinterest.
Yellow - "You know for you I'd bleed myself dry." - self explanatory
High Speed - "Can anybody fly this thing? / Before my head explodes or my head starts to ring" - Asking for someone with the ability to take control and save from pain/self-destruction
In My Place - "In my place, in my place / Were lines that I couldn't change / I was lost, oh yeah / I was lost, I was lost / Crossed lines I shouldn't have crossed / I was lost, oh yeah / How long must you wait for it? /How long must you pay for it?" - Infers that the author had at some point gone out of the boundaries, acknowledging that he shouldn't have done so; somebody now has to "pay for it." Moreover, these boundaries were beyond his ability to alter.
God Put a Smile Upon Your Face - "Where do I go to fall from grace?"
Clocks - "The lights go out and I can't be saved / Tides that I tried to swim against / Have brought me down upon my knees / Oh I beg, I beg and plead" - First states that he can't be saved, then begs to be saved when on his knees. As an aside, it makes me think of Ephesians 4:14.
Daylight - "To my surprise, and my delight / I saw sunrise, I saw sunlight / I am nothing in the dark / And the clouds burst to show daylight / Ooh and the sun will shine / Yeah on this heart of mine."
Green Eyes - "Honey, you are a rock upon which I stand // I came here with a load / And it feels so much lighter / Now I met you / And honey you should know / That I could never go on without you."
Warning Sign - "So I crawl back into your open arms / Yes I crawl back into your open arms." - Redemptive forgiveness
A Whisper - "Come back and look for me / Look for me when I am lost."
This whole song is salvific, but here's a snippet:
Amsterdam - "Stuck on the end of this ball and chain / And I'm on my way back down again / Stood on the edge, tied to a noose / Sick to my stomach / You can say what you mean / But it won't change a thing / I'm sick of the secrets / Stood on the edge, tied to the noose / You came along and you cut me loose."
That's just the first two albums; that should be enough to prove my point.
Considering this, is it any wonder that Coldplay is an international sensation? Yes, the music in and of itself is quality, and I won't deny that (Brit Rock bands are now among my favs). However, I would argue that their appeal is heightened by their lyrics. People everywhere, all around the world, long for a Savior. As fallen individuals, we crave a love that is sacrificial, that is willing to sacrifice life itself in order for the relationship to be heightened and extended. We want a love that will pull us out of the mess we're in, to cut us loose from the noose we have fitted around our necks.
Jesus Christ is the only one who can truly and supremely display this sacrificial love, and simultaneously pull us out of the depth of our sin. Though it is unlikely to be intentional, Coldplay has profited from the depravity of humankind and our longing for Christlike love by making human relationships a false Christ. This type of love, of course, is a tainted version of the truth, as it is quite clear in many of the previously listed songs that the subject of this relational fulfilment is not divine, but human. This, in turn, furthers the worldwide misconception that human relationships are the epitome of human fulfillment. If only they knew the perfect love of Christ!
It wasn't until I had a gig at a wedding reception that I started to listen to the lyrics. The couple had requested that we play the song, and it was easy enough, so set about learning to play it. It was this line that caught my attention: "Your skin & bones turn into something beautiful / You know, for you I'd bleed myself dry." To me, that sounded like something very familiar. "What else could it mean but the death and resurrection of Christ?" I thought to myself, "Or maybe he's referring to the transfiguration, and then the passion." Moreover, the last line is: "Look at the stars, look how they shine for you, and all the things you do." Psalm 19:1 - "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands."
I was intrigued. I listened with an attentive ear, determined to find something that would either solidify my assumptions or negate them. Though I have yet to find either, I have found one thing: the love portrayed in the lyrics of Coldplay songs is often either salvific, sacrificial, or both (though neither ever seem to occur in a spiritual context). Consider fragments from the following songs...
Shiver - "So I look in your direction / But you pay me no attention, do you? / I know you don't listen to me / 'cause you say you see straight through me, don't you?// I'll always be waiting for you" - Describes a patient love that waits despite current disinterest.
Yellow - "You know for you I'd bleed myself dry." - self explanatory
High Speed - "Can anybody fly this thing? / Before my head explodes or my head starts to ring" - Asking for someone with the ability to take control and save from pain/self-destruction
In My Place - "In my place, in my place / Were lines that I couldn't change / I was lost, oh yeah / I was lost, I was lost / Crossed lines I shouldn't have crossed / I was lost, oh yeah / How long must you wait for it? /How long must you pay for it?" - Infers that the author had at some point gone out of the boundaries, acknowledging that he shouldn't have done so; somebody now has to "pay for it." Moreover, these boundaries were beyond his ability to alter.
God Put a Smile Upon Your Face - "Where do I go to fall from grace?"
Clocks - "The lights go out and I can't be saved / Tides that I tried to swim against / Have brought me down upon my knees / Oh I beg, I beg and plead" - First states that he can't be saved, then begs to be saved when on his knees. As an aside, it makes me think of Ephesians 4:14.
Daylight - "To my surprise, and my delight / I saw sunrise, I saw sunlight / I am nothing in the dark / And the clouds burst to show daylight / Ooh and the sun will shine / Yeah on this heart of mine."
Green Eyes - "Honey, you are a rock upon which I stand // I came here with a load / And it feels so much lighter / Now I met you / And honey you should know / That I could never go on without you."
Warning Sign - "So I crawl back into your open arms / Yes I crawl back into your open arms." - Redemptive forgiveness
A Whisper - "Come back and look for me / Look for me when I am lost."
This whole song is salvific, but here's a snippet:
Amsterdam - "Stuck on the end of this ball and chain / And I'm on my way back down again / Stood on the edge, tied to a noose / Sick to my stomach / You can say what you mean / But it won't change a thing / I'm sick of the secrets / Stood on the edge, tied to the noose / You came along and you cut me loose."
That's just the first two albums; that should be enough to prove my point.
Considering this, is it any wonder that Coldplay is an international sensation? Yes, the music in and of itself is quality, and I won't deny that (Brit Rock bands are now among my favs). However, I would argue that their appeal is heightened by their lyrics. People everywhere, all around the world, long for a Savior. As fallen individuals, we crave a love that is sacrificial, that is willing to sacrifice life itself in order for the relationship to be heightened and extended. We want a love that will pull us out of the mess we're in, to cut us loose from the noose we have fitted around our necks.
Jesus Christ is the only one who can truly and supremely display this sacrificial love, and simultaneously pull us out of the depth of our sin. Though it is unlikely to be intentional, Coldplay has profited from the depravity of humankind and our longing for Christlike love by making human relationships a false Christ. This type of love, of course, is a tainted version of the truth, as it is quite clear in many of the previously listed songs that the subject of this relational fulfilment is not divine, but human. This, in turn, furthers the worldwide misconception that human relationships are the epitome of human fulfillment. If only they knew the perfect love of Christ!
posted by j.ro at 8:33 PM
4 Comments:
That's really interesting. I love Coldplay but must confess I'd not paid such careful attention to the lyrics before.
"Yellow" has aways been a "spiritual" song for me. I was driving home from class at 10 o'clock one night, my first semester in Louisivlle. I had my stereo up loud, and this song was blaring. The stars were out bright that night, and this song all of a sudden became a worship anthem. The biblical references are so clear. It makes me wonder if he was writing them intentionally or if God's common grace just works that way.
Great post. I agree; the popularity of Coldplay is based in large part on their lyrics -- the longing for something more, something Other ... a grace that envelopes and a love that saves.
People have that longing within them, and they respond to it when someone else expresses it.
Good post. I have been wanting to listen to Coldplay. <><
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