Viva La Vida
Aimer Lyrics


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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 enemies 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, my shield
My missionaries in a foreign field
For some reason I can't explain
Once you go there was never, never an honest word
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 (Ooooh)
Ah, 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

Ooooh Ooooh Ooooh Ooooh Ooooh

I hear Jerusalem bells a ringing
Roman cavalry choirs are singing
Be my mirror, my sword, my 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





Oooooooh Oooooooh Oooooooh

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Aimer's version of "Viva La Vida" is a powerful tale of the rise and fall of an individual in power. The beginning of the song speaks of the past where the king ruled the world, with the seas rising and falling upon his command. But now in the present, he is alone, with no one to share his power with. The second verse speaks of how he held the key to his destiny one minute but in the next his world came crashing down around him. As he discovers that his castles were built on pillars of sand, his power and authority crumble, and the people cannot believe what he has become. The chorus of the song, which is repeated several times, speaks of the king's loneliness, and how he hears the ringing of Jerusalem bells and Roman cavalry choirs singing. He yearns for a companion and protector, someone he can trust and look up to, hence the line “Be my mirror, my sword, my shield”.


The last verse provides a somber tone to the song. With the revolutionaries waiting for the king's head on a silver platter, he realizes that he is nothing but a puppet on a string. He longs for a life free of the burden of power, where he could be ordinary like everybody else, without the constant fear of being overthrown. The final chorus speaks of his regret for his past actions, where he knows deep down that Saint Peter won't call his name, and that there was never an honest word spoken when he was in power.


Line by Line Meaning

I used to rule the world
There was a time in my life when I had power over everything.


Seas would rise when I gave the word
At my command, even the forces of nature would obey me.


Now in the morning I sleep alone
Since losing my power, I have lost everything including companionship.


Sweep the streets I used to own
I'm now reduced to sweeping the very streets I once owned and ruled over.


I used to roll the dice
I used to take chances and make decisions on my own, as a leader.


Feel the fear in my enemies eyes
My enemies would tremble in fear when they confronted me, sensing the power that I wielded.


Listen as the crowd would sing: Now the old king is dead, long live the king!
The people would rejoice and cheer at my downfall, as a new ruler rose to take my place.


One minute I held the key
At one time, I held the key to everything, in a position of ultimate power.


Next the walls were closed on me
Suddenly, everything has turned against me and I am trapped, with no escape.


And I discovered that my castles stand Upon pillars of salt, and pillars of sand
My grand achievements were founded on fragile ground, and crumbled away as soon as my power was gone.


I hear Jerusalem bells a ringing
As I reflect on my past, I hear the sounds of religious triumph and power.


Roman cavalry choirs are singing
I recall the majesty and grandeur of ancient Rome, and how their armies once brought civilization to Europe.


Be my mirror, my sword, my shield
I wish for someone or something that can reflect my past glory, protect me from harm and defend my honor.


My missionaries in a foreign field
I once sent devoted people to spread my message and values—even in lands far from my own.


For some reason I can't explain
I don’t know why everything is as it is and why everything’s gone wrong.


Once you go there was never, never an honest word
After falling from the peak of power, no one ever truly speaks their mind or is honest with me anymore.


That was when I ruled the world
My reminiscing leads me back to the time when I was the ruler of everything and everyone.


It was the wicked and wild wind
The disastrous change in my life came as if it was carried on the winds of fate, neither fair nor just.


Blew down the doors to let me in
Perhaps the unexpected changes that happened to me could have been avoided if doors had remained shut rather than being opened for me.


Shattered windows and the sound of drums
The sheer destruction that came with my rise to power is reminiscent of broken glass and the sounds of pounding drums—the price of a conqueror's successful rise.


People couldn't believe what I'd become
The people who knew me before my rise to power could barely fathom the person I had become.


Revolutionaries wait
There are those waiting in the wings to overthrow me.


For my head on a silver plate
These revolutionaries will settle for nothing less than my head on a platter.


Just a puppet on a lonely string (Ooooh)
I'm no longer the master of my own destiny, with others pulling my strings.


Ah, who would ever want to be king?
The price of power may be too high for some, as they see what has become of me, once proud and powerful.


I know Saint Peter won't call my name
I know that my soul is irredeemable, tarnished by my selfish and ruthless ambition.


Oooooooh Oooooooh Oooooooh
The beautiful and haunting melody reminds me of my former glory, the price of which was too high to maintain.




Writer(s): JONATHAN MARK BUCKLAND, CHRISTOPHER ANTHONY JOHN MARTIN, WILLIAM CHAMPION, GUY RUPERT BERRYMAN

Contributed by James C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Most interesting comments from YouTube:

@albinov2724

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
Listened 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
Missionaries in a foreign field
For some reason I can't explain
Once you'd gone there was never
Never an honest word
And that was when I ruled the world

It was a 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 St Peter won't call my name
Never an honest word
But that was when I ruled the world

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 St Peter won't call my name
Never an honest word
But that was when I ruled the world



@user-or5dk5jl4m

I used to rule the world
世界 曾掌控在我手中
Seas would rise when I gave the word
萬物 都聽命於我
Now in the morning I sweep alone
而今 獨自在靜謐早晨
Sweep the streets I used to own
眺望 我曾擁有的世界

I used to roll the dice
一切 曾支配在我手中
Feel the fear in my enemy's eyes
敵軍 皆恐懼於我
Listen as the crowd would sing:
就像 聽見百姓在歡唱
"Now the old king is dead! Long live the king!"
先帝已逝 吾皇萬歲

One minute I held the key
那一瞬間 緊握關鍵之鑰
Next the walls were closed on me
下一秒 城牆出現在眼前
And I discovered that my castles stand
卻發現屬於我的堡壘
Upon pillars of salt and pillars of sand
建立在脆弱的根基之上

I hear Jerusalem bells a ringing
我聽見聖城鐘聲響
Roman Cavalry choirs are singing
羅馬大軍齊聲高歌
Be my mirror my sword and shield
看清自我 握著寶劍 抓緊防備
My missionaries in a foreign field
我的使者 正在遠方國度
For some reason I can't explain
他們的任務 我無法據實以告
Once you go there was never, never an honest word
除非你也到過遠方 否則我不會透露實情
That was when I ruled the world
這就是我的 玩酷人生

It was the wicked and wild wind
狂亂的暴風吹打著
Blew down the doors to let me in.
吹垮了房門 粉碎了門窗
Shattered windows and the sound of drums
跟著戰鼓節拍 走進我的堡壘
People couldn't believe what I'd become
沒人知道 我已傲氣不再

Revolutionaries wait
革命軍在等待
For my head on a silver plate
拿下我的首級
Just a puppet on a lonely string
我只是個孤單木偶 無力地被人操控
Oh who would ever want to be king?
Oh 有誰願意成為 沒有實權的君王

I hear Jerusalem bells a ringing
我聽見聖城鐘聲響
Roman Cavalry choirs are singing
羅馬大軍齊聲高歌
Be my mirror my sword and shield
看清自我 握著寶劍 抓緊防備
My missionaries in a foreign field
我的使者 正前往遠方國度
For some reason I can't explain
他們的任務 我無法據實以告
I know Saint Peter won't call my name
即使威脅我 死後無法進天堂
Never an honest word
我也不會透露實情
But that was when I ruled the world
這就是我的 玩酷人生



All comments from YouTube:

@Bharizab

Didnt think this would actually be a cover, but it is and im happy

@lancelot7346

Same. I really needed this song in my life hehe

@MATTierial

Two questions:
1). Why is this a thing?
2). Why have I never heard this masterpiece cover before?

@johnaaayyy6602

Coldplay?

@MATTierial

@John M. Shaji let me clarify:
1. Why is Aimer covering Coldplay? (would genuinely like to hear the story)
2. Why have I never heard Aimer's cover of this song?

@johnaaayyy6602

@MATTierial 1. Why not? Maybe they just really liked it and thought to cover it.
2. Idk, it's my first time listening to this too.

@ravenfeather5415

@MATTierial
1+2: She had a cover single before becoming an official singer in 2011.

@CrownCrown094

Hotel?

8 More Replies...

@herivelton1973

Okay, I'm hearing a japanese band with a french name singing an english song with a spanish title.

@toseeupload8855

Aimer is a f4ench name?

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