During the writing of "Clocks", the band had already made 10 songs for the album. With this, they thought it was too late for the song's inclusion in the album. So, they recorded a demo version of the track and saved it with other unfinished tracks, labeling it "Songs for #3"; the band considered these tracks for their third album, X&Y.
Although the band left "Clocks" unfinished, a friend of Martin heard of it and convinced him to finish the track. Marked by its lyrics which speak of urgency, Martin's friend pointed out that its meaning would contradict Martin's idea of stashing the track.
Persuaded by his friend, Martin assumed on further developing the track. Other band members supplemented their ideas on the main piano track; they added a bass figure and drums. The last song included in the album, Coldplay recorded the song very fast. By the time Martin recorded his vocals, a few people inside the studio felt the song "is something special". According to Martin, "Clocks" was inspired by the English rock band Muse.
__________________________________________
MUSIC
__________________________________________
"Clocks" is a piano rock song. Its musicscape is built around a repeating piano riff, and features a minimalist soundscape of drums and bass. It also includes synthesizers and a sparse string arrangement.
The song's lyrical themes include contrast, contradictions and urgency. Chris Martin sings of being in the state of "helplessness ... in a dysfunctional relationship he doesn't necessarily want to escape". The lyrics are cryptic; the ending lines of the second verse emphasize contradiction of emotion: "Come out upon my seas/Cursed missed opportunities/Am I a part of the cure/Or am I part of the disease?".The song's title also "metaphorically alludes" to its lyrics, "pushing one to wonder about the world’s obsession with time while connecting it to the theory: make the best of it when we’re here, present and alive".
This won the Grammy for 2003 Record Of The Year. In accepting the award, lead singer Chris Martin dedicated it to the late Johnny Cash and to US presidential candidate John Kerry, "Who hopefully will be your president someday."
Clocks
Coldplay Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Tides that I tried to swim against
Have brought me down upon my knees
Oh I beg, I beg and plead, singing
Come out of the things unsaid
Shoot an apple off my head and a
Trouble that can't be named
You are, you are
Confusion that never stops
The closing walls and the ticking clocks gonna
Come back and take you home
I could not stop, that you now know, singing
Come out upon my seas
Cursed missed opportunities am I
A part of the cure
Or am I part of the disease, singing
You are, you are
You are, you are
You are, you are
And nothing else compares
And nothing else compares
And nothing else compares
You are, you are
Home, home, where I wanted to go
Home, home, where I wanted to go
Home, home, where I wanted to go (You are)
Home, home, where I wanted to go (You are)
The lyrics to Clocks by Coldplay contains a lot of imagery referencing time, confusion, and desperation. The line "The lights go out and I can't be saved" portrays a sense of being lost and helpless, as if the singer is in a state of chaos and confusion. The following lines "Tides that I tried to swim against, have brought me down upon my knees, Oh I beg, I beg and plead" continues to paint a picture of a struggle and begs for help.
The chorus "Come out of things unsaid, shoot an apple off my head and trouble that can't be named, a tiger's waiting to be tamed" talks about a sense of frustration and desperation, as if the singer is willing to do anything to get out of their current situation. The line "a tiger's waiting to be tamed" can also be interpreted as opportunities or challenges waiting to be conquered.
The second verse talks more about the walls closing in and the unstoppable passage of time. The chorus is repeated again and the line "And nothing else compares" is an acknowledgement that despite the hardships, there is still something valuable at the end of the struggle, represented by the repeated use of the phrase "You are".
The final repetition of "Home, home, where I wanted to go" suggests that the struggle has been endured and the singer has found a sense of home, whether it be a physical home or a state of mind.
Line by Line Meaning
The lights go out and I can't be saved
The singer feels lost, stuck in darkness, and helpless, unable to find a way out of their situation.
Tides that I tried to swim against / Have brought me down upon my knees
Despite the singer's efforts to resist the forces pushing against them, they have been overwhelmed and humbled by their circumstances.
Oh I beg, I beg and plead, singing
The singer is expressing deep desperation for help and relief from their struggles.
Come out of the things unsaid / Shoot an apple off my head and a / Trouble that can't be named / A tiger's waiting to be tamed, singing
The artist is willing to confront their emotional and psychological challenges, taking risks to overcome their hidden struggles.
You are, you are
The subject of the artist's expressions of desperation and hope is the person they are addressing directly.
Confusion that never stops / The closing walls and the ticking clocks gonna / Come back and take you home / I could not stop, that you now know, singing
The singer is fearful of being trapped by their uncertainties and running out of time while urging their companion to take action, warning that it may eventually be too late.
Come out upon my seas / Cursed missed opportunities am I / A part of the cure / Or am I part of the disease, singing
The singer is asking for their company to join them in battling the factors that have held them back, while also questioning whether they are part of the solution or part of the problem.
And nothing else compares / And nothing else compares / And nothing else compares / You are, you are
The artist is expressing that their companion is their most essential element and nothing else can rival their importance.
Home, home, where I wanted to go / Home, home, where I wanted to go / Home, home, where I wanted to go (You are) / Home, home, where I wanted to go (You are)
The artist is longing to return to a place of comfort and stability with their companion, expressing that this person represents their true home.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: GUY RUPERT BERRYMAN, JONATHAN MARK BUCKLAND, WILLIAM CHAMPION, CHRISTOPHER ANTHONY JOHN MARTIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@aaronnate2980
Lyrics
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, singing
Come out of the things unsaid
Shoot an apple off my head and a
Trouble that can't be named
A tiger's waiting to be tamed, singing
You are, you are
Confusion that never stops
The closing walls and the ticking clocks gonna
Come back and take you home
I could not stop, that you now know, singing
Come out upon my seas
Cursed missed opportunities am I
A part of the cure
Or am I part of the disease, singing
You are, you are
You are, you are
You are, you are
And nothing else compares
And nothing else compares
And nothing else compares
You are, you are
Home, home, where I wanted to go
Home, home, where I wanted to go
Home, home, where I wanted to go (You are)
Home, home, where I wanted to go (You are)
Written by Guy Rupert Berryman, Jonathan Mark Buckland, William Champion, Christopher Anthony John Martin • Copyright © Universal Music Publishing Group
@kathamann9729
I was pulling into the driveway, not quite into the parking lot. I was blasting the piano of this. It was 0530.
3 respiratory therapists that i know and trust implicitly, and 2 coworkers from dietary who keep me fed- all jammed to this.
I then smiled, sans-mask-yet, and parked.
Saw those same RTs; saw my dietary peeps.
My friend in dietary bought me my lunch.
Crab stuffed fish. It. Was. Outstanding!
I said, "I want to hug you so much; I'm hugging you in my heart!"
She said, "Kathleen, it was the least I could do"
We're a team, at my hospital.
I felt special today.
@momspaghetti420
this song makes me feel a feeling i can’t describe
@gingerjohnson6080
Same and my dad always listend ti it 😞
@gazagxrlx2974
I get that from most of Coldplay's songs
@gabrielayarleque1054
Freedom 😌🍃
@raphaelvincentb.averia6300
A high no drugs can give
@elainamyers4896
A feeling of peacefulness
@terribletyto
heard the piano, and a wave of nostalgia hit me like a train
@jordanchung8233
bigger than a train for me
@antoniolobato6115
+Tim Shufflebottom chuck norris + jhon cena for me.
@J4M4R1
more like a bullet train