"Clocks" emerged in conception during the late stages into the production o… Read Full Bio ↴"Clocks" emerged in conception during the late stages into the production of Coldplay's second album, A Rush of Blood to the Head. The band's vocalist, Chris Martin, came in studio late one night. A riff popped up in Martin's mind and wrote it on the piano. Martin presented the riff to the band's guitarist, Jonny Buckland, who then added guitar chords on the basic track.

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.
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MUSIC
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"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 ↴

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
Singin' come out of things un said
Shoot an apple off my head
And a trouble that can't be named
A tiger's waiting to be tamed, singin'

You are
You are

Confusion that never stops
Closing walls and ticking clocks
Gonna come back and take you home
I could not stop that you now know
Singin' come out upon my seas
Cursed missed opportunities
Am I a part of the cure
Or am I part of the disease? Singin'

You are
You are
You are
You are

You are
You are

And nothing else compares
Oh, no, 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
Home, home, where I wanted to go

Overall Meaning

Clocks by Coldplay is a song that deals with themes of confusion, missed opportunities, and the search for meaning in life. The opening line "The lights go out and I can't be saved" is a metaphor for being lost and feeling hopeless. The singer is struggling against a greater force, represented by the "tides" that he has tried to swim against, but which have ultimately "brought him down upon his knees". Despite his desperation, he begs and pleads for a way out of the situation.

Throughout the song, there is a sense of urgency conveyed through the imagery of "closing walls and ticking clocks" that surround the singer. He feels as though time is running out and that he must act quickly to avoid the curse of missed opportunities. In the lines "Am I a part of the cure, or am I part of the disease?" the singer is questioning his own role in the situation. Is he a force for good, or is he contributing to the problem?

The repeated refrain of "You are" is a reminder that the singer is not alone in his struggle. Whether this is directed towards a specific person, or to a higher power, is left to the interpretation of the listener. At its core, Clocks is a song that deals with the search for meaning and purpose in a confusing and sometimes overwhelming world.

Line by Line Meaning

The lights go out and I can't be saved
I feel helpless as I am engulfed by darkness

Tides that I tried to swim against
I fought hard against the forces that pulled me down

Have brought me down upon my knees
I have suffered defeat and am now humbled

Oh, I beg, I beg and plead
I implore desperately for help and salvation

Singin' come out of things un said
I wish for a release from the unspoken secrets that haunt me

Shoot an apple off my head
I am willing to take risks to prove my devotion

And a trouble that can't be named
There is an unnamed problem that is causing me unrest

A tiger's waiting to be tamed, singin'
I am ready to face the challenges that lie ahead

You are
You are the only thing that matters to me

Confusion that never stops
My mind is in a perpetual state of confusion

Closing walls and ticking clocks
I feel trapped by time and circumstance

Gonna come back and take you home
I will return to where you are

I could not stop that you now know
You now know the truth that I could not hide

Singin' come out upon my seas
I want you to confront the challenges I face with me

Cursed missed opportunities
I have regrets about past missed chances

Am I a part of the cure
I wonder if I am a solution to the problems we face

Or am I part of the disease? Singin'
Or if I am the cause of the problems we face

And nothing else compares
You are the only thing that matters to me

Oh, no, nothing else compares
Nothing else can compare to my love for you

Home, home, where I wanted to go
I long to be where my heart is at peace

Home, home, where I wanted to go
I yearn to be in the place I belong

Home, home, where I wanted to go
I desire to be in my true home

Home, home, where I wanted to go
Where I find love, comfort and belonging

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Guy Rupert Berryman, Jonathan Mark Buckland, William Champion, Christopher Anthony John Martin

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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