On 30 November 2011, the song was nominated for a Grammy Award, in the category Best Pop Duo/Group Performance. On 12 February 2012, Coldplay performed "Paradise" live at the RE, along with "Princess of China". At the 2012 MTV Video Music Awards on 6 September, the song won the award for Best Rock Video. Following the 2012 Stanley Cup playoffs on CBC, the song was featured in a yearly finale montage on CBC recapping the Stanley Cup Playoffs as well as British and American television advertisements and trailers for the film Life of Pi, which was nominated for eleven Academy Awards.
Coldplay initially announced that the single's music video would be directed by Hype Williams, but that version was scrapped after shooting and the band decided instead to record a new version directed by long-time collaborator Mat Whitecross. The band called Whitecross just a day before the shooting and the video's concept was finished just hours before the director travelled from London to South Africa. Chris Martin created the video's concept storyline, which was ultimately filmed in the style of a nature documentary. Due to a combination of time constraints in shooting the video and Martin's conceptualization, the elephant suits were intendedly "lo-fi and spontaneous", and the unicycle had to be found in a hurry. The video was released on YouTube on 18 October 2011.
In the video, Chris Martin, dressed as an elephant, escapes from the zoo. He finds an abandoned sharing system bicycle, rides it to Belsize Park London Underground station, and takes the train to Heathrow Airport in an attempt to hitch-hike his way to another country, doing so finally by stowing away inside a suitcase. An aerial shot reveals that his initial destination was Cape Town, South Africa. He is then seen wandering around Johannesburg at one point, walking past Nelson Mandela Bridge and a set of railway tracks in Braamfontein. He then earns enough money, which appears to be ZAR 67.05 (roughly equivalent to GBP 5.34 or US$8.40), by busking on the street, which shows portions of the song's lyrics in sync, to buy a bike; the shopkeeper suggests a unicycle instead. After a seemingly hopeless wander on his new unicycle (in which Martin takes off his elephant head for a second), he comes across three other elephants, who are the rest of Coldplay, playing the song in the veld. Will Champion is dressed as Snorky from the fictional band The Banana Splits, identifiable by his glasses and polka-dot ears. He starts playing with them, and the band eventually play a sell-out stadium concert together, before returning to the veld where they run towards the camera. The video was shot on location in London, Cape Town, the Klein Karoo in the Western Cape and Johannesburg. The zoo that Martin escapes from is Paradise Wildlife Park in Broxbourne, Hertfordshire. The bike shop shown is Woodstock Cycleworks in Woodstock, Cape Town. The concert segment was filmed during Coldplay's Mylo Xyloto Tour concert at the FNB Stadium on 8 October 2011. After performing this song live, the band donned their elephant heads and gloves and pretended to perform as the last minute of the studio recording played. The concertgoers were encouraged to cheer and sing along as if they were actually performing. As of 2023, the video has over 1.796 billion views on YouTube.
Another music video was directed by Shynola, who had directed the video for "Strawberry Swing". The video was intended as the first incarnation for the video before the band came up with the elephant concept. The promo pictures the life of a little girl that comes out from jail. A special video of "Paradise" was created for the 2012 Summer Paralympics and shown between event breaks. This version featured clips of Paralympian Athletes competing in events.
The song was met with positive reviews from the majority of music critics. Billboard gave a positive review calling the track "another slice of hug-warm ecstasy" and gave praise to the "boiling strings, rattling synthesizers, and bass-heavy-beats" saying "it shows they know how to bring a few new tricks to the table". Both Q and Rolling Stone offered similar praise, and also noted that it was another step in the right direction. Altsounds.com gave a similar review remarking that there are "Drums that you would expect in a Rihanna song and melodies you would expect from a band like Friendly Fires and the "oohs" from 3OH!3 is what you first hear. That is, of course, until Chris Martin's vocals come into play and there is no doubt in your mind that this is Coldplay. A wonderful chorus of "para-para-paradise" reminds you just how good they really are. It will remain with you for weeks to come, like that new piece of clothing you just can't get enough of".
Paradise
Coldplay Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But it flew away from her reach
So she ran away in her sleep and dreamed of
Para-para-paradise, para-para-paradise, para-para-paradise
Every time she closed her eyes
When she was just a girl, she expected the world
But it flew away from her reach and the bullets catch in her teeth
Life goes on, it gets so heavy
The wheel breaks the butterfly, every tear a waterfall
In the night, the stormy night, she'd close her eyes
In the night, the stormy night, away she'd fly
And dream of para-para-paradise
Para-para-paradise
Para-para-paradise
(Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh)
She'd dream of para-para-paradise
Para-para-paradise
Para-para-paradise
(Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh, oh-oh)
La-la-la-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la
And so lying underneath those stormy skies
She'd say, "Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh
I know the sun must set to rise"
This could be para-para-paradise
Para-para-paradise
This could be para-para-paradise
(Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh)
This could be para-para-paradise
Para-para-paradise
This could be para-para-paradise
(Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh, oh-oh)
This could be para-para-paradise
Para-para-paradise
This could be para-para-paradise
(Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh, oh-oh)
The lyrics to Coldplay's song "Paradise" are an introspective look at the hopes and disappointments of a girl who once expected the world. As a child, the girl had big dreams and aspirations, but as she grew older, the reality of life crept in, and she struggled to keep up with the demands of the world. The first verse starts with a reminiscence of her childhood dreams, followed by a heartbreak when those dreams flew away from her reach. The second verse speaks of the struggles that the girl is facing as an adult. The bullets that catch in her teeth are perhaps the consequences of the hard choices she has to make, and the weight of her responsibilities that she cannot escape. Life goes on, the wheel keeps turning, and every tear she sheds is like a waterfall that never stops. In the end, the girl finds solace in her dreams of paradise, imagining a better life away from the hardships of reality.
The chorus repeats the phrase "para-para-paradise," used as a refrain to emphasize the girl's dreamlike state. The song's bridge is a moment of introspection, as the girl lies down on a stormy night and contemplates the impermanence of life. She says that the sun must set to rise, acknowledging that every hardship can be overcome with a little hope and optimism. The song ends with a repetition of the chorus, with an added layer of euphoria and exaltation, conveying the message that paradise is within reach if we dare to dream.
Line by Line Meaning
When she was just a girl she expected the world
When she was young, she believed that the world was hers for the taking
But it flew away from her reach
But her dreams seemed to always slip away from her grasp
So she ran away in her sleep
So she would escape in her dreams
Dreamed of para-para-paradise
She would dream of a perfect and peaceful world
Para-para-paradise, para-para-paradise
A place so perfect it needed to be repeated
Every time she closed her eyes
Every time she fell asleep, her mind would wander to this paradise
And the bullets catch in her teeth
But reality can be harsh, and it was difficult for her to hold on to her dreams
Life goes on, it gets so heavy
She struggled to keep her head up with the challenges of life
The wheel breaks the butterfly
The world sometimes hurts the beautiful and fragile things
Every tear a waterfall
Her tears were a never-ending stream
In the night the stormy night she'll close her eyes
In the dark and lonely times, she would close her eyes and dream of that paradise
Away she'd fly
In her dreams, she would escape to that peaceful place
Sing, la la la la la la la la la
She would sing to herself, trying to find happiness even when it is hard
La la la la la la la
Continuing to sing, no matter what
And so lying underneath those stormy skies
As she lay under the stormy skies of reality
She'd say, 'Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
She would tell herself
I know the sun must set to rise'
That things may get worse before they get better
This could be para-para-paradise
But despite all of the hardships, there is still hope for a better life
Para-para-paradise
That perfect world she dreamed of
This could be para, be paradise
This difficult journey could result in paradise
Para-paradise
She believed that the paradise she dreamed of could be real
Lyrics © TuneCore Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group, Peermusic Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Christopher Anthony John Martin, Guy Rupert Berryman, Jonathan Mark Buckland, William Champion, Brian Peter George Eno
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@-elvis-1964
For the english people that not understand what is "Willyrex"
Willyrex is a famous spanish youtuber that plays Minecraft and other games.
In 2011, he made a video singing this song and now its a meme in the spanish community.
The video: https://youtu.be/nugrbr8dvvk
Isn't the official channel because the original video is in private, but its the same video with spanish pronunciation lyrics.
Edit for the spanish people:
Que no soy de ingles soy de españita coño
Edit 2:
Te queremos Willy ❤ Felicidades por María
@Mharizkia
When she was just a girl
She expected the world
But it flew away from her reach so
She ran away in her sleep
And dreamed of
Para-para-paradise, Para-para-paradise, Para-para-paradise
Every time she closed her eyes
When she was just a girl
She expected the world
But it flew away from her reach
And the bullets catch in her teeth
Life goes on, it gets so heavy
The wheel breaks the butterfly
Every tear a waterfall
In the night the stormy night she'll close her eyes
In the night the stormy night away she'd fly
And dreams of
Para-para-paradise
Para-para-paradise
Para-para-paradise
Oh oh oh oh oh oh-oh-oh
She'd dream of
Para-para-paradise
Para-para-paradise
Para-para-paradise
Oh oh oh oh oh oh-oh-oh-oh
Lalalalalalalalalalala
And so lying underneath those stormy skies
She'd say, "oh, ohohohoh I know the sun must set to rise"
This could be
Para-para-paradise
Para-para-paradise
Para-para-paradise
Oh oh oh oh oh oh-oh-oh
This could be
Para-para-paradise
Para-para-paradise
Para-para-paradise
Oh oh oh oh oh oh-oh-oh
This could be
Para-para-paradise
Para-para-paradise
Para-para-paradise
Oh oh oh oh oh oh-oh-oh
@syuriashinegiftbox933
lyrics:- Ooh-ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh
Ooh-ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh
When she was just a girl
She expected the world
But it flew away from her reach
So she ran away in her sleep, and dream of
Para-para-paradise
Para-para-paradise
Para-para-paradise
Every time she closed her eyes
Ooh-ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh
Ooh-ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh
When she was just a girl
She expected the world
But it flew away from her reach
And the bullets catch in her teeth
Life goes on, it gets so heavy
The wheel breaks the butterfly
Every tear, a waterfall
In the night, the stormy night, she'd close her eyes
In the night, the stormy night, away she'd fly
And dream of para-para-paradise
Para-para-paradise
Para-para-paradise
Oh, oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh-oh
She'd dream of para-para-paradise
Para-para-paradise
Para-para-paradise
Oh, oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh-oh
La, la-la, la-la-la
La, la-la, la-la-la
La, la-la, la-la-la, la-la
And so lying underneath those stormy skies
She said, "Oh, oh-oh-oh-oh, I know the sun must set to rise"
This could be para-para-paradise
Para-para-paradise
This could be para-para-paradise
Oh, oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh-oh
This could be para-para-paradise
Para-para-paradise
Para-para-paradise
Oh, oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh-oh
This could be para-para-paradise
Para-para-paradise
Para-para-paradise
Oh, oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh-oh
Ooh-ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh
Ooh-ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh
Ooh-ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh
Ooh-ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh...
@mcdonaldlover9679
Ooh-ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh
Ooh-ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh
When she was just a girl
She expected the world
But it flew away from her reach
So she ran away in her sleep, and dream of
Para-para-paradise
Para-para-paradise
Para-para-paradise
Every time she closed her eyes
Ooh-ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh
Ooh-ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh
When she was just a girl
She expected the world
But it flew away from her reach
And the bullets catch in her teeth
Life goes on, it gets so heavy
The wheel breaks the butterfly
Every tear, a waterfall
In the night, the stormy night, she'd close her eyes
In the night, the stormy night, away she'd fly
And dream of para-para-paradise
Para-para-paradise
Para-para-paradise
Oh, oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh-oh
She'd dream of para-para-paradise
Para-para-paradise
Para-para-paradise
Oh, oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh-oh
La, la-la, la-la-la
La, la-la, la-la-la
La, la-la, la-la-la, la-la
And so lying underneath those stormy skies
She said, "Oh, oh-oh-oh-oh, I know the sun must set to rise"
This could be para-para-paradise
Para-para-paradise
This could be para-para-paradise
Oh, oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh-oh
This could be para-para-paradise
Para-para-paradise
Para-para-paradise
Oh, oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh-oh
This could be para-para-paradise
Para-para-paradise
Para-para-paradise
Oh, oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh-oh
Ooh-ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh
Ooh-ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh
Ooh-ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh
Ooh-ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh...
@highfordays
This Song Gives Me An Unexplainable Feelings
@Silent-ci3ug
Same
@lukenannipieri9760
Bro smae
@NovitaSari-ci7wh
ikr
@bigwithaline
Plural singular nice.
@respawningentertainment7170
This is my first time watching this video (I heard the song but not watched the video)
@andrea_lanteri
0% sex
0% nudity
0% drugs
100% elephants
@enzocondello557
Andrea Lanteri ahahahah
@Tanya-pw2te
Andrea Lanteri elephants are life 🐘
@jonathangauthier9833
Better than other disgusting clips. People listen this not because of nudity but they listen because it's just beatiful. Elephants better than whores