Coldplay is a British alternative rock and britpop band formed in London in… Read Full Bio ↴Coldplay is a British alternative rock and britpop band formed in London in 1997. They consist of vocalist and pianist Chris Martin, guitarist Jonny Buckland, bassist Guy Berryman, drummer Will Champion and creative director Phil Harvey. They met at University College London and began playing music together from 1996 to 1998, initially calling themselves Starfish. Coldplay's music incorporates elements of soft rock, pop rock, piano rock, and post-britpop.

After independently releasing an extended play, Safety (1998), Coldplay signed with Parlophone in 1999. The band's debut album, Parachutes (2000), included their breakthrough single "Yellow" and received a Brit Award for British Album of the Year, a Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album and a Mercury Prize nomination. Their second album, A Rush of Blood to the Head (2002), won the same accolades and included "Clocks", which earned a Grammy Award for Record of the Year. In 2005, they released X&Y; the album was marked by a troubled production and various delays, completing what the band considered a trilogy as well. Coldplay's fourth effort, Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends (2008), received a Grammy Award for Best Rock Album and their first Album of the Year nomination, while its title track was the first British group song to reach number-one in the United Kingdom and United States simultaneously in the 21st century. Both X&Y and Viva la Vida were the best-selling albums of their respective years, topping the charts in more than 30 countries each.

Since then, Coldplay further diversified their sound with the subsequent releases Mylo Xyloto (2011), Ghost Stories (2014), A Head Full of Dreams (2015), Everyday Life (2019) and Music of the Spheres (2021). Each album presented a unique theme and added new musical styles to the band's original repertoire, including electronica, ambient, pop, R&B, funk, classical, jazz fusion, and progressive rock. They are also known for "euphoric" live performances, which NME said are when the band "come alive and make the most sense". To celebrate their 20th anniversary in 2018, a career-spanning documentary directed by Mat Whitecross was premiered at selected cinemas, featuring previously unseen behind-the-scenes footage.

With 100 million albums sold worldwide, Coldplay are the most successful band of the 21st century and one of the best-selling music acts of all time. According to Fuse, they are also the sixth-most awarded group in history. Other notable achievements include the seventh-highest-grossing tour of all time, three of the 50 highest-selling albums ever in the United Kingdom, the most number-one records in the country without ever missing the top, most nominations and wins for a band in Brit Awards history, and becoming the first British group to debut at number-one on the Billboard Hot 100. Coldplay are considered one of the most influential bands of the 21st century as well, with Forbes describing them as the standard for the current alternative scene. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame included A Rush of Blood to the Head on their "200 Definitive Albums" list and the single "Yellow" is part of their "Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll" exhibition for being one of the most successful and important recordings in the industry. In spite of their popularity and impact, Coldplay have earned a reputation as polarizing music icons.

Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coldplay

Swallowed in the Sea
Coldplay Lyrics

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You cut me down a tree
And brought it back to me
And that's what made me see
Where I was going wrong

You put me on a shelf
And kept me for yourself
I can only blame myself

You can only blame me

And I could write a song
A hundred miles long
Well, that's where I belong
And you belong with me

And I could write it down
Or spread it all around
Get lost and then get found
Or swallowed in the sea

You put me on a line
And hung me out to dry
And darling that's when I
Decided to go to see you

You cut me down to size
And opened up my eyes
Made me realize
What I could not see

And I could write a book
The one they'll say that shook
The world, and then it took
It took it back from me

And I could write it down
Or spread it all around
Get lost and then get found
And you'll come back to me
Not swallowed in the sea

Ooh...

And I could write a song
A hundred miles long
Well, that's where I belong
And you belong with me

The streets you're walking on
A thousand houses long
Well, that's where I belong
And you belong with me

Oh what good is it to live
With nothing left to give
Forget but not forgive
Not loving all you see

All the streets you're walking on
A thousand houses long
Well that's where I belong
And you belong with me
Not swallowed in the sea

You belong with me
Not swallowed in the sea
Yeah, you belong with me
Not swallowed in the sea

Overall Meaning

In "Swallowed in the Sea," Coldplay's frontman Chris Martin is feeling small and insignificant, realizing that he's been cut down to size and hung out to dry by a lover who has left him. He compares himself to a tree that's been cut down, only to be brought back by his lover and set on a shelf as a reminder of their love. But he knows that he can only blame himself for allowing his lover to objectify him and keep him in their grasp.

Despite the heartbreak, Martin finds solace in the power of words and music. He knows that he belongs in a world of endless creativity and expression, where he can write a song or a book that will shake the world and make it take notice. But he's also aware of the danger in sharing his creative work too widely, risking getting lost and swallowed up by the endless sea of art and ideas. Throughout the song, Martin longs for his lover to return and join him in this creative realm, where they can live and thrive together, rather than being swallowed up in the sea of mundane life.

Overall, "Swallowed in the Sea" is a thoughtful meditation on the power and limits of love, creativity, and personal agency. It shows the fragility of the human heart and the resilience of the human spirit, as Martin recognizes his own shortcomings but also finds the strength to keep moving forward and pursuing his passions.

Line by Line Meaning

You cut me down a tree And brought it back to me And that's what made me see Where I was going wrong
Someone helped the singer see their mistakes and showed them what they were doing wrong.

You put me on a shelf And kept me for yourself I can only blame myself You can only blame me
The singer was put on hold while the other person took control of the relationship, and both parties are responsible for the outcome.

And I could write a song A hundred miles long Well, that's where I belong And you belong with me
Music is where the singer feels most comfortable, and they want their partner to be a part of it with them.

And I could write it down Or spread it all around Get lost and then get found Or swallowed in the sea
The artist could make their feelings public or keep them private, and the outcome could go either way.

You put me on a line And hung me out to dry And darling that's when I Decided to go to sea
The other person left the artist to fend for themselves, and they decided to leave and take their chances in the world.

You cut me down to size And opened up my eyes Made me realize What I could not see
The other person made the singer feel vulnerable but also helped them see things they were blind to before.

And I could write a book The one they'll say that shook The world, and then it took It took it back from me
The singer could create something great that would make a difference, but it could also be taken away from them.

The streets you're walking on A thousand houses long Well, that's where I belong And you belong with me
The environment the partner is in is familiar and comfortable to the artist, and they want their partner to feel at home with them in that space.

Oh what good is it to live With nothing left to give Forget but not forgive Not loving all you see
The artist questions the point of living if there is nothing left to contribute or if a person cannot forgive and love others fully.

Oh the streets you're walking on A thousand houses long Well that's where I belong And you belong with me Not swallowed in the sea
The artist and their partner belong together, in the familiar environment of where the partner is from, but they do not want to get lost in the chaos of life.

You belong with me Not swallowed in the sea Yeah, you belong with me Not swallowed in the sea
The singer reiterates that their partner fits with them and their surroundings, but they do not want their partner to get lost in the challenges of life.

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

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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