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
Studio albums
Parachutes (2000)
A Rush of Blood to the Head (2002)
X&Y (2005)
Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends (2008)
Mylo Xyloto (2011)
Ghost Stories (2014)
A Head Full of Dreams (2015)
Everyday Life (2019)
Music of the Spheres (2021)
The World Turned Upside Down
Coldplay Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The land, sea, rivers, trees
The stars, the sky
That and this
We're part of a bigger plan
Don't know what it is
Don't know what it is
The land, sun, trees, the sky
The stars, the sea
Three hundred and sixty five degrees
I am the puzzle, you're the missing piece
Hang on a minute, just a minute, please
I'll come
And everything under the sun
And everything under the sun
What is this feeling that I can't explain?
And why am I never gonna sleep again?
What is this thing I've never seen before?
A little boy lost in a breaking storm
Pilots up, and away they fly
Some write your name in the summer sky
Life has really only just begun
Life, it comes
And everything under the sun
X is why
The land, sea, rivers, trees
The stars, the sky
Three hundred and sixty five degrees
All of the surface and the underneath
Searching the measures in this extra key, ah
And everything under the sun
And everything under the sun
What is this feeling that I can't explain?
And why am I never gonna sleep again?
What is this thing I've never seen before?
A little boy lost in a breaking storm
Pilots up, and away they fly
Some write your name in the summer sky
Life has really only just begun
Life, it comes
And everything under the sun
And you don't know that you've been born
Can't see the calm until the storm
Can't tell your right side from your wrong
Can't see the wave you're riding on...
The lyrics to Coldplay's song The World Turned Upside Down are characteristically enigmatic, as is typical for this band. The song speaks to the idea that as much as we might try to make sense of the world around us, there is still so much that we don't understand. The refrain of "X and why / The land, sea, rivers, trees / The stars, the sky / That and this / We're part of a bigger plan / Don't know what it is / Don't know what it is" speaks to the idea that we are all searching for something greater than ourselves, something that gives meaning to our lives, but that we may never find the answers we seek.
Line by Line Meaning
X and why
We are left puzzled and confused about the events taking place around us, and we do not know the reason behind them
The land, sea, rivers, trees, The stars, the sky, That and this
All the elements that make up our world - from the inanimate objects to celestial bodies - are being affected by the chaos
We're part of a bigger plan, Don't know what it is, Don't know what it is
We are mere players in this game, and we are unaware of the grand scheme of things that is unfolding
You and me, The land, sun, trees, the sky, The stars, the sea, Three hundred and sixty five degrees
All aspects of our lives, from the landscape around us to the people we love, are being affected by the turmoil
I am the puzzle, you're the missing piece, Hang on a minute, just a minute, please, I'll come
We both have a role to play in resolving the chaos, but we need to stop and think before taking action
And everything under the sun, And everything under the sun
Everything that exists in our world is affected by the turmoil, and no one is spared
What is this feeling that I can't explain? And why am I never gonna sleep again? What is this thing I've never seen before? A little boy lost in a breaking storm
We are overwhelmed by the situation and cannot grasp its true nature or how to respond to it
Pilots up, and away they fly, Some write your name in the summer sky, Life has really only just begun, Life, it comes, And everything under the sun
Others are able to remove themselves from the chaos and enjoy the simplicity and beauty of life, but we are still engulfed in the turmoil
All of the surface and the underneath, Searching the measures in this extra key, ah, And everything under the sun, And everything under the sun
We must search every possible angle and aspect in order to understand this chaos and its meaning
And you don't know that you've been born, Can't see the calm until the storm, Can't tell your right side from your wrong, Can't see the wave you're riding on...
We are unable to understand our role or place in the chaos, and cannot distinguish right from wrong, good from bad, or understand the consequences of our actions
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: CHRISTOPHER ANTHONY JOHN MARTIN, GUY RUPERT BERRYMAN, JONATHAN MARK BUCKLAND, WILLIAM CHAMPION
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Alyas Scofield
on Yellow
love it
Jeannie Smith
on A Sky Full of Stars
<3 love it!
Jeannie Smith
on Shiver
Also I'd like to add that this song and some oyher stuff makes me think of The Bee Gees for some reason.
Jeannie Smith
on Shiver
I like this because of Lucy who's knickname is Shivers.
Jeannie Smith
on Speed of Sound
I like all of Coldplay's songs so far. :)
Jeannie Smith
on O
I like this.
Jeannie Smith
on A Sky Full of Stars
love this song <3
Jeannie Smith
on A Sky Full of Stars
Like this!
Kirstine Reville
on Fix You
NICE