What If?
Coldplay Lyrics

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What if there was no lie?
Nothing wrong, nothing right
What if there was no time?
And no reason, or rhyme
What if you should decide
That you don't want me there by your side
That you don't want me there in your life

What if I got it wrong
And no poem or song
Could put right what I got wrong
Or make you feel I belong

What if you should decide
That you don't want me there by your side
That you don't want me there in you life

Ooh, that's right
Let's take a breath, jump over the side
Ooh, that's right
How can you know it if you don't even try?
Ooh, that's right

Every step that you take
Could be your biggest mistake
It could bend or it could break
But that's the risk that you take

What if you should decide
That you don't want me there in your life
That you don't want me there by your side

Ooh, that's right
Let's take a breath, jump over the side
Ooh, that's right
How can you know when you don't even try?
Ooh, that's right

Oh
Ooh, that's right
Let's take a breath, jump over the side
Ooh, that's right

You know that darkness always turns into light
Ooh, that's right

Overall Meaning

The song "What If?" by Coldplay is about the uncertainty and risk that comes with love and relationships. The lyrics explore the idea of what life would be like if there were no lies, no right or wrong, and no time or reason. The singer questions whether or not he belongs in the life of his loved one and if his mistakes are irreparable. He asks the hypothetical question of what if the person he loves decides they don't want him in their life anymore. The chorus encourages taking a risk and jumping into the unknown, because that is the only way to find out if the relationship will work.

The theme of the lyrics is relatable to anyone who has ever been in a complicated relationship. The song speaks to the uncertainty and doubt that comes with love, which can be scary but also exciting. It encourages people to take a chance on love, even though it may not always work out, because the rewards of true love are worth it.

Line by Line Meaning

What if there was no lie?
Imagine a world where nobody ever lied.

Nothing wrong, nothing right
A world devoid of good or bad; where nothing is considered right or wrong.

What if there was no time?
No constraints of time or deadlines to follow through in life.

And no reason, or rhyme
No particular order or logic in things happening, just things happening randomly.

What if you should decide
What would happen if the person decides something in their life.

That you don't want me there by your side
If the person decides to not include someone by their side anymore.

That you don't want me there in your life
If the person decides to remove someone from their life.

What if I got it wrong
What if the artist has made a mistake.

And no poem or song
No piece of writing or art can correct the mistake that has been made.

Could put right what I got wrong
Nothing can make up or correct the mistake that was made.

Or make you feel I belong
Nothing can make the person feel that the singer belongs to them.

Ooh, that's right
A realization or affirmation of the previous statement.

Let's take a breath, jump over the side
A call to take a risk and jump/ leap without hesitation.

How can you know it if you don't even try?
How can you know the outcome of something if you never even attempted to try in the first place?

Every step that you take
Every decision made or step taken in life.

Could be your biggest mistake
It is possible to make major mistakes in life at any point.

It could bend or it could break
Any decision or action could change an outcome in either a good or bad way.

But that's the risk that you take
Taking risks and going through hardships is something that has to be done to see the outcome.

You know that darkness always turns into light
A message that dark times will eventually come to an end and things will get better over time.

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

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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