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Viva la Vida (song)
Encyclopedia
"Viva la Vida" is a song by the British alternative rock
band Coldplay
. It was written by all members of the band for their fourth album, Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends
(2008), and was released as the second single from the album. On the album, this song segues directly into the next track, "Violet Hill
". Viva la Vida means "Long live life" in Spanish
.
The lyrics to the song contain historical and Christian references, and the track is built around a repeating string section
with a percussion background. Coldplay performed some of the song live in The Simpsons
episode "Million Dollar Maybe
".
The song was released on 13 June 2008 as the album's second single, debuting to critical and commercial success. "Viva la Vida" reached the top spot of the UK Singles Chart
and Billboard Hot 100
, becoming the band's first number-one single in both the US and UK. The song won the Grammy Award for Song of the Year
at the 51st Grammy Awards
in 2009. The song became the sixth song in digital history to reach the 4 million mark in paid downloads. It has sold 5.2 million copies in the United States by November 2011, becoming the third best-selling song by a British act in the digital era.
The song was played to the crew of the Space Shuttle Atlantis
to wake them up on day two of STS-135
, the final mission of the Space Shuttle program. It was played for crew member Douglas Hurley
.
The song was played live at the Steve Jobs memorial/celebration-of-life event at Apple headquarters on October 19, 2011 in Cupertino, CA.
artist Frida Kahlo
. It translates into English as "long live life".
During the album's production, "Viva la Vida" was one of the songs that had polarized each member's opinion over which version they should choose. In an interview, vocalist Chris Martin
recalls, "We did quite a few different versions and went round the houses a bit and eventually settled on those treatments for it."
The lyrics to "Viva la Vida" contain many Biblical references. For example, "pillars of sand" is a clear reference to the Biblical parable given by Jesus
about the fool who built his house on sand, and the wise man who built it on solid rock, while "pillars of salt" is a reference to Lot's wife
, who was turned into a pillar of salt. "I know Saint Peter
won't call my name" refers to the popular tradition of St. Peter guarding the gates of Heaven. He is often depicted in art as holding the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven per the Petrine doctrine
and the Biblical reference in Matthew 16:19. He is also commonly depicted with the book of life reading off the names of those individuals who had believed in Jesus Christ as per Revelation 20. The term "... my head upon a silver plate" refers to the beheading of St. John the Baptist
when Salome
demanded his head delivered to her upon a platter
.
The song has inspired a great deal of debate about its meaning. People have claimed that the song may be about various subjects, such as the French Revolution
. The band members themselves do not appear to have corroborated any of these claims, and have referred only to kings and revolutionaries in general, rather than any particular king.
Martin has explained the song lyric "I know Saint Peter
won't call my name" in an interview with Q
magazine: "It's about ... You're not on the list. I was a naughty boy. It's always fascinated me that idea of finishing your life and then being analyzed on it. And this idea runs throughout most religions. That's why people blow up buildings. Because they think they're going to get lots of virgins. I always feel like saying, just join a band ... That is the most frightening thing you could possibly say to somebody. Eternal damnation
. I know about this stuff because I studied it. I was into it all. I know it. It's still mildly terrifying to me. And this is serious." When asked about the song, bass guitarist Guy Berryman
said: "It's a story about a king who's lost his kingdom, and all the album's artwork is based on the idea of revolutionaries and guerrillas. There's this slightly anti-authoritarian viewpoint that's crept into some of the lyrics and it's some of the pay-off between being surrounded by governments on one side, but also we're human beings with emotions and we're all going to die and the stupidity of what we have to put up with every day. Hence the album title."
Unlike the typical arrangement of Coldplay songs, in which either the piano
or guitar is the prominent instrument, the track mostly consists of a string section
playing the song's upbeat riff, along with a steady bass drum beat, percussion (including a timpani
and a church bell
), bass guitar, and Martin's vocals; there is limited use of electric guitar in the song. All the strings are arranged and performed by violinist Davide Rossi
, who is also one of the main collaborators of the album. Rossi's strings comprise the main driving force throughout the song, with a strong beginning loop that supports Martin's voice, until the choruses where the symphonic power of the orchestra takes its fullest shape. The song is played in the key
of A major at a tempo
of 138 beats per minute, while the vocal range spans E3–A4. Although Coldplay are widely labeled as an "alternative rock
" band, the classical composition and historical subject matter of "Viva la Vida" have led to the song being labeled as "baroque pop
" and "chamber pop".
"Viva la Vida" was initially released only with iTunes Store
pre-orders of Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends on 7 May 2008 – the "new edit" version of the song – which led to the song's temporary exclusion from the UK Singles Chart. It was released as a download-only single on 25 May 2008, and a physical CD single in Europe on 29 July 2008 to coincide with the release of the single's music videos. "Viva la Vida" was well-downloaded in the internet, becoming iTunes' best-selling song of 2008. From 24 December 2008 to 5 January 2009 an official remix of the song, named the "Thin White Duke Mix", was given away for free as a Christmas gift via the band's website.
The song was used as part of Apple Inc.'s iPod + iTunes advertisement campaign. Coldplay performed the song live for the first time at the 2008 MTV Movie Awards
. It has since gone on to make many media appearances, including being featured throughout the episode "A Person of Interest" from the paranormal
drama Medium
, as a song played on the radio in the episode "We're Not in Kansas Anymore" from the teen drama 90210
, used as bumper music
on Bill Bennett
's "Morning in America" radio talk show, and on the international soundtrack to the Brazilian soap opera A Favorita
which helped push "Viva la Vida" up the charts in Brazil, where the telenovela been shown. "Viva la Vida" was the entrance music for Birmingham City Football Club during the 2009-2010 season, but was quickly dropped after negative response by the supporters. In 2009, Solange Knowles
covered the song. Lady Gaga
also covered the song for BBC Radio 1
. A live version of the song appeared on Coldplay's 2009 live album
LeftRightLeftRightLeft
.
Pet Shop Boys also performed the song live on their 2009 Pandemonium Tour and the song appeared on their Christmas EP. It was also used in an episode entitled "Million Dollar Maybe
" of The Simpsons
. The song was covered in the seventh series
of The X Factor
by the boyband One Direction
in 2010.
and premiered at Coldplay's official website on 1 August 2008. The video depicts the band performing against a blurry, warped version of Eugène Delacroix
's painting La Liberté guidant le peuple
. Since its release, this video "Viva La Vida" has become one of the most viewed music videos on YouTube
, with over 100,000,000 views worldwide.
A second, alternate video was shot in The Hague
, the Netherlands, directed by Anton Corbijn
and released alongside the first. This second version is a tribute to Corbijn's video for Depeche Mode
's "Enjoy the Silence
" and portrays Chris Martin as the king from whose perspective the song is sung. During the video, he carries Delacroix's painting. At the end, he hangs the picture up in a white stall on top of a hill. As he sings the last chorus, his band mates surface heading his way, tying in loose ends from the "Violet Hill
" video.
review of the album, critic Chris Willman wrote: "Take the title track ... on which [Martin] imagines himself as a paranoid monarch. 'Who would ever want to be king?' Martin asks. 'Revolutionaries wait/For my head on a silver plate!'. The confident majesty of the music, however, belies how he and his bandmates have invigorated their rock-lite reign." Josh Hathaway from The Plain Dealer noted "Viva la Vida" as the "catchiest" song on the album. Chris Jones of the BBC
noted: "The string/brass mutations that bolster a track like 'Viva La Vida' ... conjure tunes so sweetly melancholy." In the IGN
review, critic Chad Grischow wrote, "It is their one and only foray into unabashed orchestral pop, but the punchy strut of the strings and fantastic marching vocals make it far too charming and lively to dislike, and even harder not to love." "Viva la Vida" was nominated for "Record of the Year
", and won "Song of the Year
", and "Best Pop Performance by a Duo or a Group
" at the 2009 Grammy Award
s. This song also won the Ivor Novello Award for "Best Selling British Single". The song was included in Rolling Stone
' s annual "100 Best Songs" of 2008 at number nine; it was also voted number two on Rolling Stone' s Readers' Rock List: Best Songs of 2008. "Viva la Vida" was also listed at number five on Blender' s 1001 Downloads: The Top 144 Songs of 2008, as well in the number eight position on Village Voice' s Pazz and Jop list.
"Viva la Vida" has also been sampled in other several songs, such as in Flo-Rida's single "Be on You
" and Drake
's "Congratulations".
, becoming the band's first US number-one single and their second top ten on the Hot 100. It is the first song by a British group to reach number-one on the Billboard Hot 100 since "Wannabe
" by the Spice Girls
in 1996. Although the song was initially successful in digital sales, after being released, it went on to become the band's highest-charting single in American radio, becoming their first top ten hit on the Hot 100 Airplay
where it peaked at number eight. It had also become the band's first number-one single on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks
chart. "Viva la Vida" also became the first song to top both the Hot 100 and Modern Rock chart since Nickelback
's "How You Remind Me
" in 2001 and 2002. On the Billboard Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks
, the song has become the band's first number one, as well as the first single on the Capitol Records
label to ever top the chart. The single has been certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America
. The song also became one of the first six songs to reach the 4 million mark in paid digital downloads. As of November 2011, it had sold 5,200,000 units in the US.
The single was also successful in the United Kingdom. Although the song had been disqualified from the UK charts due to initially being available only by pre-ordering the album on iTunes
, it became eligible to chart after the album was released. "Viva la Vida" hit number one on the UK Singles Chart
, becoming Coldplay's first chart-topping single in the UK. The song remained in the top 40 through early 2009, and on 15 March 2009 dropped to number 34.
In Canada, the single made a "Hot Shot Debut" at number four on the Canadian Hot 100
on the issue of 24 May, making it Coldplay's highest debut there. It is also Coldplay's highest charting single in Australia
, where it reached number 2.
In Spain, the single peaked at #2 and achieved Double Platinum status due to the 80,000 copies sold. It also had a strong airplay on the Spanish radio stations.
The song also became the anthem of Spanish football club FC Barcelona
during the 2008-09 season. It turned out to be a season of unprecedented success for the Catalan side in 2009, as they won all six competitions they could possible be involved in, which no football club has managed before in history. The song was selected by the manager of the club, Josep Guardiola
- himself a Coldplay fan - to help motivate and encourage his team. It is often played at the Camp Nou
before the start of a Barcelona match.
The National Hockey League
's New York Rangers
play "Viva la Vida" at Madison Square Garden
after victories.
The song was used by the Vancouver Canucks
in a tribute video during Markus Näslund's
number retirement ceremony held in Vancouver
's Rogers Arena.
This is the at-bat music of Scott Rolen
, third baseman
of the Cincinnati Reds
.
The song was also used pre match during every 2008 Rugby League World Cup
game before the two teams took to the field.
of "The Songs I Didn't Write" by American alternative band Creaky Boards, for the melody of "Viva la Vida". Creaky Boards' band member Andrew Hoepfner claimed that Martin had heard them playing the song at a live show in October 2007. The band released a video clip, in which it compares sections of both songs. Coldplay denied the claim; band spokesman Murray Chambers said Martin was working in AIR Studios
in London at that time, having checked the singer's diary. In addition, Coldplay had recorded a demo
version of "Viva la Vida" in March 2007, long before Creaky Boards performed it live in October of the same year. Creaky Boards later retracted the accusations and speculated that both songs may have been inspired by the video game The Legend of Zelda.
On 4 December 2008, American guitarist Joe Satriani
filed a copyright infringement suit against Coldplay in Los Angeles. The suit claims that "Viva la Vida" incorporates "substantial, original portions" of his instrumental track "If I Could Fly" from his 2004 album Is There Love in Space?
. The band has denied the allegation, saying the similarities were "entirely coincidental". On 14 September 2009, the case was dismissed by the California Central District Court
, with both parties potentially agreeing to an out-of-court settlement.
In May 2009, Yusuf Islam stated that the song is very similar to his song "Foreigner Suite
," recorded under his former stage name, Cat Stevens
. He said "My son brought it to my attention and said: 'Doesn't that sound like 'Foreigner Suite?'" Islam said that any legal action he might take "depends on how well Satriani does." Coldplay drummer Will Champion denied the claim, stating, "We're confident we haven't done anything wrong." In June 2009, Islam later said, "They did copy my song but I don't think they did it on purpose," adding, "I don't want them to think I am angry with them. I'd love to sit down and have a cup of tea with them and let them know it's okay."
Chris Martin once said that the plagirism allegations were inspiring him and added: "if everyone’s trying to take away our best song, then we’d better write 25 better ones!". Will Champion has also talked about the accusation saying "For some reason, God only knows why, the successful songs seem to be the ones that are accused of being stolen."
. The song appears in Darin's 2010 album Lovekiller
.
In 2010, it was yet again included as the B-side of Darin's "You're Out of My Life
" single, reaching #3 in the Swedish Singles Chart
.
Coldplay's original single had already charted in Sweden for a total of 49 weeks between 15 May 2008 and 23 October 2009, peaking at number seven.
Promotional CD
CD release
Bootleg Version
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
band Coldplay
Coldplay
Coldplay are a British alternative rock band formed in 1996 by lead vocalist Chris Martin and lead guitarist Jonny Buckland at University College London. After they formed Pectoralz, Guy Berryman joined the group as a bassist and they changed their name to Starfish. Will Champion joined as a...
. It was written by all members of the band for their fourth album, Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends
Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends
Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends, often referred to as simply Viva la Vida is the fourth studio album by British rock band Coldplay, released on 11 June 2008 on Parlophone. The album was named after a Spanish phrase that translates in English as "long live life"...
(2008), and was released as the second single from the album. On the album, this song segues directly into the next track, "Violet Hill
Violet Hill (song)
"Violet Hill" is a song by English alternative rock band Coldplay. It was written by all members of the band for their fourth album, Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends . Built around a repeating guitar sound, it utilises a marching tempo, supported by the pianos and rhythms that accompany...
". Viva la Vida means "Long live life" in Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
.
The lyrics to the song contain historical and Christian references, and the track is built around a repeating string section
String section
The string section is the largest body of the standard orchestra and consists of bowed string instruments of the violin family.It normally comprises five sections: the first violins, the second violins, the violas, the cellos, and the double basses...
with a percussion background. Coldplay performed some of the song live in The Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
episode "Million Dollar Maybe
Million Dollar Maybe
"Million Dollar Maybe" is the eleventh episode of the twenty-first season of the animated comedy series The Simpsons. It first aired on Fox in the United States on January 31, 2010. In this episode, Homer wins $1 million in the lottery...
".
The song was released on 13 June 2008 as the album's second single, debuting to critical and commercial success. "Viva la Vida" reached the top spot of the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
and Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
, becoming the band's first number-one single in both the US and UK. The song won the Grammy Award for Song of the Year
Grammy Award for Song of the Year
The Song of the Year is one of the four most prestigious awards in the Grammy Awards ceremony, if not in all of the American music industry. It has been awarded since 1959 and unlike the Record of the Year award, which goes to the performer and production team of a single song, Song of the Year...
at the 51st Grammy Awards
51st Grammy Awards
The 51st Annual Grammy Awards took place at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA on February 8, 2009. Robert Plant and Alison Krauss were the biggest winners of the night, jointly winning five awards including Album of the Year and Record of the Year...
in 2009. The song became the sixth song in digital history to reach the 4 million mark in paid downloads. It has sold 5.2 million copies in the United States by November 2011, becoming the third best-selling song by a British act in the digital era.
The song was played to the crew of the Space Shuttle Atlantis
Space Shuttle Atlantis
The Space Shuttle Atlantis is a retired Space Shuttle orbiter in the Space Shuttle fleet belonging to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration , the spaceflight and space exploration agency of the United States...
to wake them up on day two of STS-135
STS-135
STS-135 was the final mission of the American Space Shuttle program. It used the orbiter Atlantis and hardware originally processed for the STS-335 contingency mission, which was not flown. STS-135 launched on 8 July and was originally scheduled to land on 20 July 2011, but the mission was...
, the final mission of the Space Shuttle program. It was played for crew member Douglas Hurley
Douglas G. Hurley
Douglas Gerald Hurley is an engineer and NASA astronaut. He piloted Space Shuttle mission STS-127, which launched July 15, 2009. He was assigned and flew as pilot for STS-135, the final flight of the Space Shuttle program, in July 2011...
.
The song was played live at the Steve Jobs memorial/celebration-of-life event at Apple headquarters on October 19, 2011 in Cupertino, CA.
Background
The song's Spanish title, "Viva la Vida", is taken from a painting by 20th century MexicanMexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
artist Frida Kahlo
Frida Kahlo
Frida Kahlo de Rivera was a Mexican painter, born in Coyoacán, and perhaps best known for her self-portraits....
. It translates into English as "long live life".
During the album's production, "Viva la Vida" was one of the songs that had polarized each member's opinion over which version they should choose. In an interview, vocalist Chris Martin
Chris Martin
Christopher Anthony John "Chris" Martin is an English song-writer, who is the lead vocalist, pianist and rhythm guitarist of the band Coldplay. He is married to actress Gwyneth Paltrow.-Early life:...
recalls, "We did quite a few different versions and went round the houses a bit and eventually settled on those treatments for it."
Composition
-Bill Lamb, About.com.
"Viva La Vida" soars in with a grandiose instrumental arrangement and sweeping lyrics detailing the pain of being deposed from a lofty position. The big sound of the song constantly verges on becoming overblown, but Coldplay know how to walk the tightrope perfectly. Bells and chimes and orchestral swells are all there on the chorus, but Chris Martin's voice still pierces through like a clarion call. Lyrically, the pain of the protagonist is clear, but the sweep of words about Jerusalem bells, Roman cavalry, and Saint Peter give "Viva La Vida" an air of intelligence rare in today's most popular pop songs.
The lyrics to "Viva la Vida" contain many Biblical references. For example, "pillars of sand" is a clear reference to the Biblical parable given by Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
about the fool who built his house on sand, and the wise man who built it on solid rock, while "pillars of salt" is a reference to Lot's wife
Lot's wife
Lot's wife is a person mentioned in the Book of Genesis who was turned into a pillar of salt for failing to heed the orders of the angels of deliverance from the city of Sodom."Lot's wife" may further refer to:-Geography:...
, who was turned into a pillar of salt. "I know Saint Peter
Saint Peter
Saint Peter or Simon Peter was an early Christian leader, who is featured prominently in the New Testament Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles. The son of John or of Jonah and from the village of Bethsaida in the province of Galilee, his brother Andrew was also an apostle...
won't call my name" refers to the popular tradition of St. Peter guarding the gates of Heaven. He is often depicted in art as holding the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven per the Petrine doctrine
Petrine doctrine
The Petrine Doctrine is based upon Catholic tradition, which proclaims the legitimacy and supremacy of the Pope over all other bishops of the Catholic Church. This Doctrine is founded upon the book of Matthew in the Bible. Matthew 16: 18-19 states: "18 And I say unto thee, That thou art Peter,...
and the Biblical reference in Matthew 16:19. He is also commonly depicted with the book of life reading off the names of those individuals who had believed in Jesus Christ as per Revelation 20. The term "... my head upon a silver plate" refers to the beheading of St. John the Baptist
Beheading of St. John the Baptist
The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist is a holy day observed by various Christian churches which follow liturgical traditions...
when Salome
Salome
Salome , the Daughter of Herodias , is known from the New Testament...
demanded his head delivered to her upon a platter
Dance of the Seven Veils
In several notable works of Western culture, the Dance of the Seven Veils is one of the elaborations on the biblical tale of the execution of John the Baptist...
.
The song has inspired a great deal of debate about its meaning. People have claimed that the song may be about various subjects, such as the French Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
. The band members themselves do not appear to have corroborated any of these claims, and have referred only to kings and revolutionaries in general, rather than any particular king.
Martin has explained the song lyric "I know Saint Peter
Saint Peter
Saint Peter or Simon Peter was an early Christian leader, who is featured prominently in the New Testament Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles. The son of John or of Jonah and from the village of Bethsaida in the province of Galilee, his brother Andrew was also an apostle...
won't call my name" in an interview with Q
Q (magazine)
Q is a popular music magazine published monthly in the United Kingdom.Founders Mark Ellen and David Hepworth were dismayed by the music press of the time, which they felt was ignoring a generation of older music buyers who were buying CDs — then still a new technology...
magazine: "It's about ... You're not on the list. I was a naughty boy. It's always fascinated me that idea of finishing your life and then being analyzed on it. And this idea runs throughout most religions. That's why people blow up buildings. Because they think they're going to get lots of virgins. I always feel like saying, just join a band ... That is the most frightening thing you could possibly say to somebody. Eternal damnation
Hell
In many religious traditions, a hell is a place of suffering and punishment in the afterlife. Religions with a linear divine history often depict hells as endless. Religions with a cyclic history often depict a hell as an intermediary period between incarnations...
. I know about this stuff because I studied it. I was into it all. I know it. It's still mildly terrifying to me. And this is serious." When asked about the song, bass guitarist Guy Berryman
Guy Berryman
Guy Rupert Berryman is a Scottish musician known as the bassist for the groups Coldplay and Apparatjik. Berryman is left-handed but chooses to play the bass right-handed.-Coldplay:...
said: "It's a story about a king who's lost his kingdom, and all the album's artwork is based on the idea of revolutionaries and guerrillas. There's this slightly anti-authoritarian viewpoint that's crept into some of the lyrics and it's some of the pay-off between being surrounded by governments on one side, but also we're human beings with emotions and we're all going to die and the stupidity of what we have to put up with every day. Hence the album title."
Unlike the typical arrangement of Coldplay songs, in which either the piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
or guitar is the prominent instrument, the track mostly consists of a string section
String section
The string section is the largest body of the standard orchestra and consists of bowed string instruments of the violin family.It normally comprises five sections: the first violins, the second violins, the violas, the cellos, and the double basses...
playing the song's upbeat riff, along with a steady bass drum beat, percussion (including a timpani
Timpani
Timpani, or kettledrums, are musical instruments in the percussion family. A type of drum, they consist of a skin called a head stretched over a large bowl traditionally made of copper. They are played by striking the head with a specialized drum stick called a timpani stick or timpani mallet...
and a church bell
Church bell
A church bell is a bell which is rung in a church either to signify the hour or the time for worshippers to go to church, perhaps to attend a wedding, funeral, or other service...
), bass guitar, and Martin's vocals; there is limited use of electric guitar in the song. All the strings are arranged and performed by violinist Davide Rossi
Davide Rossi
Davide Francesco Rossi , is a violinist, string arranger, composer and a record producer, perhaps best known for being the violinist, guitar and keytar-player for the British electronic music group Goldfrapp, and for his large contribution of electric violin parts and for all the string...
, who is also one of the main collaborators of the album. Rossi's strings comprise the main driving force throughout the song, with a strong beginning loop that supports Martin's voice, until the choruses where the symphonic power of the orchestra takes its fullest shape. The song is played in the key
Key (music)
In music theory, the term key is used in many different and sometimes contradictory ways. A common use is to speak of music as being "in" a specific key, such as in the key of C major or in the key of F-sharp. Sometimes the terms "major" or "minor" are appended, as in the key of A minor or in the...
of A major at a tempo
Tempo
In musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece. Tempo is a crucial element of any musical composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece.-Measuring tempo:...
of 138 beats per minute, while the vocal range spans E3–A4. Although Coldplay are widely labeled as an "alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
" band, the classical composition and historical subject matter of "Viva la Vida" have led to the song being labeled as "baroque pop
Baroque pop
Baroque pop, Baroque rock, or English baroque, often used interchangeably with chamber pop/rock, is a pop and rock music subgenre which originated in the mid-1960s in the United Kingdom and United States...
" and "chamber pop".
Release and promotion
ITunes Store
The iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...
pre-orders of Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends on 7 May 2008 – the "new edit" version of the song – which led to the song's temporary exclusion from the UK Singles Chart. It was released as a download-only single on 25 May 2008, and a physical CD single in Europe on 29 July 2008 to coincide with the release of the single's music videos. "Viva la Vida" was well-downloaded in the internet, becoming iTunes' best-selling song of 2008. From 24 December 2008 to 5 January 2009 an official remix of the song, named the "Thin White Duke Mix", was given away for free as a Christmas gift via the band's website.
The song was used as part of Apple Inc.'s iPod + iTunes advertisement campaign. Coldplay performed the song live for the first time at the 2008 MTV Movie Awards
2008 MTV Movie Awards
The 2008 MTV Movie Awards broadcast the 17th annual movie awards show live on Sunday, June 1, at the Gibson Amphitheatre in Universal City, California...
. It has since gone on to make many media appearances, including being featured throughout the episode "A Person of Interest" from the paranormal
Paranormal
Paranormal is a general term that designates experiences that lie outside "the range of normal experience or scientific explanation" or that indicates phenomena understood to be outside of science's current ability to explain or measure...
drama Medium
Medium (TV series)
Medium is an American television drama series that premiered on NBC on January 3, 2005, and ended on CBS on January 21, 2011. Themed on supernatural gifts, its lead character, Allison DuBois , is a medium employed as a consultant for the Phoenix, Arizona district attorney's office...
, as a song played on the radio in the episode "We're Not in Kansas Anymore" from the teen drama 90210
90210 (TV series)
90210 is an American teen drama television series developed by Rob Thomas, Jeff Judah and Gabe Sachs, and the fourth series in the Beverly Hills, 90210 franchise created by Darren Star. 90210 is the first series produced by CBS Productions under the company's re-launch, but is now produced by CBS...
, used as bumper music
Bumper music
Bumper music, or a bump, is a term used in the radio broadcasting industry to refer to short clips of signature or theme music used to buffer transitions between programming elements. Bumper music is commonly employed when a syndicated program takes a break for local station identification or...
on Bill Bennett
William Bennett
William John "Bill" Bennett is an American conservative pundit, politician, and political theorist. He served as United States Secretary of Education from 1985 to 1988. He also held the post of Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy under George H. W...
's "Morning in America" radio talk show, and on the international soundtrack to the Brazilian soap opera A Favorita
A Favorita
A Favorita was a popular and award-winning telenovela, first broadcast in Brazil at Rede Globo from June 2, 2008 to January 17, 2009. During its broadcast, it ranked within the top of the most watched shows in Brazil....
which helped push "Viva la Vida" up the charts in Brazil, where the telenovela been shown. "Viva la Vida" was the entrance music for Birmingham City Football Club during the 2009-2010 season, but was quickly dropped after negative response by the supporters. In 2009, Solange Knowles
Solange Knowles
Solange Piaget Knowles , who performs under the mononym Solange, is an American singer-songwriter, actress, model, dancer, and DJ. Knowles was born and raised in Houston, Texas along with her older sister singer Beyoncé, a former member of R&B group Destiny's Child...
covered the song. Lady Gaga
Lady GaGa
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta , better known by her stage name Lady Gaga, is an American singer and songwriter. Born and raised in New York City, she primarily studied at the Convent of the Sacred Heart and briefly attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts before withdrawing to...
also covered the song for BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
. A live version of the song appeared on Coldplay's 2009 live album
Live album
A live album is a recording consisting of material recorded during stage performances using remote recording techniques, commonly contrasted with a studio album...
LeftRightLeftRightLeft
LeftRightLeftRightLeft
LeftRightLeftRightLeft is a live album by English alternative rock band Coldplay, released at 9:00 am GMT on 15 May 2009. The album was given away for free at all of the remaining concerts on the Viva la Vida Tour and is available as a free download on the band's official website...
.
Pet Shop Boys also performed the song live on their 2009 Pandemonium Tour and the song appeared on their Christmas EP. It was also used in an episode entitled "Million Dollar Maybe
Million Dollar Maybe
"Million Dollar Maybe" is the eleventh episode of the twenty-first season of the animated comedy series The Simpsons. It first aired on Fox in the United States on January 31, 2010. In this episode, Homer wins $1 million in the lottery...
" of The Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
. The song was covered in the seventh series
The X Factor (UK series 7)
The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent; the winner of which receives a £1 million recording contract with the Syco Music record label. The seventh series started on ITV on 21 August 2010 and ended on 12 December 2010. The winner was Matt Cardle and...
of The X Factor
The X Factor (UK)
The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent. Created by Simon Cowell, it began in September 2004 and is contested by aspiring singers drawn from public auditions. It is the originator of the international X Factor franchise. The seven series of the show to date...
by the boyband One Direction
One Direction
One Direction are a British-Irish boy band, consisting of members Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne, Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson. They finished third on the seventh series of The X Factor. Following The X Factor, the group signed a record contract with Syco Music.One Direction's debut single...
in 2010.
Music videos
The official music video for "Viva la Vida" was directed by Hype WilliamsHype Williams
Harold "Hype" Williams , previously known as HYPE, is an American music video and film director of African-American and Honduran descent. His nickname "Hype" comes from his hyperactive nature as a child....
and premiered at Coldplay's official website on 1 August 2008. The video depicts the band performing against a blurry, warped version of Eugène Delacroix
Eugène Delacroix
Ferdinand Victor Eugène Delacroix was a French Romantic artist regarded from the outset of his career as the leader of the French Romantic school...
's painting La Liberté guidant le peuple
Liberty Leading the People
Liberty Leading the People is a painting by Eugène Delacroix commemorating the July Revolution of 1830, which toppled Charles X of France. A woman personifying Liberty leads the people forward over the bodies of the fallen, holding the tricouleur flag of the French Revolution in one hand and...
. Since its release, this video "Viva La Vida" has become one of the most viewed music videos on YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
, with over 100,000,000 views worldwide.
A second, alternate video was shot in The Hague
The Hague
The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
, the Netherlands, directed by Anton Corbijn
Anton Corbijn
Anton Corbijn is a Dutch photographer, music video and film director. He is the creative director behind the visual output of Depeche Mode and U2, having handled the principal promotion and sleeve photography for both for more than a decade...
and released alongside the first. This second version is a tribute to Corbijn's video for Depeche Mode
Depeche Mode
Depeche Mode are an English electronic music band formed in 1980 in Basildon, Essex. The group's original line-up consisted of Dave Gahan , Martin Gore , Andy Fletcher and Vince Clarke...
's "Enjoy the Silence
Enjoy the Silence
"Enjoy the Silence" is Depeche Mode's twenty-fourth UK single, released on 16 January 1990, and the second single from the then upcoming album Violator....
" and portrays Chris Martin as the king from whose perspective the song is sung. During the video, he carries Delacroix's painting. At the end, he hangs the picture up in a white stall on top of a hill. As he sings the last chorus, his band mates surface heading his way, tying in loose ends from the "Violet Hill
Violet Hill (song)
"Violet Hill" is a song by English alternative rock band Coldplay. It was written by all members of the band for their fourth album, Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends . Built around a repeating guitar sound, it utilises a marching tempo, supported by the pianos and rhythms that accompany...
" video.
Critical response
Critics were generally positive towards the song. In the Entertainment WeeklyEntertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
review of the album, critic Chris Willman wrote: "Take the title track ... on which [Martin] imagines himself as a paranoid monarch. 'Who would ever want to be king?' Martin asks. 'Revolutionaries wait/For my head on a silver plate!'. The confident majesty of the music, however, belies how he and his bandmates have invigorated their rock-lite reign." Josh Hathaway from The Plain Dealer noted "Viva la Vida" as the "catchiest" song on the album. Chris Jones of the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
noted: "The string/brass mutations that bolster a track like 'Viva La Vida' ... conjure tunes so sweetly melancholy." In the IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
review, critic Chad Grischow wrote, "It is their one and only foray into unabashed orchestral pop, but the punchy strut of the strings and fantastic marching vocals make it far too charming and lively to dislike, and even harder not to love." "Viva la Vida" was nominated for "Record of the Year
Grammy Award for Record of the Year
The Record of the Year is one of the four most prestigious Grammy Awards presented annually. It has been awarded since 1959.-History:The honorees through its history have been:*1959-1965: Artist only.*1966-1998: Artist and producer....
", and won "Song of the Year
Grammy Award for Song of the Year
The Song of the Year is one of the four most prestigious awards in the Grammy Awards ceremony, if not in all of the American music industry. It has been awarded since 1959 and unlike the Record of the Year award, which goes to the performer and production team of a single song, Song of the Year...
", and "Best Pop Performance by a Duo or a Group
Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal
The Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals was awarded between 1966 and 2011...
" at the 2009 Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
s. This song also won the Ivor Novello Award for "Best Selling British Single". The song was included in Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
"Viva la Vida" has also been sampled in other several songs, such as in Flo-Rida's single "Be on You
Be on You
"Be on You" is the fourth official single off Flo Rida's second album, R.O.O.T.S.. It features Ne-Yo and is produced by Stargate. Since July 2009, the single has been gaining airplay. Despite getting much airplay, the single wasn't officially released until October 2009, due to Flo Rida focusing on...
" and Drake
Drake (entertainer)
Aubrey Drake Graham , who records under the mononym Drake, is a Canadian recording artist and actor. He originally became known for playing Jimmy Brooks on the television series Degrassi: The Next Generation....
's "Congratulations".
Chart performance
"Viva la Vida" has become the band's highest-charting single. Fueled by high digital sales, the song peaked at the top spot of the U.S. Billboard Hot 100Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
, becoming the band's first US number-one single and their second top ten on the Hot 100. It is the first song by a British group to reach number-one on the Billboard Hot 100 since "Wannabe
Wannabe (song)
"Wannabe" is the debut song by British pop group Spice Girls. Written by the group members with Matt Rowe and Richard Stannard during the group's first professional songwriting session, it was produced by Rowe and Stannard for the group's debut album Spice, released in November 1996...
" by the Spice Girls
Spice Girls
The Spice Girls were a British pop girl group formed in 1994. The group consisted of Victoria Beckham , Melanie Brown, Emma Bunton, Melanie Chisholm and Geri Halliwell. They were signed to Virgin Records and released their debut single, "Wannabe" in 1996, which hit number-one in more than 30...
in 1996. Although the song was initially successful in digital sales, after being released, it went on to become the band's highest-charting single in American radio, becoming their first top ten hit on the Hot 100 Airplay
Hot 100 Airplay
The Hot 100 Airplay chart is a chart released weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States. It measures radio airplay, and is one of the three component charts, along with the Hot Singles Sales and the Hot Digital Songs charts, that determine the chart positions of singles on the Billboard...
where it peaked at number eight. It had also become the band's first number-one single on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks
Modern Rock Tracks
Alternative Songs is a music chart in the United States that has appeared in Billboard magazine since September 10, 1988. It lists the 40 most-played songs on modern rock radio stations, most of which are alternative rock songs...
chart. "Viva la Vida" also became the first song to top both the Hot 100 and Modern Rock chart since Nickelback
Nickelback
Nickelback is a Canadian rock band from Hanna, Alberta. Since 1995 the band has included guitarist and lead vocalist Chad Kroeger, guitarist and back-up vocalist Ryan Peake and bassist Mike Kroeger.. The band's current drummer and percussionist is Daniel Adair who has been with the band since 2005....
's "How You Remind Me
How You Remind Me
"How You Remind Me" is a single from rock band Nickelback's 2001 album, Silver Side Up. A "Gold Mix" was made for latter editions of the single with the heavier guitars edited out of the chorus. This single would be the last rock single to be #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 until Maroon 5's song "Makes...
" in 2001 and 2002. On the Billboard Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks
Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks
Adult Top 40 is a variation on the United States Billboard charts...
, the song has become the band's first number one, as well as the first single on the Capitol Records
Capitol Records
Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
label to ever top the chart. The single has been certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
. The song also became one of the first six songs to reach the 4 million mark in paid digital downloads. As of November 2011, it had sold 5,200,000 units in the US.
The single was also successful in the United Kingdom. Although the song had been disqualified from the UK charts due to initially being available only by pre-ordering the album on iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
, it became eligible to chart after the album was released. "Viva la Vida" hit number one on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
, becoming Coldplay's first chart-topping single in the UK. The song remained in the top 40 through early 2009, and on 15 March 2009 dropped to number 34.
In Canada, the single made a "Hot Shot Debut" at number four on the Canadian Hot 100
Canadian Hot 100
The Canadian Hot 100 is a music singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks songs in Canada. The chart debuted in the Billboard issue dated June 16, 2007 and was made available for the first time via their online services on June 7, 2007...
on the issue of 24 May, making it Coldplay's highest debut there. It is also Coldplay's highest charting single in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, where it reached number 2.
In Spain, the single peaked at #2 and achieved Double Platinum status due to the 80,000 copies sold. It also had a strong airplay on the Spanish radio stations.
Sporting usage
During the 2008/2009 season, the German football club Hamburg SV used "Viva la Vida" as their goal celebration song.The song also became the anthem of Spanish football club FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
during the 2008-09 season. It turned out to be a season of unprecedented success for the Catalan side in 2009, as they won all six competitions they could possible be involved in, which no football club has managed before in history. The song was selected by the manager of the club, Josep Guardiola
Josep Guardiola
Josep "Pep" Guardiola i Sala , is a Spanish football manager and former player. Guardiola played as a defensive midfielder and spent the majority of his playing career with FC Barcelona, whom he currently manages. He was part of Johan Cruyff's dream team that won Barcelona's first European Cup....
- himself a Coldplay fan - to help motivate and encourage his team. It is often played at the Camp Nou
Camp Nou
Camp Nou , sometimes called "the Nou Camp" in English, is a football stadium in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. The stadium, located in the west of the city, has been the home of FC Barcelona since its construction in 1957....
before the start of a Barcelona match.
The National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
's New York Rangers
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
play "Viva la Vida" at Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
after victories.
The song was used by the Vancouver Canucks
Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,...
in a tribute video during Markus Näslund's
Markus Näslund
Sten Markus Näslund is a Swedish ice hockey general manager for Modo Hockey and a retired professional winger. He played in the National Hockey League for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Vancouver Canucks and New York Rangers, as well as in the Elitserien with Modo Hockey...
number retirement ceremony held in Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
's Rogers Arena.
This is the at-bat music of Scott Rolen
Scott Rolen
Scott Bruce Rolen is a Major League Baseball third baseman for the Cincinnati Reds. He is an eight-time Gold Glove winner and seven-time All-Star.-Philadelphia Phillies:...
, third baseman
Third baseman
A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run...
of the Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
.
The song was also used pre match during every 2008 Rugby League World Cup
2008 Rugby League World Cup
The 2008 Rugby League World Cup was the thirteenth staging of the Rugby League World Cup since the inauguration of the tournament in 1954, and the first since the 2000 event...
game before the two teams took to the field.
Plagiarism allegations
Coldplay were first accused of plagiarismMusical plagiarism
Music plagiarism is the use or close imitation of another author's music while representing it as one's own original work. Plagiarism in music now occurs in two contexts – with a musical idea or sampling...
of "The Songs I Didn't Write" by American alternative band Creaky Boards, for the melody of "Viva la Vida". Creaky Boards' band member Andrew Hoepfner claimed that Martin had heard them playing the song at a live show in October 2007. The band released a video clip, in which it compares sections of both songs. Coldplay denied the claim; band spokesman Murray Chambers said Martin was working in AIR Studios
Associated Independent Recording
Associated Independent Recording , an independent recording company, was founded in London in 1965 by Beatles producer George Martin and his partner John Burgess after their departure from EMI....
in London at that time, having checked the singer's diary. In addition, Coldplay had recorded a demo
Demo (music)
A demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas on tape or disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, producers or other artists...
version of "Viva la Vida" in March 2007, long before Creaky Boards performed it live in October of the same year. Creaky Boards later retracted the accusations and speculated that both songs may have been inspired by the video game The Legend of Zelda.
On 4 December 2008, American guitarist Joe Satriani
Joe Satriani
Joseph "Joe" Satriani is an American instrumental rock guitarist and multi-instrumentalist, with multiple Grammy Award nominations...
filed a copyright infringement suit against Coldplay in Los Angeles. The suit claims that "Viva la Vida" incorporates "substantial, original portions" of his instrumental track "If I Could Fly" from his 2004 album Is There Love in Space?
Is There Love in Space?
Is There Love in Space? is the tenth studio album by instrumental rock guitarist Joe Satriani, released on April 13, 2004. The track "If I Could Fly" is now the base of a lawsuit between Joe Satriani and Coldplay. Joe Satriani was suing Coldplay for allegedly plagarising music from the song "If I...
. The band has denied the allegation, saying the similarities were "entirely coincidental". On 14 September 2009, the case was dismissed by the California Central District Court
United States District Court for the Central District of California
The United States District Court for the Central District of California serves over 18 million people in southern and central California, making it the largest federal judicial district by population...
, with both parties potentially agreeing to an out-of-court settlement.
In May 2009, Yusuf Islam stated that the song is very similar to his song "Foreigner Suite
Foreigner (Cat Stevens album)
Foreigner is an album released by English singer-songwriter, Cat Stevens in July 1973. In addition to the minor hit "The Hurt", which received a moderate amount of airplay, Foreigner also included such songs as "100 I Dream" and the 18-minute-long "Foreigner Suite", which took up the entirety of...
," recorded under his former stage name, Cat Stevens
Cat Stevens
Yusuf Islam , commonly known by his former stage name Cat Stevens, is an English singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, educator, philanthropist, and prominent convert to Islam....
. He said "My son brought it to my attention and said: 'Doesn't that sound like 'Foreigner Suite?'" Islam said that any legal action he might take "depends on how well Satriani does." Coldplay drummer Will Champion denied the claim, stating, "We're confident we haven't done anything wrong." In June 2009, Islam later said, "They did copy my song but I don't think they did it on purpose," adding, "I don't want them to think I am angry with them. I'd love to sit down and have a cup of tea with them and let them know it's okay."
Chris Martin once said that the plagirism allegations were inspiring him and added: "if everyone’s trying to take away our best song, then we’d better write 25 better ones!". Will Champion has also talked about the accusation saying "For some reason, God only knows why, the successful songs seem to be the ones that are accused of being stolen."
Darin version
Swedish singer Darin's cover of the song reached number 1 on 30 October 2009 on the Swedish Singles ChartSverigetopplistan
Sverigetopplistan, earlier known as Topplistan and Hitlistan and other names, is since October 2007 the Swedish national record chart, based on sales data from Swedish Recording Industry Association ....
. The song appears in Darin's 2010 album Lovekiller
Lovekiller (album)
Lovekiller is the fifth studio album by Swedish singer/songwriter Darin Zanyar. It was released digitally on August 16, 2010 and physically on August 18 in Sweden through Universal Music. This is Darin's first album since parting with former label Sony Music after 4 years and has become his fifth...
.
In 2010, it was yet again included as the B-side of Darin's "You're Out of My Life
You're Out of My Life (Darin song)
"You're Out of My Life" is a song recorded by Swedish singer Darin and was Darin's entry in Melodifestivalen 2010. The song in full was first performed in Deltävling 3 of Melodifestivalen in Göteborg on February 20, 2010 where Darin won second place and pregressed to the final on March 13 in...
" single, reaching #3 in the Swedish Singles Chart
Sverigetopplistan
Sverigetopplistan, earlier known as Topplistan and Hitlistan and other names, is since October 2007 the Swedish national record chart, based on sales data from Swedish Recording Industry Association ....
.
Coldplay's original single had already charted in Sweden for a total of 49 weeks between 15 May 2008 and 23 October 2009, peaking at number seven.
Other cover versions
- Electropop artist Joy ElectricJoy ElectricJoy Electric is the brand label for a series of electropop/synth pop productions by Ronnie Martin. Martin began producing music under the Joy Electric name in 1994, after the demise of Dance House Children, a band Ronnie was in with his brother Jason Martin of Starflyer 59. Starflyer 59 bass player...
covered the song on the 2009 album Favorites at PlayFavorites at PlayFavorites at Play is an album by Joy Electric. The album consists solely of covers of songs from nine different artists. It is the first such album from Joy Electric.-Track listing:In parenthesis is the artist who originally performed the song....
. - Lady GagaLady GaGaStefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta , better known by her stage name Lady Gaga, is an American singer and songwriter. Born and raised in New York City, she primarily studied at the Convent of the Sacred Heart and briefly attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts before withdrawing to...
performed an acoustic version to the song on piano on "Radio 1 Live Lounge", changing some of the words in the lyrics. - Pet Shop BoysPet Shop BoysPet Shop Boys are an English electronic dance music duo, consisting of Neil Tennant, who provides main vocals, keyboards and occasional guitar, and Chris Lowe on keyboards....
covered the song during their Pandemonium TourPandemonium TourThe Pandemonium Tour was a worldwide concert tour by British pop duo Pet Shop Boys in support of their tenth studio album Yes. The tour visited Europe, Asia and the Americas.-Set list:...
of 2009 mixed with the chorus portion of their own hit Domino DancingDomino Dancing"Domino Dancing" is a song recorded by the British synthpop duo Pet Shop Boys which reached #7 on the UK Singles Chart. It was released as the lead single from their 1988 album, Introspective.-Song:...
. The song was included as a studio version on their Christmas EPChristmas (Pet Shop Boys EP)Christmas is an EP by Pet Shop Boys, released on 14 December 2009.The EP contains a new version of their exclusive 1997 fan club single "It Doesn't Often Snow at Christmas" and a new version of the track "All Over the World" from their tenth studio album Yes...
in December 2009 and the live version was included on their PandemoniumPandemonium (Pet Shop Boys album)Pandemonium is a live album by English electronic duo Pet Shop Boys, released on 15 February 2010 as a CD/DVD combo...
live album in 2010. They also covered the song at Glastonbury 2010. - Rapper Shawty LoShawty LoCarlos Walker , better known by his stage name Shawty Lo, is an American rapper, founder of D4L Records, and member of hip hop group D4L. His first solo album, Units in the City, was released on February 26, 2008...
sampled this song for his song, "Roll The Dice", which is best known for ending Lo's feud with T.I., the lines, "I used to roll the dice Feel the fear in my enemy's eyes Listen as the crowd would sing "Now the old king is dead! Long live the king!" & "One minute I held the key Next the walls were closed on me and I.. (Listen as the crowd would sing "Now the old king is dead! Long live the king!")", was used as the chorus. It features Chris Martin for the chorus. - The song was sampled for a Swizz Beats Hip-Hop song entitled "That Oprah".
- VV BrownVV BrownVanessa Brown , also known as VV Brown, is an English singer, songwriter, model, and producer signed to Island Records in the United Kingdom and to Universal Republic Records and Capitol Records in the United States...
covered the song for the first time on 6 January 2010, on FrenchFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
TV showTelevision programA television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
TaratataTaratataTaratata is a French TV show showcasing live and pre-recorded footage of current rock acts. Presented by Nagui since its début in 1993, the show was initially shown on France 2. This show often involves surprise and unlikely duets, as well as brief interviews with the artists...
. - The Dirty HeadsThe Dirty HeadsThe Dirty Heads are a Reggae rock band from Southern California with a melodic style that includes hip hop and punk genres. Their debut album, Any Port in a Storm, was released on September 23, 2008, by Executive Music Group .-History:...
covered the song on YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
's RAWsession. Watch Video - The song was covered in 2008 by Japanese idol group SMAPSMAPSMAP is a Japanese boy band formed by Johnny & Associates. While originally consisting of six members, the current group members are Masahiro Nakai, Takuya Kimura, Goro Inagaki, Tsuyoshi Kusanagi, and Shingo Katori...
, as a collaboration with Coldplay. They performed this song together (as Smaplay) on an episode of SMAP's television variety program, SMAP×SMAPSMAP×SMAPSMAP×SMAP is an ongoing weekly Japanese variety show on Kansai TV and Fuji TV starring the members of SMAP. The show began on April 15, 1996 and it airs from 22:00 to 22:54 every Monday...
. A famous portrait of the French Revolution appears near the end, suggesting the song's questionable meaning. Watch Video - Boyce AvenueBoyce AvenueBoyce Avenue is an American acoustic rock band. It was formed in Sarasota, Florida, by brothers Alejandro, Daniel and Fabian Manzano. The band is named after a combination of two streets the brothers lived on as children...
covered an acoustic version of the song on YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
in 2009. Watch Video - Drake sampled the song as "Congratulations" for a bonus track of his 2009 mixtape So Far Gone.
- Matt GiraudMatt GiraudMatthew Scott "Matt" Giraud is a dueling piano player from Kalamazoo, Michigan and the fifth place finalist of the eighth season of the reality television series American Idol.-Early life:...
covered the song during the eighth seasonAmerican Idol (season 8)The eighth season of American Idol premiered on January 13, 2009, and concluded on May 20, 2009. Judges Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, and Randy Jackson continued to judge the show's contestants, along with Ryan Seacrest as host. The season introduced Kara DioGuardi as the fourth judge on the Idol...
of American IdolAmerican IdolAmerican Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
. - Tim UrbanTim UrbanTimothy Joseph "Tim" Urban is an American singer-songwriter from Duncanville, Texas, who was the seventh place finalist on the ninth season of American Idol. Urban's debut album and EP titled Heart of Me is due for a November 8, 2010, iTunes release. Hard copies of the EP are on sale on his...
covered the song during the ninth seasonAmerican Idol (season 9)The ninth season of American Idol premiered on January 12, 2010 and concluded on May 26, 2010 on Fox. Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson and Kara DioGuardi all returned as judges, and Ellen DeGeneres permanently replaced Paula Abdul as the fourth judge. Idol Gives Back also returned for the season and was...
of American IdolAmerican IdolAmerican Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
. - K'naanK'naanK'naan , born Keinan Abdi Warsame in 1978, is a Somali Canadian poet, rapper, singer, songwriter and instrumentalist.-Biography:Born in Somalia, K'naan spent his childhood in Mogadishu and lived there during the Somali Civil War, which began in 1991. His aunt, Magool, was one of Somalia's most...
covered the song at Mod Club TheatreMod Club TheatreMod Club Theatre is a nightclub in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its address is 722 College Street, which is in Little Italy. The venue hosts live performance concerts and DJ nights, featuring genres like rock, pop, electronic music and hip hop.Mod Club Theatre has a capacity of about 600...
and at several of his live shows in 2009. Watch Video - WestlifeWestlifeWestlife are an Irish boy band established on 3 July 1998. They are to disband in 2012. The group's line-up was Nicky Byrne, Kian Egan, Mark Feehily, Shane Filan, and Brian McFadden . The group are the only act in British and Irish history to have their first seven singles peak at number one...
performed a one off version of the song in the O2 Blueroom in Dublin on 20 August 2010. Then performed again as part of their medley on their 2011 Gravity TourGravity TourThe Gravity Tour is the eleventh concert tour by Irish boy band, Westlife. The tour will support their eleventh studio album, Gravity. The tour visits Europe, Asia and Africa. -Background:...
. - WeezerWeezerWeezer is an American alternative rock band. The band currently consists of Rivers Cuomo , Patrick Wilson , Brian Bell , and Scott Shriner . The band has changed lineups three times since its formation in 1992...
included their cover version of the song on the deluxe edition of their 2010 album HurleyHurley (album)Hurley is the eighth studio album by American alternative rock band Weezer, released on September 10, 2010 on Epitaph Records. The album was produced by Rivers Cuomo and Shawn Everett, and, similar to the band's previous studio album, Raditude, features songs co-written with songwriters outside of...
. - Solange KnowlesSolange KnowlesSolange Piaget Knowles , who performs under the mononym Solange, is an American singer-songwriter, actress, model, dancer, and DJ. Knowles was born and raised in Houston, Texas along with her older sister singer Beyoncé, a former member of R&B group Destiny's Child...
performed the song live, including it on the setlist of her AOL Sessions to promote her second studio album Sol-Angel and the Hadley St. DreamsSol-Angel and the Hadley St. DreamsSol-Angel and the Hadley St. Dreams is the second studio album by American R&B singer Solange Knowles, released August 18, 2008, on Polydor Records and Music World...
. - Taylor SwiftTaylor SwiftTaylor Alison Swift is an American country pop singer-songwriter, musician and actress.In 2006, she released her debut single "Tim McGraw", then her self-titled debut album, which was subsequently certified multi-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America...
performed an acoustic version of the song on the Simon Mayo DrivetimeSimon Mayo DrivetimeSimon Mayo Drivetime is a popular programme on BBC Radio 2, which airs on weekdays between 17:00 and 19:00 in the United Kingdom. It is presented by broadcaster Simon Mayo, who moved to drivetime from his weekday afternoon show on BBC Radio 5 Live after Chris Evans moved to take over the Radio 2...
show for BBC Radio 2BBC Radio 2BBC Radio 2 is one of the BBC's national radio stations and the most popular station in the United Kingdom. Much of its daytime playlist-based programming is best described as Adult Contemporary or AOR, although the station is also noted for its specialist broadcasting of other musical genres...
. - One DirectionOne DirectionOne Direction are a British-Irish boy band, consisting of members Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne, Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson. They finished third on the seventh series of The X Factor. Following The X Factor, the group signed a record contract with Syco Music.One Direction's debut single...
performed the song on Week 1 of X FactorThe X Factor (UK)The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent. Created by Simon Cowell, it began in September 2004 and is contested by aspiring singers drawn from public auditions. It is the originator of the international X Factor franchise. The seven series of the show to date...
Series 7The X Factor (UK series 7)The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent; the winner of which receives a £1 million recording contract with the Syco Music record label. The seventh series started on ITV on 21 August 2010 and ended on 12 December 2010. The winner was Matt Cardle and...
Live Shows. Cher Lloyd sang a hip-hop version of the song during the bootcamp stage. - Penn MasalaPenn MasalaPenn Masala is the world's first and premier Hindi a cappella group, formed in 1996 by students at the University of Pennsylvania. Penn Masala’s music has been influenced by the Eastern and Western cultures that represent the group’s membership...
covered the song, mixing it with "Jashn-e-Bahara" from Jodhaa Akbar on their album Panoramic. - The cast of the U.S television show GleeGlee (TV series)Glee is an American musical comedy-drama television series that airs on Fox in the United States, and on GlobalTV in Canada. It focuses on the high school glee club New Directions competing on the show choir competition circuit, while its members deal with relationships, sexuality and social issues...
will be covering the song in a future episode. - Pianist Jon SchmidtJon SchmidtJon Schmidt is an American pianist currently residing in Salt Lake City, Utah. He describes his style as "New Age Classical." He was born to German immigrants who acquainted him with the works of such composers as Beethoven, Mozart, and Chopin. He began songwriting at age 11...
composed a mashupMashup (music)A mashup or bootleg is a song or composition created by blending two or more pre-recorded songs, usually by overlaying the vocal track of one song seamlessly over the instrumental track of another...
of Taylor SwiftTaylor SwiftTaylor Alison Swift is an American country pop singer-songwriter, musician and actress.In 2006, she released her debut single "Tim McGraw", then her self-titled debut album, which was subsequently certified multi-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America...
's "Love Story" and Coldplay's "Viva la Vida" that received over 1.5 million hits on YouTube. However, he was unable to contact Coldplay or their representatives to obtain permission for the song and was thus legally compelled to remove his video from YouTube; he later reworked the composition to remove all traces of the Coldplay song. - 2Cellos2Cellos2Cellos is a cello duo consisting of Croatian cellists Luka Šulić and Stjepan Hauser. Signed to Sony Masterworks since 12 April 2011, the two were discovered after uploading a music video of their cello-only cover of Michael Jackson's "Smooth Criminal" to YouTube.-Background:Šulić, born in...
is a cello duo consisting of Croatian cellists Luka ŠulićLuka ŠulićLuka Šulić is a Croatian Slovenian cellist.Šulić was born in Maribor, Slovenia. He comes from a Dubrovnik musical family, his father Božo is also a cellist, and many members of his family are associated with music....
and Stjepan HauserStjepan Hauser- Early life and musical training :Hauser was born in Pula to a musical family, where he began his musical education. He has a sister who is a journalist in Pula. Hauser finished secondary school in Rijeka...
, and they did a cover of "Viva la Vida" in their debut album "2Cellos".
Track listing
Digital download- "Viva la Vida" (New edit) – 4:04
Promotional CD
- "Viva la Vida" (Radio edit) – 3:45
- "Viva la Vida" (Full album version) – 4:01
CD release
- "Viva la Vida" – 4:02
- "Death Will Never Conquer" – 1:17
Bootleg Version
- "Viva la Vida - DMS12 mix" – 7:01
Charts
| Chart (2008) | Peak position |
|---|---|
Year-end charts
| Chart (2008) | Position |
|---|---|
| German Singles Chart | 26 |
| Swedish Singles Chart | 16 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
13 |
| Chart (2009) | Position |
| Australian Singles Chart | 92 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 31 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
126 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
55 |
Decade-end charts
| End of decade chart (2000–2009) | Position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
49 |
Certifications
| Country | Certifications Music recording sales certification Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,... (sales thresholds) |
|---|---|
| Australia Australian Recording Industry Association The Australian Recording Industry Association is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry which was established in 1983 by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing the Association of Australian Record Manufacturers which was formed in 1956... |
Platinum |
| Belgium Ultratop Ultratop is an organization which generates and publishes the official record charts in Belgium, and it is also the name of most of those charts... |
Gold |
| Brazil Associação Brasileira dos Produtores de Discos The Associação Brasileira dos Produtores de Discos is an official representative body of the record labels in the Brazilian phonographic market.- About :... |
Platinum |
| Denmark | Platinum |
| Finland | Gold |
| Germany Media Control Charts The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie... |
Gold |
| New Zealand Recording Industry Association of New Zealand The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand... |
Platinum |
| Spain | 3× Platinum |
| Switzerland Swiss Music Charts The Swiss Music Charts are Switzerland's main music sales charts. The charts are a record of the highest-selling singles and albums in various genres in Switzerland.The Swiss Charts include:* Singles Top 75... |
Platinum |
| United Kingdom British Phonographic Industry The British Phonographic Industry is the British record industry's trade association.-Structure:Its membership comprises hundreds of music companies including all four "major" record companies , associate members such as manufacturers and distributors, and hundreds of independent music companies... |
Gold |
| United States Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States... |
3× Platinum |
Chart procession and succession
External links
- Coldplay official site
- Viva la Vida article at WikiaWikiaWikia is a free web hosting service for wikis . It is normally free of charge for readers and editors, deriving most of its income from advertising, and publishes all user-provided text under copyleft licenses. Wikia hosts several hundred thousand wikis using the open-source wiki software MediaWiki...
- Frida Kahlo's "Viva la Vida"