A Close Analysis of Viva La Vida: The Reason and Rhyme

There has been a lot of debate over the interpretation of the song Viva La Vida by Coldplay.  Overall, I would argue that the song takes on a slightly sad note as there is a constant reference to what “was” in the past.  However, if you were to look at individual stanzas, you can garner a different tone found in those lines.  One part of the song that particularly interests me is the chorus of the song, found repeated three times during the course of the work.

One of the first things you notice if you were to listen to the song is that there is a “flow” or “rhythm” found in the chorus due to a similar number of syllables in each line and through the use of rhyming found at the end of each line.  On the first line, “ringing” is followed by “singing” in the second, and “shield” on the third line is followed by “field” on the fourth.  The use of these words and the style gives the allusion that the listener knows what is going to be said next (assuming this is the first time they were to hear it).  This helps generate a familiarity to the listener that gets more pronounced as the songs goes on due to the repetitions of the chorus.

The second, and more important of the two things to notice are the meaning of the words used in the chorus.  The first line states, “I hear Jerusalem bells are ringing.”  This is clearly a religious reference because Jerusalem is the “Holy City” to some.  The statement gives an idea of what to come through the verse and, because it is the chorus, what an over-arching idea is of the song.  Through the use of I, you get the sense that the singer is THERE, actually in Jerusalem because he hears the bell and so you know where he is.  The next line states, “Roman Cavalry choirs are singing.”  Again, this shows a reference to religion because the Roman choir is very big in the church.  The word “cavalry” as defined by the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) is, “the collective term for horse-soldiers; that part of a military force which consists of mounted troops.” Because cavalry is described as part of a military force, you can get the sense of authority.  If you combine this description with that of a Roman choir singing, you get the idea of powerful ranks of soldiers singing in the same tone, and this is a very striking image.  The third line in the chorus states, “Be my mirror, my sword and shield.”  A mirror is obviously a reflection of something.  By saying “Be my…” the singer is saying be a reflection of himself, or show the truth within him.  “Sword” in the chorus can be a metaphor for authority and power.  When asked to “Be my…sword”, the singer wishes his audience to be the one to spread his message.  The reference to “shield” is obviously a metaphor for protection and shelter or safety.  Shields can guard something and so there is something that needs protection here.  Combine this with the final line of “My missionaries in a foreign field,” and you realize that the third verse was just a description for the forth and that the author has onus on the missionaries through the use of “My.”  He is a person with ideas to spread and has others going to “foreign field(s)” to do it.

This chorus uses clear religious references and a tone that gives the audience a sense of familiarity.  It gives the image of a man with ideas to spread that are religious in nature and one can only wonder what is being referred to.  The meaning behind the song Viva La Vida has been the subject of great debate and this is just another opinion of the highly debated song written by Coldplay.

Lyrics:

I used to rule the world
Seas would rise when I gave the word
Now in the morning I sleep alone
Sweep the streets I used to own

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 discovered that my castles stand
Upon pillars of salt and pillars of sand

I hear Jerusalem bells are ringing
Roman Cavalry choirs are singing
Be my mirror, my sword and shield
My missionaries in a foreign field

For some reason I can’t explain
Once you go there was never
Never an honest word
And that was when I ruled the world

It was the wicked and wild wind
Blew down the doors to let me in
Shattered windows and the sound of drums
People couldn’t believe what I’d become

Revolutionaries wait
For my head on a silver plate
Just a puppet on a lonely string
Oh who would ever want to be king?

I hear Jerusalem bells are ringing
Roman Cavalry choirs are singing
Be my mirror, my sword and shield
My missionaries in a foreign field

For some reason I can’t explain
I know Saint Peter won’t call my name
Never an honest word
But that was when I ruled the world

I hear Jerusalem bells are ringing
Roman Cavalry choirs are singing
Be my mirror, my sword and shield
My missionaries in a foreign field

For some reason I can’t explain
I know Saint Peter won’t call my name
Never an honest word
But that was when I ruled the world

Video Link:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bJMxhvVf0o