I've heard a lot of talk about Coldplay's flirtations with Christianity and being a Christian myself, this intrigues me. I wanted to share with everyone an article I found about X&Y in Christianity Today's Glimpses of God series. It would be interesting to hear everyone else's thoughts about this as many of their lyrics seem to be heading in a spiritual direction:

 

Coldplay

A Rush of Blood to the Head (Capitol)

Alternative pop/rock

 

by Russ Breimeier

 

"In my place, in my place were lines that I couldn't change … I was lost, I was lost, crossed lines I shouldn't have crossed … I was scared, I was scared, tired and under-prepared, but I'll wait for it/If you go, if you go and leave me down here on my own, then I'll wait for you." — from "In My Place"

 

Coldplay's shimmering sophomore effort (a Grammy winner for Best Alternative Music album) is one of those projects that maddeningly blurs many lines, not just between pop and art, but also between songs of earthly love and spiritual yearning. The average listener will surely lean to the former interpretation because of the vagueness of the lyrics, but as with the music of Lifehouse, there seems to be much more at stake here than a simple unrequited crush.

 

The search for purpose, meaning, and (above all) love, is a recurring theme set-up by the majestic "Politik" — "Give me strength, reserve control/Give me heart and give me soul … but give me love over this." The first radio single, "In My Place" (cited above), is as honest a confessional as any modern worship song or Psalm. The second single, "Clocks," similarly expresses a prodigal's humility and longing to return home — "Lights go out and I can't be saved/Tides that I tried to swim against/Have brought me down upon my knees/Oh, I beg, I beg and plead." The chorus of the song is simply "You are" and the bridge "Nothing else compares."

 

Strangely enough, "God Put a Smile Upon Your Face" offers the album's most definitive and yet cryptic references to the Almighty: "Ah, when you work it out, I'm worse than you/Yeah, when you work it out I wanted to/Ah, when you work out where to draw the line/Your guess is as good as mine." Perhaps Chris Martin is singing about the fine line between sin and pleasure, stating that everyone is sinful and falls short and that there are no degrees. A few lines later, he sings of God's mercy: "Don't ever say you're on your way down/God gave you style and gave you grace/And put a smile upon your face."

 

According to various interviews and articles, Chris was raised in a Christian home — the son of a minister, in fact — but has since expressed bewilderment with people's interest in it. Yet A Rush of Blood to the Head is filled with little examples of contrition and redemption. The closing song, "Amsterdam," expresses depression and the state of mind of a man at the end of his rope — literally or figuratively, it's not entirely clear — but someone cuts him loose at the song's end. Is this freedom from depression, or does it refer to a deeper bondage? Much of A Rush of Blood to the Head is abstract enough to leave it open to interpretation, but the themes are just as applicable to matters of faith as they are to matters of the heart.

 

http://www.christianitytoday.com/music/glimpses/2003/arushofbloodtothehead.html

 

Coldplay

X&Y (Capitol Records)

British pop/rock

by Russ Breimeier

 

"How long am I gonna stand with my head stuck under the sand/I'll start before I can stop, before I see things the right way up … A sign that I couldn't read, a light that I couldn't see/Some things you have to believe/Others are puzzles puzzling me … All those signs I knew what they meant/Some things you can't invent/Some get made and some get sent."

—from the hit single "Speed of Sound"

 

Love or hate Coldplay, it's obvious that the British pop/rock band has hit it big and is poised for career longevity. Their 2002 sophomore effort A Rush of Blood to the Head sold 3.7 million copies, and X&Y, their 2005 follow-up, sold more than a million in its first two weeks. Most reviews have been strong, but some critics offered scathing criticism as a backlash to the popularity—a sure sign of runaway success. There's also something to be said for defining a genre and, like U2 and Radiohead, becoming the standard for comparison to numerous copycats. It all comes with the territory when you're reportedly vying to become one of the biggest bands on the planet.

 

Regardless of how you feel about their music, Coldplay has clearly chosen to run with the qualities that made Rush so successful, only to amplify their sound for soon-to-be packed arenas. The four members won't be regarded as the most skillful musicians, relying heavily on simplistic hooks. But they're proving themselves masters of dynamic, minimalist arrangements that elicit the same emotional responses as history's greatest arena rock bands.

 

Guitarist Jonny Buckland sounds like he's been intensely studying the U2 playbook to borrow several Edge-styled guitar riffs, while the addition of organ and swirling synthesizer pads suggest frontman Chris Martin is currently enamored with Sigur Ros, Pink Floyd, and David Bowie. The band even uses a familiar hook from Kraftwerk's "Computer Love" for their own song, "Talk." The overall effect of X&Y is like listening to a classic alternative rock band from the '70s and '80s reinvented for the new millennium—very familiar, yet somehow also different.

 

Coldplay also resembles U2 in that some of their songs hint at spirituality—though not as clearly as Bono and his band. In an old interview, Martin is said to read the Bible regularly, and all four members profess "admiration for Christian beliefs." Martin once told the New York Daily News that he's never "rebelled against his mother's Christian faith," but in another interview he said he "used to be a Christian." In a more recent interview with Entertainment Weekly.com, Martin said, "I'm not agnostic, because I definitely believe in God." But he went on to say he doesn't necessarily believe in a specific religion, and added this bizarre observation: "There's some powers around, whatever they might be. I mean, if there's human beings who can stare at goats and make them die, then there's big forces out there somewhere. You know what I mean?" (Note: Martin, who frequently uses the f-bomb in interviews, includes a few in this one too.)

 

Martin has said that X&Y refers to the unanswerable questions in life. That fits with the album's recurring themes of incompleteness, fixing souls, and leaps of faith ("you'll never know unless you try"). They're especially heavy in the majestic title track, which desperately searches for change and a way to fill the emptiness. Similarly, the dream-like thunder of "White Shadows" seems to be about regaining lost childhood innocence, or perhaps even faith: "When I was a young boy, I tried to listen and I want to feel like that." A later lyric in the same song hints at something bigger, even cosmic: "You're part of the human race/All of the stars and the outer space/Part of a system, I am."

 

Several songs take the perspective of a seeker. "What If?" seems to be about his marriage, even seeming to alternate between Martin's voice and that of his wife (actress Gwyneth Paltrow). Yet it also ponders what life would be like if we weren't grounded by the deepest of loves: "What if there was no light/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?" Meanwhile, "The Hardest Part" indicates recognition of misguided views: "Everything I know is wrong/Everything I do it just comes undone/Everything is torn apart."

 

Some have characterized X&Y as a dark album, yet so much of it is encouraging in tone—portraits of love and compassion invested in the lives of others. "Talk" is about being available to discuss the hurts of another, asking, "Are you lost or incomplete?/Do you feel like a puzzle, you can't find your missing piece?/Tell me how you feel/Well I feel like they're talking in a language I don't speak/And they're talking it to me." Similarly, "Low" offers hope to the depressed and dejected: "You think you'll never get it right/You're wrong, you might." Then there's the glorious "Fix You," supposedly written for Martin's wife after the death of her father. The song plays like a modern day "Bridge Over Troubled Water," offering peace and comfort to the weary: "Lights will guide you home and ignite your bones/And I will try to fix you." It's up to listeners to decide who's offering to repair the soul.

 

In "A Message," a simple challenge to love better, a pivotal lyric is taken from Samuel Crossman's classic hymn: "My song is love unknown ... Love to the loveless shown." But Martin also omits the key phrase between those two lines—"My Savior's love to me." Inspired by the birth of his daughter, the hit single "Speed of Sound" (excerpted above) is about miracles and wonders, similar in tone to some of the Lord's questioning in Job 38-42—it's no less spiritual than Michael W. Smith's similarly themed hit "Signs." The album closes with "Till Kingdom Come," a song originally written for Johnny Cash to record before his death in 2004. Whether it's directed to Christ or a lost loved one (e.g. June Carter Cash), it's still focused on eternal love in heaven: "I need someone who understands/I need someone who hears/For you I've waited all these years/For you I'd wait till kingdom come/Until my day, my day is done/And say you'll come and set me free/Say you'll wait and wait for me"

 

Coldplay isn't a "Christian" band, but rather one whose impressionistic and existential lyricism allows for wide interpretations of their love songs on a deeper level. Martin told one interviewer that the band is constantly asking him to refrain from using proper names in his songwriting. No doubt much of that stems from his affinity for numerous political causes, but based on some of his lyricism on X&Y, one wonders if Martin hasn't also tried to insert some specific spiritual references.

 

http://www.christianitytoday.com/music/glimpses/2005/xandy.html

well as Chris has said many times...Coldplay's albums are whatever you want them to be about..if you see christian themes, and that's your thing, then cool:cool:

well as Chris has said many times...Coldplay's albums are whatever you want them to be about..if you see christian themes, and that's your thing, then cool:cool:

 

Yeah, I try to find spiritual value in whatever I listen to and there's a lot of it in Coldplay's songs.

wow interesting find, thanks for that.

Yeah, I try to find spiritual value in whatever I listen to and there's a lot of it in Coldplay's songs.

 

I had a convo about this with my cousins this past week.

I had a convo about this with my cousins this past week.

 

Really? It's an interesting concept. Whenever you become a Christian you start to see things in a different way, you know? You start to see the spiritual side of things, how God is working in this situation, how God is trying to speak to you through a song that you wouldn't expect Him to use. But, of course, this is the same God who spoke in the form of a donkey to men who wouldn't listen to Him any other way! He shows up in the most mysterious places, that's for sure.

Really? It's an interesting concept. Whenever you become a Christian you start to see things in a different way, you know? You start to see the spiritual side of things, how God is working in this situation, how God is trying to speak to you through a song that you wouldn't expect Him to use. But, of course, this is the same God who spoke in the form of a donkey to men who wouldn't listen to Him any other way! He shows up in the most mysterious places, that's for sure.

 

Yes, I didn't know he took the form of a donkey but when you're God you're God...

Really? It's an interesting concept. Whenever you become a Christian you start to see things in a different way, you know? You start to see the spiritual side of things, how God is working in this situation, how God is trying to speak to you through a song that you wouldn't expect Him to use. But, of course, this is the same God who spoke in the form of a donkey to men who wouldn't listen to Him any other way! He shows up in the most mysterious places, that's for sure.

 

Definitely.

 

I guess just with Coldplay's emotion some songs can almost seem "spiritual".

I haven't really thought about it much personally. U2 on the other hand is another story.

 

And I had a "spiritual experience" with a RAdiohead song last summer, it was rather cool.

Definitely.

 

I guess just with Coldplay's emotion some songs can almost seem "spiritual".

I haven't really thought about it much personally. U2 on the other hand is another story.

 

And I had a "spiritual experience" with a RAdiohead song last summer, it was rather cool.

 

I guess everyone interprets what's spiritual in different ways. Certainly there's a lot more freedom when it comes to religion and its interpretion now than in the past, am i right or wrong?

Yes, I didn't know he took the form of a donkey but when you're God you're God...

 

Oh yes, and the men were astounded by it to say the least. :lol:

 

If you want I can find the story for you, it's a good read.

 

Definitely.

 

I guess just with Coldplay's emotion some songs can almost seem "spiritual".

I haven't really thought about it much personally. U2 on the other hand is another story.

 

And I had a "spiritual experience" with a RAdiohead song last summer, it was rather cool.

 

Yes, as the reviewer in those articles stated, a lot of Coldplay's songs are existential questions of life itself, and it's like they're searching. Any human, regardless of religious affiliation, can relate to Coldplay's laments and emotional outpourings in their music, which is why Coldplay can connect with so many different kinds of people. U2 is definitely more upfront about their religion, certainly.

 

I've been able to find spiritual inspiration in everyone from Coldplay to Nickelback to Muse. It's just whatever speaks to you.

 

I guess everyone interprets what's spiritual in different ways. Certainly there's a lot more freedom when it comes to religion and its interpretion now than in the past, am i right or wrong?

 

Yes, it used to be that priests were the final say on all interpretations of the Bible, but in the past couple of centuries people have become more free to develop a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and it's become more open to interpretation than ever before. This has its pros and cons and there are some absolute truths that can only be interpreted one way and one way only, but for music anyone can get whatever out of anything.

Oh yes, and the men were astounded by it to say the least. :lol:

 

If you want I can find the story for you, it's a good read.

 

 

 

Yes, as the reviewer in those articles stated, a lot of Coldplay's songs are existential questions of life itself, and it's like they're searching. Any human, regardless of religious affiliation, can relate to Coldplay's laments and emotional outpourings in their music, which is why Coldplay can connect with so many different kinds of people. U2 is definitely more upfront about their religion, certainly.

 

I've been able to find spiritual inspiration in everyone from Coldplay to Nickelback to Muse. It's just whatever speaks to you.

 

 

 

Yes, it used to be that priests were the final say on all interpretations of the Bible, but in the past couple of centuries people have become more free to develop a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and it's become more open to interpretation than ever before. This has its pros and cons and there are some absolute truths that can only be interpreted one way and one way only, but for music anyone can get whatever out of anything.

 

 

Interesting dude, very interesting. And religion is playing such a major part in the upcoming elections as well, its very interesting to watch

Interesting dude, very interesting. And religion is playing such a major part in the upcoming elections as well, its very interesting to watch

 

Yes it is, who knew that Reverend Wright would be so infamous? hehe

Yes it is, who knew that Reverend Wright would be so infamous? hehe

 

Or the reverends that are caught up with mccain at the moment - i loved seeing colbert talking bout them the other night: hilarious!!!!

Or the reverends that are caught up with mccain at the moment - i loved seeing colbert talking bout them the other night: hilarious!!!!

 

Oh yes, hehe, I've heard John Hagee and Rod Parsley both give some great sermons but both were over-the-top in their comments. I hope they realize that. It still doesn't compare to Wright though haha.

Oh yes, hehe, I've heard John Hagee and Rod Parsley both give some great sermons but both were over-the-top in their comments. I hope they realize that. It still doesn't compare to Wright though haha.

 

That's cos wright loves the spotlight soooooo much and is now banking on obama NOT getting elected so he can continue his rants about a hate-filled america. don't you just love stories with a happy ending and hopeful message lol

That's cos wright loves the spotlight soooooo much and is now banking on obama NOT getting elected so he can continue his rants about a hate-filled america. don't you just love stories with a happy ending and hopeful message lol

 

Oh yeah, I think Wright was expecting a special position in Obama's cabinet if he was elected! :lol:

 

Wow, and I just saw a white priest who came to Obama's church and gave a hate-filled "sermon" (if you can even call it that) about Hillary Clinton and white people. AND HE WAS WHITE. Everyone was jumping up and down and getting excited too!

 

Oh my gosh, that was hilarious. Makes you wonder about that church, though. :stunned:

Oh yes, hehe, I've heard John Hagee and Rod Parsley both give some great sermons but both were over-the-top in their comments. I hope they realize that. It still doesn't compare to Wright though haha.

 

are you implying that Hagee and Parsley are not as bad as Wright?...

 

"It was the disobedience and rebellion of the Jews, God's chosen people, to their covenantal responsibility to serve only the one true God, Jehovah, that gave rise to the opposition and persecution that they experienced beginning in Canaan and continuing to this very day... Their own rebellion had birthed the seed of antisemitism that would arise and bring destruction to them for centuries to come.... it rises from the judgment of God upon his rebellious chosen people." - Hagee

 

Hagee also implied that Katrina was caused my homosexuals in New Orleans.

 

or Parsley saying that the US should destroy Islam, or his comparison of Planned Parenthood to Nazis.

 

Wright's comments sure are inflamatory, but comments by Hagee and Parsley are as bad if not worse than those by Wright.

are you implying that Hagee and Parsley are not as bad as Wright?...

 

"It was the disobedience and rebellion of the Jews, God's chosen people, to their covenantal responsibility to serve only the one true God, Jehovah, that gave rise to the opposition and persecution that they experienced beginning in Canaan and continuing to this very day... Their own rebellion had birthed the seed of antisemitism that would arise and bring destruction to them for centuries to come.... it rises from the judgment of God upon his rebellious chosen people." - Hagee

 

Hagee also implied that Katrina was caused my homosexuals in New Orleans.

 

or Parsley saying that the US should destroy Islam, or his comparison of Planned Parenthood to Nazis.

 

Wright's comments sure are inflamatory, but comments by Hagee and Parsley are as bad if not worse than those by Wright.

 

Actually, Hagee was saying more or less that the Jews rejection of Christ and their continued disobedience of God has brought upon a lot of suffering. He was saying because the Jews rejected God and started trying to live without Him, they were going through a lot of tribulations that they wouldn't have to go through had they been obedient. He could've worded it a bit better, however.

 

Parsley, well Islam is a false religion but I don't understand his hatred really.

 

The racism in Wright's comments offended me more than anything.

wow, i cant believe you are defending the intolerance of other religions in Hagee and Parsley's speeches. What makes Christianity more valid of a religion than islam?

And please dont say ":because the bible says so" since that is a logically circular argument.

wow, i cant believe you are defending the intolerance of other religions in Hagee and Parsley's speeches. What makes Christianity more valid of a religion than islam?

And please dont say ":because the bible says so" since that is a logically circular argument.

 

Personal experience and faith have confirmed it, that's all I can say. Christianity is largely based on faith, though if you do enough research you will find that Christianity is supported by logic. I won't get into it here, though. I meant for this to be about Coldplay's spirituality but we got a bit off-topic.

I'll admit that in Wright's speeches he does link things that have nothing to do with race with accusations of racism, like the conspiracy regarding the AIDS virus.

But the United States does have a very racists history. And there continues to be a large amount of social inequality in the US. Exactly which of Wright's comments did you find racists and offensive?

Personal experience and faith have confirmed it, that's all I can say. Christianity is largely based on faith, though if you do enough research you will find that Christianity is supported by logic. I won't get into it here, though. I meant for this to be about Coldplay's spirituality but we got a bit off-topic.

 

sir, i've done my research and religion, any religion, and logic do not mix. I understand and respect people's rights to believe in higher powers but that is an Spiritual matter. I would just appreciate some respect of other religions if you are to discuss these topics.

I'll admit that in Wright's speeches he does link things that have nothing to do with race with accusations of racism, like the conspiracy regarding the AIDS virus.

But the United States does have a very racists history. And there continues to be a large amount of social inequality in the US. Exactly which of Wright's comments did you find racists and offensive?

 

Mainly what you said, the fact that he blames white people for nearly every injustice ever made against African Americans or Africans in general. That's Black Liberation Theology, however. Their theology is largely based upon a hatred of the white race and their belief that God will punish white people, even going as far as saying that if God chooses not to punish the white people, then blacks should reject His love. It's a flawed theology based upon racism.

 

You can tell from his manner of speech and other sermons that he has made that he's a racist. The whole church is like that, apparently.

 

I respect all people regardless of what religion they practice, but I do believe there's only one true religion.

Mainly what you said, the fact that he blames white people for nearly every injustice ever made against African Americans or Africans in general. That's Black Liberation Theology, however. Their theology is largely based upon a hatred of the white race and their belief that God will punish white people, even going as far as saying that if God chooses not to punish the white people, then blacks should reject His love. It's a flawed theology based upon racism.

 

You can tell from his manner of speech and other sermons that he has made that he's a racist. The whole church is like that, apparently.

 

I respect all people regardless of what religion they practice, but I do believe there's only one true religion.

 

 

When it comes to religion, which is intensely close to a vast percentage of the world's population, debates can become quite heated. No duh.

These three reverends/pastors/leaders all display intolerance for others, blind hatred and are deplorable sh!ts.

But in what demonhunter has said about "I believe there's only one true religion" he is correct in that for a Jew, a Muslim, a Christian, a Hindu or a Buddhist, they should and in the main do tolerate and not demonize the religious views of others BUT each one in turn believes their religion to be the true one.

yeah

 

i think it's up to you to read into the lyrics.

i mean...

you can take some of his existential lines like the reviewer did from "speed of sound" and make it sound like he's referring to a god...

 

but then you can take a line like "if you love me, won't you let me know?" and make it seem like he's an agnostic.

 

i'm sure as many references as chris has towards a god, there are just as many that lean the exact other way.

 

http://www.myspace.com/themodernantiques