Is the money and fame getting to Chris Martin's songwriting abilities??

[VIVA.42]

CALM DOWN, KID

 

thank you

[para-para-parrotdies]

Maybe those who say these horrible things about Chris Martin just don't understand the sophistication that they are heading to. They are still the very best. They are not sellouts or horrible. Try are doing what they wanted to do, or else they would have just quit! I think people are just way too attached to the first 3 albums, and are not open minded to different types of COLDPLAY. Paradise is a creative mess: LIKE THE GIRL TUE SONG IS ABOUT!! The melody reflects on the personality of the subject. Just like Charlie Brown, which is supposed to be about the rocky, lost guy. It's part of a whole. You have to see the story. Wait for the album because it may be the BEST DAMN THING EVER. Try listening to the Songs again without a thought in your mind of who COLDPLAY is. It's amazing. I've been a fangirl for a long time and I love the new stuff.

 

This is one of the most difficult posts to respond to because I have never said any of the things you claim. Never have I said "horrible things about Chris Martin." Never have I said that I wish they make another Parachutes or another AROBTTH (after all, I'm not "way too attached" to them... I want musical progression). Never have I said anything about the album - in fact, I've repeatedly said I'll reserve judgment about MX until I hear in its entirety.

 

The point that keeps getting lost behind these fanatical rants is the decline in Chris Martin's songwriting abilities. Again, this has nothing to do with musical style or direction... just the lyrics. The average effort from pre-AROBTTH days contain far greater lyrical depth than the songs that followed. I've provided countless examples showing what I'm talking about.

 

I have a serious question for you - do you actually read any of the posts? Or do you immediately feel compelled to defend the band once you see some type of criticism. At least you do have the decency to admit you are a "fangirl" so we know how to weigh your comments.

[john_crawford44]

I honestly don't think the lyrics have gotten "worse", by any stretch.... there have always been watermarks and cellar dwellers on each album in their entire catalog ( in my opinion). Some alt-rock songs have fairly remedial lyrics that to me mean something entirely different than their intention ("Holocene" by Bon Iver, as an example). It's the whole song in its context that "feels" like a place you visited.

 

Chris Martin would never win any poetry contests, but it doesn't mean that every once in awhile he doesn't hit a homerun with his prose ("Amsterdam", for example) and music combined. Goosebumps. I was looking for goosebumps in these singles, and while I find myself humming "Paradise" daily it doesn't remind me of my life at all. Does that make sense?

[Blue Nails]

^ :nod:.

Makes lots of sense.

[Kiame]

Fuck me, why don't you save the dramatic cry baby stuff until the album has actually come out.

[para-para-parrotdies]

Fuck me, why don't you save the dramatic cry baby stuff until the album has actually come out.

 

This discussion isn't limited to just the new album. And your outbust is odd considering this is one of your old posts:

 

I love Paradise's music and I overall do enjoy the song very much, but the lyrics are really bad and I can certainly understand where the criticism is coming from.

[Kiame]

This discussion isn't limited to just the new album. And your outbust is odd considering this is one of your old posts:

 

How does any of what I said about Paradise's lyrics contradict any of what I said?

 

Yes, Paradise has shit lyrics. However Every Teardrop is a Waterfall doesn't, it's my favourite song. Major Minus doesn't. Charlie Brown doesn't. Hurts Like Heaven doesn't. Us Against the World doesn't. Princess of China doesn't. And I'm willing to wager many of the unheard songs won't either.

 

One example of one song having bad lyrics does not give you the right to claim that Chris Martin has been destroyed by money and fame. That's fucking obnoxious.

 

To be honest, Chris Martin has never been a brilliant lyricist. He write simple lyrics that are at times poignant, but mostly fun and catchy. If you compare him to someone like Ben Gibbard he falls incredibly short. I love Chris to death, and Coldplay are my favourite band - but if you are trying to tell me that he was once an amazing lyricist, I'm going to have to strongly disagree there.

 

And by the way, I can think of a few songs from the old era that had shit lyrics too.

 

I'm absolutely sick to death of all this sensationalist nonsense so many of us are spewing about the band. You hear one song you don't like and start claiming ridiculously outrageous things. I'm sorry, but that doesn't fly. You can't fling rubbish around that carelessly. Not without proof. And no, one song isn't proof. Especially when there are a half a dousand other songs written in the same time period that have fantastic lyrics. You make no sense.

 

By the way, Us Against the World is probably one of the strongest songs Chris has even written.

 

Oh morning come bursting, the clouds, they move

Lift off this blindfold, let me see again

And bring back the water, that your ships rode in

In my heart you left a hole

 

The tightrope that I’m walking just sways and ties

The devil as he’s talking with those angel’s eyes

And I just want to be there when the lightning strikes

And the saints go marching in

 

And sing slow it down

 

Through chaos as it swirls

It’s just us against the world

 

--

 

That's beautiful. And that's as strong as ever. I think those lyrics are miles stronger than Sparks or Warning Sign.

 

So much for Chris being destroyed by fame....

[TyM218]

True, no band or musician can have a 100% success in writing lyrics. But take a look at this:

 

AROBTTH had one song with truly bad lyrics (In My Place) while Viva had the lyrical disasters known as Lost! and 42 (not to mention the lyrics of other songs on the album aren't something to boast about either)

 

 

 

 

 

.....And don't even get me started on the MX-era songs.

 

Lovers in japan lyrics are awesome

[Mackplay]

@Para para parot..... You join this forum just to shit on Coldplay. I don't know why people are still talking to you.

[para-para-parrotdies]

@Para para parot..... You join this forum just to shit on Coldplay. I don't know why people are still talking to you.

 

Maybe it's because I actually put thought into my posts. Have you even bothered reading any of the things I have posted? I dare you to find a single instance where I "shit on Coldplay." Go on, try it.

[para-para-parrotdies]

One example of one song having bad lyrics does not give you the right to claim that Chris Martin has been destroyed by money and fame. That's fucking obnoxious.

 

 

 

.........this just proves that you haven't been reading my posts carefully. I don't know how many times I've stated this over and over (I might as well copy + paste now to save myself the time and effort) - my thoughts aren't limited to the MX-era songs we have heard. Nor is this thread an immediate reaction to Paradise as you mistakenly believe. In fact, if you just bother to look back at any of my past posts, you'd see I list more than one song as an example - I've also referenced ETIAW, Lost!, 42, etc. (Preempting angry response: this has nothing to do with musical direction or style. I certainly enjoy many of the Viva-era songs, but that doesn't mean they have great lyrics)

 

I've also said repeatedly that I know Chris Martin isn't the world's best lyricist and that some of their earlier songs also have uninspired lyrics (Yellow + In My Place come into mind). I've even said that I do enjoy the lyrics to Us Against the World and some of their more recent efforts.

 

No, this is about comparing the average effort of the songs' lyrics pre-AROBTTH and after. As I and many other posters in this thread have pointed out, the lyrics do seem to be taking a downturn and we're just curious why. Nowhere do we conclusively attribute the fame + money as the reason - it's just a hypothesis that maybe Chris Martin doesn't have the same inspiration + drive as he used to. You can agree or disagree all you want but don't insult me and the other posters by saying this is pure "sensationalist nonsense." If you actually bother to read any of the posts, you'd find there's a lot of thought put behind all of them.

 

Forgive me if this post is also "fucking obnoxious" :shocked2:

[Abracadabra]

I have a serious question for you - do you actually read any of the posts? Or do you immediately feel compelled to defend the band once you see some type of criticism. At least you do have the decency to admit you are a "fangirl" so we know how to weigh your comments.

 

That really is a serious question. I can't get over the impression that they don't. :confused:

[para-para-parrotdies]

That really is a serious question. I can't get over the impression that they don't. :confused:

 

Yeah, I'm fine with people disagreeing with me. That's what a message board is for - where fans can share all kinds of thoughts with other fans. But these past couple of days have shown that this only applies as long as it's praise for Coldplay. One tiny bit of constructive criticism = > "OMG YOU ARE A HATER!!!" It's very frustrating repeating the same things over and over because people either a) didn't bother reading the post; or b) didn't understand the post but interpreted as "hate"

 

To make things easier, I added a poll. This should reveal if people agree/disagree with the idea that the lyrical quality has decreased since the AROBTTH days. It's science. :cool:

[Hartroc]

Love how X&Y isn't even an option. :laugh3:

[para-para-parrotdies]

Love how X&Y isn't even an option. :laugh3:

 

Haha, I try so hard to forget that album even exists that it slipped my mind when making the poll :embarrassed:

 

Can a moderator add the X&Y option for me? I want this poll to be as "scientific" as possible

[Wyrd]

@Para para parot..... You join this forum just to shit on Coldplay.

Not.

 

:escaping2:

[Hartroc]

Haha, I try so hard to forget that album even exists that it slipped my mind when making the poll :embarrassed:

 

Can a moderator add the X&Y option for me? I want this poll to be as "scientific" as possible

 

Just leave it off. No one in their right mind would vote for it. :lol:

[para-para-parrotdies]

Just leave it off. No one in their right mind would vote for it. :lol:

 

Looks like no one is even missing X&Y in the poll :laugh3:

[john_crawford44]

I think "parrot-parrot-parrotdies" (brilliant name, btw) has a great point - if you go by his (I assume he's a he) thread title. I wonder myself if having everything you ever wanted can suck the creative juices out of you, especially a band like Coldplay that relies on going deep inside their soul for inspiration. That being said, I will have to reference my previous comment that Coldplay has always had high watermarks and cellar dwellars when it comes to their lyrical content (Chris' vision).

 

What scares me about this particular record (and it's just based on the first two singles and the Rihanna guest vocals) is that the substance is gone... there is no connection for me personally. Mylo Xyloto: the Musical - "Grease" set in the future. It screams of a later Broadway play, like "American Idiot". It's so gradiose and so universal that it loses its sincerity. It reminds me of U2, in a way. You get so big and you are flying private jets and hanging with celebrities in your downtime and you begin to, without realizing it sometimes, lose your ability to relate to the common person and their struggles. So you create a story abut someone else... which could be cool if you are good enough to do that lyrically, a la Bob Dylan. But it could be a disaster if you cannot. I hope Chris Martin proves me wrong.

[The Final Track]

I actually like X&Y lyrically. I would have voted AROBTTH either way, though.

[john_crawford44]

para-para-parrotdies, I meant...

[para-para-parrotdies]

It reminds me of U2, in a way. You get so big and you are flying private jets and hanging with celebrities in your downtime and you begin to, without realizing it sometimes, lose your ability to relate to the common person and their struggles.

 

Exactly! This is what I was going for from the first post of what has now become a convoluted thread. There's no question the money + fame changes you (sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse) and when you are a multimillionaire superstar musician, can you continue to relate to the common person? Their daily struggles?

[Hartroc]

I actually think Mylo Xyloto has had some pretty good lyrics so far. Charlie Brown, Hurts Like Heaven and Us Against the World come to mind.

 

The rest of them...not so much.

[para-para-parrotdies]

I actually think Mylo Xyloto has had some pretty good lyrics so far. Charlie Brown, Hurts Like Heaven and Us Against the World come to mind.

 

The rest of them...not so much.

 

:nod: I like Us Against the World but the rest of the MX-era songs haven't exactly been lyrically inspired....

[RunForTheHills]

Posted this in another thread, but it seems more at home here. More of a rant than anything else, but I've I'm all out of restraint today and I think the current state of affairs warrants it somewhat.

 

This whole "Is it pop or is it not?" argument is just a strawman. It's a distraction to keep people arguing over semantics, rather than addressing the REAL reasons why people aren't happy with some of new material. Just like the "they aren't going to make another Parachutes, get over it!" argument, it completely misses the point. Hate to be this direct, but most of these arguments are made by people who don't have the capacity to accept the possibility that the quality of band's music may be on the decline. Coldplay aren't infallible, and if you find yourself going to all sorts of lengths trying to defend everything they do, then you probably need to start thinking about whether you might have a completely unrealistic image of them in your head. Honestly, scrolling through some of these threads nowadays is like witnessing a discussion between religious fanatics and secular rationalists.

 

Whether the songs people are complaining about can be classified as pop or not is neither here nor there. Lazy songwriting / shallow lyrics / lack of inspiration are what people are ACTUALLY concerned about. And these things are really not that hard to notice if you haven't put Chris Martin on a pedestal.

 

And so what all of this really comes down to is FEAR OF DISAPPOINTMENT. Are you being honest with yourself when you share your opinion here? Or do you find yourself taking offense to genuine criticism that wasn't being aimed at you, but at the band? Also, ask yourself, why would four multi-millionaires need to be defended anyway? Is it because they are incapable of taking criticism without being offended? Come on now. The reality is that there's a whole bunch of disappointed people on here split down the middle, with half of them admitting their disappointment and writing about their frustrations, and the other half attacking those people because they can't stand to admit that their favourite band might be letting them down a bit. I've never seen so much insecurity on display here as I have over the last few weeks on the forums, and I think that speaks volumes.

 

Sorry if this derailed the discussion a little, I just get a little tired of people getting so defensive over stuff like this. If you love the new stuff that's great. If their marketing decisions don't bother you, that's fine too. But the lengths some people go to to convince themselves and others that Coldplay are untouchable and that everything they put out is nothing less than mindblowing, is quite frankly embarrassing.