Mylo Xyloto- My interpretation

[Chill_X&Y]

Hi people!

 

So, I just went and wrote this for no reason at all. Going from the idea that Mylo Xyloto's a concept album, I present:

 

Mylo Xyloto by Coldplay- An Interpretation.

 

I see the album as being a love story between two people, named Mylo and Xyloto (although I believe it’s intended to be about a character named Mylo Xyloto, but this is just my interpretation). Mylo is the girl and Xyloto is the boy, going on the sound of their names (neither one is feminine, but Xyloto is notably less so).

 

Mylo Xyloto/Hurts Like Heaven- The setting of the story is introduced. It takes place in a city, or maybe the suburbs around the city- at least, that’s the feeling I get from the first track. The song is from Xyloto’s perspective. The lyrics mention graffiti and messages painted on “every street, every car, every surface.” To me, the lyrics suggest that Xyloto and his friends are painting graffiti as a form of resistance against some enemy (the message “Don’t let them take control” and the line “How come they’re out to get us? How come they’re out when they don’t know the facts?”). Painting is a form of art, which is a form of self-expression, and the people are expressing themselves in order to fight an enemy- hence the line “use your heart as a weapon, and it hurts like Heaven.” Xyloto is “armed with a spray-can soul,” meaning he uses his art as a weapon.

 

Paradise- The character Mylo is introduced. The song tells of how she used to have big dreams as a young girl, but now that she is older she is faced with reality and impossibility to make her dreams come true (“when she was just a girl, she expected the world, but it flew away from her reach”). Her family may be having hard times, either financially or emotionally- whatever it is, Mylo feels a need to escape her current life. “So she ran away in her sleep, and dreamed of Paradise.” Maybe the enemy that Xyloto is fighting against in the first song has prevented her from achieving her dreams. For now, all she can do is “close her eyes… in the night, the stormy night, away she flies.” She keeps up her hopes by reminding herself that “the sun must set to rise”- every metaphorical darkness always comes to an end eventually.

 

Charlie Brown- Mylo leaves her home in a stolen car, as the opening line says- “stole a key… took a car downtown where the lost boys meet.” The “lost boys” are Xyloto and his gang. She “took a car downtown and took what they offered me, to set me free,” meaning that she gave up her old life in favor of this new one; living with the gang in a freer place. She explains about her “scarecrow dreams… when they smashed my heart into smithereens,” meaning that her old life let all her dreams down, but now she wants to “be a bright red rose, come bursting the concrete… be a cartoon heart.” Mylo is determined to survive out on her own in the city. She’s excited to “run wild… we’ll be glowing in the dark.”

 

Us Against The World- Mylo and Xyloto… surprise, surprise, they start to fall for each other. (Note- I don’t understand all the lyrics in this song so this will probably be brief and off the mark.) I’ve always imagined during this song that the two protagonists are sitting looking up at the stars. Xyloto warns Mylo of the danger of living out in the city, where the enemy is closer, and that looks are deceptive (“the devil as he’s talking with those angel’s eyes”). He explains that it’s hard to survive out there (“the tightrope that I’m walking just sways and ties”). Mylo says that “tonight it all has to begin again,” meaning the start to her new life, and tells Xyloto “whatever you do, don’t let go-“ she wants him in her life. They agree that “it’s us against the world” and wish they could “float away, fly up to the surface and just start again, lift off before trouble just erodes us in the rain.” However, it’s not possible to leave, and so they reconcile that with “through chaos as it swirls, it’s us against the world.”

 

M.M.I.X./Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall- Since I imagine Us Against The World took place at night, M.MI.X. and the intro to Teardrop are the audial equivalents to the sunrise. Mylo and Xyloto are together now, and find another way to fight the enemy, another art form- music. No matter how bad the state of the world is, music can make everything better- “maybe the streets alight, maybe the trees are gone, but I feel my heart start beating to my favorite song.” They “don’t wanna see another generation drop” and would “rather be a comma than a full stop-“ meaning that they don’t want to admit defeat and give up the fight. Music is the ultimate form of rebellion- “From underneath the rubble, sing a rebel song.” Things can be destroyed (the rubble), but as long as the destruction doesn’t break the spirit in the air (sing a rebel song), the good guys are still winning. But then…

 

Major Minus- The title of the song implies that everything goes to hell. A “major minus” would be a huge mistake. The enemy/opposition finally makes a real appearance on the album, and it is revealed that they have had “one eye watching you, one eye on what you do, so be careful who it is you’re talking to.” Basically, the opposition is much more powerful than the gang realized. They don’t approve of this resistance, and so set out to destroy it. Mylo and Xyloto have a showdown with the opposition- “I can hear them climbing the stairs! I got my left side, fight you on my left, hiding under the chairs.” Ultimately, the gang loses this confrontation, and Mylo and Xyloto begin to lose faith in each other.

 

U.F.O.- The destruction that the opposition has caused in their attack is awful. This song could be from Mylo or Xyloto’s point of view- it doesn’t matter whose, but I’d prefer it to be Xyloto’s, because Mylo already faced loss in Paradise and now Xyloto is understanding how it feels. He relates life to a river (a much-used metaphor) and says that “I don’t know which way I am going, which way the river’s gonna flow. It seems that upstream I keep rowing-“ meaning he’s fighting a losing battle- “still got such a long way to go.” But he finds hope with “that light… it’s your eye,” possibly meaning Mylo’s. He references Us Against The World and foreshadows Up With The Birds with the line “I know, I swear, we’ll find somewhere the streets are paved with gold.” He is still hoping for a good future with Mylo. “Bullets fly, spit the sky-“ referencing the attack- “but that’s all right, sometimes sunlight, comes streaming through the holes.” Maybe something good can comes out of this. (Note- this song is rather incongruous with the next song, as Xyloto and Mylo seem to be at a good place in their relationship. I’ve tried to think of a place where it could fit, but it really doesn’t go anywhere on the album in terms of the story/concept.)

 

Princess of China- Mylo and Xyloto’s relationship begins to break down. This song is sung by Chris Martin and Rihanna, giving Mylo and Xyloto each their own voice. Xyloto accuses Mylo of “run[ning] away, saying, ‘I’ve got to go!’” This could mean two things- one, that Mylo has decided she doesn’t want to be with Xyloto anymore and metaphorically runs away from their relationship, or that she actually ran away in the fight against the opposition, which is why Xyloto is now losing faith in her. He then says that “we fell apart… You’re holding in your hand the two halves of my heart.” Obviously, whatever action Mylo took, it has broken Xyloto’s heart and hurt his feelings. Mylo in turn accuses Xyloto by referencing Charlie Brown, saying “Once upon the time, we burned bright… now all we ever seem to do is fight.” This could mean two things, again- that Xyloto and Mylo used to be perfect together, but now they’re fighting a lot, or that actions with the gang used to be fun (running wild and glowing in the dark), but now they’ve turned serious as the opposition attacked. She then (unfairly, in my opinion) accuses Xyloto of “throw[ing] water on my flame.” She thinks that she “could have been a princess, you’d be a king, could have had a castle, and worn a ring, but no, you let me go.” Basically, Mylo is saying that she was hoping for a better life out here with Xyloto’s gang, but got something almost as bad as her old life. (However, I really don’t think that’s a good reason to accuse Xyloto of “let[ting her] go!”)

 

Up In Flames- With these accusations leveled at him, Xyloto unfortunately does let Mylo go. She leaves in search of a better place to stay. Up In Flames, I have to say, is the perfect song to show their mutual sadness at leaving each other- the lyrics and tone are mournful and depressing. They acknowledge that their relationship has gone “up in flames,” and that “this time, you’re flying home,” aimed at Mylo, which may be another reference to Paradise- “in the night, the stormy away, away she flies.” Not even music can comfort Xyloto- “This time, I have no song; can’t stop it slowly go.” At the end, a very sad line (with a great heartbroken delivery) is sung- “Can we pour some water on?” Both Mylo and Xyloto regret the mistakes they made in their relationship and want to rekindle the flame.

 

A Hopeful Transmission/Don’t Let It Break Your Heart- Xyloto decides to chase after Mylo, knowing that “If I lost the map, if I lost it all, or fell into the trap, then she’d call.” Mylo will come after him if she knows or thinks he’s danger. He calls to her, “If you’re tired of racing and you found you never left the start… come on, baby, don’t let it break your heart.” Basically, Xyloto thinks that Mylo might be tired of running from him and regretting her mistakes, and willing to forget that Xyloto broke her heart and return to him. They realize that “though heavily we bled, still on we crawl-“ although they disagreed from time to time and fought, they’re still alive and in love. “From my shipwreck I heard her call, and she sang” could be an allusion to sirens. Anyway, Mylo responds to Xyloto with, “When you’re tired of aiming your arrows”- a reference to Hurts Like Heaven, maybe, or maybe just a reference to fighting; when you’re tired of fighting- “still you never hit the mark, and even if your aims are shadows, still we’re never gonna part.” Mylo wants to go back to Xyloto again as well. Xyloto follows her call, trying to find her.

 

Up With The Birds- It is unclear from the end if Xyloto and Mylo ever find each other again. The line “float all over the world just to see her again” would seem as if they don’t. I prefer the thought that they do meet up again and prepare to leave into the unknown world- “Start again, I heard them say. It’s so hard to just walk away.” The theme of escaping comes back in full force- “Send me up to that wonderful world, and then I’m up with the birds.” Xyloto decides that he and Mylo, or just himself, depending on one’s interpretation, “might have to go where they don’t know my name,” and decides that “I won’t show or fear any pain, even though my armor might rust in the rain.” It’s a “simple plot” to start a new life, but in the end, “I know one day, good things are coming our way.” The “our” suggests that Mylo is indeed back together with Xyloto.

[ColdplayKen]

great job Chill :) again

[paradise117]

Wow this was a very beautiful interpretation and I can totally picture this whole story in my head!!! Its even better when I play the music along with it in my head!!! This is really good and makes me see the album under a new light!! Now I'm falling in love with it all over again :dazzled: Thank you!!!!

[Chill_X&Y]

No, thank *you* for your kind words! :)

[Sharpe]

I lived that story

[Sharpe]

No, thank *you* for your kind words! :)

 

what do you think are meant by the lyrics....."they got one eye watching you one eye what you do, so be careful cause nothing they say is true... be careful when you're walking into view,,,

 

who is the 'they' that they sing about?

[Ouch]

what do you think are meant by the lyrics....."they got one eye watching you one eye what you do, so be careful cause nothing they say is true... be careful when you're walking into view,,,

 

who is the 'they' that they sing about?

 

It's the enemy Major Minus and his army or either the monster things that eat anything colorful which turn out to be nonexistant, so they are the lie that shouldnt be believed. I'm just putting this on the comic perspective because it makes sense that way XD.

 

Btw, @Chill_X&Y where does Moving to Mars take shape in all of the plotline, if any?

[Chill_X&Y]

Sorry I haven't responded to this earlier, but I haven't been on this site in a while...

 

In response to your question, Sharpe, I think the album makes the answer ambiguous. We don't know who "they" are, we just know they're out to get the protagonist(s). I don't think the opposition's identity matters exactly, but it could be a rival gang to Xyloto's group of people from Hurts Like Heaven. That's my subjective interpretation anyway.

 

@ Ouch- I haven't read the comic; I assume the plotline is much different than what I suggested here? Also, I didn't include Moving To Mars in this because I've only listened to the song a few times, as it isn't actually part of the final album... But I definitely think it deserves a place in the storyline. Maybe replacing UFO.