Viva La Vida
Live the Life
The song does not necessarily have to be about napoleon or Jesus but rather just a reflection of when you've lived the life and had it all.(money... wealth... power...love)
I think that a very famous celebrity even like Chris would be a good example to use in the song to help with its explination.
I used to rule the world
Seas would rise when I gave the word
Starts out on when he was young ....popular and had it all ... the women, power ,good life... Rule the world signifies having the world at his fingertips.. people admired and respected him ( seas would rise)- you can actually see him walking into a room and all the envious eyes of the crowds who longed to be in his place..... as he demands and holds their attention and admiration and respect
Now in the morning I sleep alone
Sweep the streets I used to own
Now you've lost it all and all the fame and glitz and glamor is gone and you've found yourself alone..... no fame... friends by your side and even the love of your life could have left you
(sweeping the streets I used to own) refers to know walking alone..... a sense of feeling LOST no more friends.... women.... fame and fortune... they've moved on to bigger and better things and left him all alone to pick up the peices
Now that the glitz and glamor has gone everyone is moved on
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!"
Used to roll the dice meaning call the shots ...... could command and demand attention from anyone and everyone in his presence and see the jealousy and fear and even hatred in the eyes of those who longed to be like him or in his place
But now (the old king is dead.).. some one else has stepped up and taken residence on the thrown... there's a new king in town...
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
one minute he had it all and in the wink of an eye its gone... although it might be a long time frame but to him it seems like yesterday when this all happened and now discovers that he's no longer the one in control and all he has left are nothing more than fading memories or like sands through the hour glass. Pillars of salt and sand because it was bound to end at some time and all he held dear and stood for was built on shallow beliefs which now are worthless
His whole world is just shattering and now tumbling down a and he now see's the price that has to be paid for fame and fortune
I hear Jerusalem bells a 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
Chorus means that
the person has accepted their reality and fate and are now at peace with themselves
and with all that has happened and now seeks salvation with St. Peter calling his name and forgiveness for the shallow life he's led along with all of the horrible things that he has done when he was riding high (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
It was a stark cold reality that hit him in the face when he realised what has become of his life and someone more powerful is waiting to take over
Revolutionaries wait
For my head on a silver plate
Just a puppet on a lonely string
Oh who would ever want to be king?
Ohh who would ever want to be so powerful and popular because look at the price that is paid in the process ... all the while of living the life he was a poppet with si strings being pulled so that he could impress his friends and others and make them happy and be supreme at any cost
But he has seen the error of his words and is seeking salvation and St. Peter would not have called his name back then because he was wicked and bad things he did ...
Now he's found salvation and St. Peter will call his name because he has sought forgiveness and he no longer feels alone... he has God and the Saints, propjets by his side ..................
This is my take on it and how I view the song when I'm listening to it