Why I Love The Song "Viva La Vida" By Coldplay
"Viva La Vida" by coldplay is the fourth album of the British Rock Band Coldplay which released on 12 June 2008 on the Parlophone label. Although Viva La Vida is the band's highest grossing album, Coldplay’s song “Viva La Vida” is an interpretation of king Louis’s lost last speech before his death. The song is written through King Louis point of view, as he apologizes to his people, accepting his fate.
The album cover art features the 1830 historical painting known as “Liberty Leading the People”. The art piece was painted by French artist Eugène Delacroix, depicting French revolutionaries marching and waving the French flag, led by the human manifestation of Lady Liberty. The painting serves to portray the revolutionaries in a heroic light, complementing the Album’s themes of life, death, war, and change.
“I used to rule the world Seas would rise when I gave the word Now in the morning, I sleep alone” — King Louis led one of the world’s most powerful countries, he commanded hundreds of ships with his simply words. However, now he was reduced to sleeping alone in a jail cell.
“Listen as the crowd would sing: “Now the old king is dead! Long live the king!” — King Louis XVI succeeded the throne after his grandfather had passed. Following the death of the beloved king, Louis XV, Louis XVI held much potential in his people’s eyes. Many celebrated his rise to kingship.
“Shattered windows and the sound of drums People couldn’t believe what I’d become.” — Although his people saw much potential in the new king, they were left disappointed. His early reign was that of reform and success, however, as time grew and promises were left unfulfilled, the French masses demanded a new order.
“Revolutionaries wait for my head on a silver plate. Just a puppet on a lonely string. Oh who would ever want to be king?” — Louis recognizes that revolution was now in full swing and that no amount of reform can help him now. Although Louis accepted his Kingship in eagerness, he looks back at his powers as a burden. He admits that the power he thought he wanted was not the same when he held it.
Unlike Delacroix’s “Liberty Leads the People”, which shows the revolutionaries as heros. The songs takes a complete 180 by showing sympathy for the fallen king. The song is a admittance of guilt by the king. This regret humanizes the King, showing understanding that he had ultimately failed his people.
Once a revolutionary himself, the first part of his reign was that of enlightenment reform, however, along his kingship he had lost sight of his values. Retreating to the comforts of his palace rather than facing his problems. The songs shows the regret of a man who once promised so much more but delivered none, accepting his fate as he knows it is well deserved.
This contrast is a deliberate choice to reinforce the album’s theme of change. With the revolutionaires fierce march and the King’s introspective review, the listener is not put onto a single side. Instead, it allows the listener to process both perspectives, allowing a completely new view of the revolution.
So people tell me what to do you feel about this song and the fallen king was he truly a villain or misunderstood man in a terrible time?