With this information on many minds, there’s a slight urge to delve into the lyrics to scrape together personal details of the separation. After all, much has already been made of his and Paltrow’s split.
For all of the critical eye rolls his writing has induced, Martin’s songs have had a profound effect on millions of people.įor those whose hearts have swelled from Martin’s lovelorn proclamations, there are loads of saccharine tidbits of heartbreak and vulnerability throughout Ghost Stories.
Or consider all the times “Fix You” has soundtracked a cathartic moment on television. Take “Look at the stars/ Look how they shine for you,” off of “Yellow”, one of the most ubiquitous romantic sentiments of the early 2000s.
Overall, this approach has suited the band well. Instead of reaching for subtlety, he constantly grabs for the most general words to describe the biggest emotions. In many respects, some critics are right: Martin’s lyrics were never his strong suit. Largely inspired by the disintegration of Martin’s relationship with Gwyneth Paltrow, his wife of 11 years, the album comes billed as the quartet’s “breakup record.” Thanks to the subject matter, Coldplay have crafted their most intimate record since their 2000 debut, Parachutes. Now, after the extravagant pop spectacle that was 2011’s Mylo Xyloto, they return with Ghost Stories, their sixth studio album. But, as Martin notes, “We have been a very polarizing group because we do a certain thing very well.” And it’s true. Their potentially offensive inoffensiveness aside, many of their singles still withstand scrutiny, along with the band’s overall discography being fairly solid. From the missed opportunity of X&Y, to the cheesiness of their hearts-wide-open love songs, to Chris Martin rubbing scores of people the wrong way, some critiques have been deserved, while others have been comically overblown. We didn't write these songs, we're just overanalyzing them.Any band catapulting to mainstream success as fast as Coldplay (as well as any band as sincere as the English quartet) will undoubtedly meet some pretty hefty criticism. But no one should be surprised, because there have been signs of trouble for a while now, within the coupling ("All along the fire below / Would rise") and outside ( all that bitch face at the Golden Globes). Either way, it seems they were too different people ("Behind the walls, love / I'm trying to change") and ultimately, a lack of communication may have led to their demise ("I wish you could have let me know / What's really going on below"). Perhaps the, "See your stars begin to shine" line references an increase in fame, while "I see your colors" shows that fame truly does change people.
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Our Unqualified Lyrical Analysis: Gwyneth has been a movie star since the two married, but now she's ACADEMY AWARD WINNING LIFESTYLE BLOGGER AND GLEE GUEST STAR GWYNETH PALTROW. "Behind the walls, love / I'm trying to change / I'm ready for it all, love / I'm ready for the change." - "Oceans" "And I wish you could have let me know / What's really going on below / I've lost you now, you let me go." - "True Love" "For a second, I was in control / I had it once, I lost it though / And all along the fire below / Would rise." - "True Love" "See the road begin to climb / See your stars begin to shine / I see your colors / And I'm dying of thirst / All I know is that I love you so / So much that it hurts." - "Ink"