To Coldplay’s new song, Viva La Vida. The lyrics are amorphous enough that even though it sounds like a song sung in first person by a deposed tyrant (not in any way like me!), I relate. And Coldplay, love ‘em or hate ‘em, know how to craft excellent melodies. 
Here’s my obvious run down of places this song resonates. As the “king” he roamed the streets as a king. They, in essence, belonged to him. With a word earth shattering events took place (I think of the movement of armies specifically). Now looking back, those same streets he commanded are swept by him. He seems to have accepted his downfall from power. OK, nothing in that is terribly similar to my life. BUT, there’s resonance yet with me.
He writes of the fickle nature of people. Out with the old king, “Long live the (new) king.” Soon, however, those same people (now I’m thinking Jesus) will be out for his own head (”revolutionaries wait for my head on a silver plate”). Pastors (which if you don’t know, that’s what I am) as much as anyone understand the fickle nature. They love you until you offend. Some for seemingly no reason, though I must think there is one, are out for your head from the moment they meet you. You realize the shakiness of your position all the time (”castles stand, upon pillars of salt and pillars of sand”). People desire to pour you into their ever changing mold (”a puppet on a lonely string”). And if not for the call of God Himself, “who would ever want to be king?” (No a pastor is not a king).
Every pastor has moments where the pain of being the shepherd seems outrageously difficult. Moments where if it weren’t for God’s call, he would certainly quit, walk away, and never look back. Yet for all the resonance, even if the similarities are a stretch, I can’t imagine walking away. The pressure is not nearly so heavy as the weight of God’s call (”Woe is me if I preach not the Gospel”).
Yes I probably overanalyzed and read more into it than was meant. But maybe not. You may not get that much out of the song, but if you like well-crafted, tight, catchy, sweeping rock then you will thoroughly enjoy “Viva La Vida,” (The song. I enjoy the entire album as well). I’ve probably listened to it 1,000 times in the past week! That tells you maybe more about me than the song.
1 Comment
June 20, 2008 at 4:44 pm
I went to you tube to listen. Good stuff. Still not as good as U2 though.
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