By: Coldplay

Click the

cover

I used to rule the worldSeas would rise when I gave the word

Now in the morning I sleep aloneSweep the streets I used to own

I used to roll the diceFeel the fear in my enemy's eyesListened as the crowd would sing

Now the old king is dead long live the kingOne minute I held the key

Next the walls were closed on meAnd I discovered that my castles standUpon pillars of salt and pillars of sand

Lyrics

ChorusI hear Jerusalem bells a-ringing

Roman cavalry choirs are singingBe my mirror, my sword and shieldMy missionaries in a foreign fieldFor some reason I can't explain

I know St. Peter won't call my nameNever an honest word

But that was when I ruled the world

It was a wicked and wild windBlew down the doors to let me in

Shattered windows and the sound of drumsPeople couldn't believe what I'd become

Revolutionaries waitFor my head on a silver plate

Just a puppet on a lonely stringOh who would ever want to be king?

Lyrics

Citations“Chris Martin Picture.” Hangout Altsounds. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 May 2010.

<http://hangout.altsounds.com/ geek/ gars/ images/ 3/ 9/ 4/ 4/ coldplay.jpg>.Coldplay, perf. 8Notes. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 May 2010. <http://www.8notes.com/ biographies/

coldplay.asp>.- - -, perf. Lyrics Mania. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 May 2010. <http://www.lyricsmania.com/ biography/

coldplay_biography_71.html>.“Coldplay.” Msn. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 May 2010. <http://blstb.msn.com/ i/ 33/

DE1C43E7BE434E6429171B683748.jpg>.“Coldplay.” Pop Musicology. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 May 2010. <http://www.popmusicology.com/

images/ coldplay41.jpg>.Coldplay, perf. Song Meanings. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 May 2010. <http://www.songmeanings.net/

songs/ view/ 3530822107858719657/>.- - -, perf. “Viva la Vida Lyrics.” Lets Sing It. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 May 2010.

<http://artists.letssingit.com/ coldplay-lyrics-viva-la-vida-qfmczmx>.“Coldplay Picture.” Wikipedia- Picture. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 May 2010. <http://en.wikipedia.org/

wiki/ File:Coldplay_-_December_2008.jpg>.“Crowd.” i.ytimg. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 May 2010. <http://i.ytimg.com/ vi/ CISdjvb0OEQ/ 0.jpg>.

“Definition of Revolutionaries.” Merriam Webster. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 May 2010. <http://www.merriam-webster.com/ dictionary/ revolutionaries>.

Dictionary. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 May 2010. <http://www.dictionary.net/ jerusalem>.

More Citations

“Dictionary.” Babylon Dictionary. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 May 2010. <http://dictionary.babylon.com/ the_king_is_dead,_long_live_the_king/>.

“Information about Jerusalem.” Fact Monster. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 May 2010. <http://www.factmonster.com/ ce6/ world/ A0826209.html>.

“Jerusalem.” Mid East Web. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 May 2010. <http://www.mideastweb.org/ JerusalemDetailsm.gif>.

“Louis XIV.” louis-xiv. Ed. Elena Steingrad. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 May 2010. <http://www.louis-xiv.de/ index.php?id=31>.

“Louis XVI Picture.” Kohm. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 May 2010. <http://www.antiquiet.com/ wp-content/ uploads/ 2008/ 06/ coldplay_4.jpg>.

“Map of Jerusalem.” Mid East Web. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 May 2010. <http://www.mideastweb.org/ mjerusalem.htm>.

Mor, Lena. “History of Jerulsam.” Holy Land Network. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 May 2010. <http://www.holylandnetwork.com/ pages/ Jerusalem_History.html>.

“Picture.” Antiquiet. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 May 2010. <http://www.antiquiet.com/ wp-content/ uploads/ 2008/ 06/ coldplay_4.jpg>.

“Picture of Concert.” DoobyBrain. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 May 2010. <http://www.doobybrain.com/ wp-content/ uploads/ 2008/ 06/ coldplay-viva-la-vida-mtv-movie-awards.jpg>.

“Picture of Liberty Leading the People.” Art History Club. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 May 2010. <http://www.arthistoryclub.com/ art_history/ upload/ thumb/ 4/ 4e/ 400px-

Liberty_Leading_the_People.jpg>.

More CitationsPioch, Nicolas. “Liberty Leading the People.” Web

Museum. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 May 2010. <http://www.ibiblio.org/ wm/ paint/ auth/ delacroix/

liberte/>.Robinson, J. H. “Information about Louis XIV.”

History Hanover Edu. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 May 2010. <http://history.hanover.edu/ texts/ louisxiv.htm>.“Viva.” 991 Gallery. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 May 2010.

<http://991.com/ newGallery/ Coldplay-Viva-La-Vida-Tour-477687.jpg>.

“Viva la Vida.” Yahnover. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 May 2010. <http://www.yahnover.com/ images/

Coldplay_Viva_La_Vida_cover.jpg>.“Viva la Vida Album Cover.” Disco Salt. N.p., n.d.

Web. 25 May 2010. <http://discosalt.com/ blog/ wp-content/ uploads/ 2009/ 05/ coldplay-viva-la-vida.jpg>.

Coldplay

Coldplay is a band from London, England. Their music genre is alternative rock. Chris Martin is the lead singer and piano player of the band, Jon Buckland plays the lead guitar, Guy Berryman plays the bass, and Will Champion is on the drums. They met at the University College London (UCL) in 1996 in a residence hall. The first to join the band were Martin and Buckland. For the rest of that year, they planned the band. Later, Berryman decided to join and in 1998, so did Champion. He had played several instruments as he grew up, but never played the drums until then. After a huge success in England after their first album, they decided to come to the U.S. (Coldplay).

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This is referring to Louis XIV. He ruled France from 1643

to 1715, which is the longest reign in European history.

During his reign, France was an absolute monarchy. He built

the Palace of Versailles, which he lived in while he was king.

The song is referring to how he had a ton of power and a

lavish life in the beginning, but then near the end of his rule,

there were many problems. (“Louis XIV”).

“I used to rule the world”

backClick here to learn more.

“Sweep the streets I used to own”

This is referring to how every king’s rule ends and that glory does not last forever and will end at some point. He used to have all the power, now he is just sweeping the streets. He went from glory to peasantry; Now he is nothing.

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“I used to roll the dice”

This stanza means that when he was king, he made

decisions just based on luck and not really thinking hard

about every little thing.

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“Now the old king is dead, long live the king”

This is a traditional quote made following the death of

a monarch, which is used in various countries. It means that

the king has died, and they hope the new king will have a long

life. This refers to when Louis XV died, Louis XVI became the

king. The throne was supposed to never be empty, so once

one king dies, the next king in line takes the throne

immediately, which prevented any time without a

government or control over the people. (Dictionary).

backFrench: Le Roi est mort, vive le Roi!

“My castles stand upon pillars of salt and pillars of

sand”This means that huge, extravagant castles, are held

upon something so weak. It is saying that the sand and salt

will crumble and cannot hold the castles up forever. This

metaphor also reflects Louis XVI’s indecisiveness throughout

the time in was in power. In the end, this led to many

mistakes.

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Album Cover

This picture came from a famous picture from the French Revolution. It is called Liberty Leading the

People by Eugene Delacroix. Coldplay choose this for their album cover because they wanted to have

something revolutionary.back

Click here to learn more.

Jerusalem is the capital of Israel. It is the holy city of the Islamic, Christian, and Jewish religions. Twenty kings ruled Jerusalem from 979 BCE to 586 BCE. Their reigns were anywhere from three months to fifty-five years. (Mor).

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Click here to learn more.

A missionary is someone who attempts to convert others to a particular doctrine or program. They are people sent on a mission, especially a religious or charitable mission to a foreign country.

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“I know St. Peter won’t call my

name”This means that he made too

many mistakes. He will not get into the gates of Heaven. He has done too much wrong

in his life to go to Heaven. Throughout Louis XVI’s life, he

was very hopeless and depressed, so he thought he would not get into Heaven.

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Never an honest word

means that when you are in

power, you lie and don’t really tell

the people you are ruling all the

true things.

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“People couldn’t believe what I’d

become”

This stanza of the song means that

when you have all the power, you

become consumed in it and

become a different person. You are

not yourself anymore.

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“Just a puppet on a lonely string”This means he is lonely and

just a puppet. He does not

feel like a human anymore.

The government becomes

corrupt and changes the

person completely.

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