Whats the meaning of the song 'viva la vida'?

Question

ok so i know its about how he used to rule the world? it sounds like he lived in england and ruled a country, then he lost it all...... but is symbolic?

Answer 1

good qustion

Answer 2

yes symbollic "pillars of sand" means literally a weak relationship that somehow held itself together and it falling apart after it seemed to go so well.

Answer 3

ok first you must know history and the concept of the song basically the narrator is King Louis XVI he was the last king of France he was betrayed and eventually killed by the french people in the French Revolution. ..The Roman Calvary choirs and bells represent his coming fate (a funeral procession)...His head on  a silver platter was in reference to John the Baptist but here it is used as a saying because the French people Killed the king by chopping his head off in a guillotine ..btw the cover of the album is a painting of the french revolution and the title Viva La Vida comes from Viva La Resistance which was a phrase used in the revolution so yes chris martin is playing the role of King Louis the sixteenth

Note: at the time France was VERY Catholic and was full of missionaries

Saint peter wouldnt call his name becuz King Louis overtaxed the people and was VERY greedy about it so he woulnt get into heaven.

Answer 4

Wow, I have wondered this to and there could be so many different meanings to this song. Here are some things I have come up with so far:

I looked at it from a religious standpoint and took a look at these lines:

"Seas would rise when I gave the word" - Moses parting the Red Sea

"I know St. Peter will call my name" - St. Peter was one of Jesus' twelve disciples, so this could be Jesus hearing St. Peter

"(I) Hear Jerusalem Bells a ringing" - Jesus was crucified in Jerusalem, and I don't know all about his crucification, but there may have been bells ringing when he was marched off or as he was killed, or even possibly when he was buried.

"Pillars of salt, pillars of sand" - Lot's wife was turned into a pillar of salt by God in Genesis 19.

My whole interpretation on the lines I've mentioned before is that this song is about Jesus. Sure, Jesus didn't "rule the world", but he was and still is looked at as one of the most important religious figures ever. So, maybe this is about Jesus and how he fell from being important to being crucified. This would make sense with "Jerusalem bells a ringing" because he was crucified in Jerusalem; also, Rome was still powerful during Jesus' time, so to hear "Roman calvary" would be understandable.

Answer 5

it can mean two things: the literal way and the symbolic way.

the literal way as being about old rulers and empires, and how they crumbled at the end.

or the symbolic way which is how we take so many things for granted. Chris Martin, the lead singer, went to south american countries and churches of which were a lot less fortunate, so when he came back, perhaps he realized the "power" he thought he once held was not really there, and that he didn't deserve it.