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Viva la Vida

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"Viva la Vida"
Song

"Viva la Vida" (Spanish for "Long live the life"[1]) is the second single released from the English alternative rock band Coldplay's 2008 album, Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends. It was initially released only with iTunes Store pre-orders of the album on 7 May 2008, later becoming a download-only single on 25 May 2008.

The song was used in an advertising campaign for Apple's iPod and iTunes Store while Coldplay performed the song live for the first time at the 2008 MTV Movie Awards. Anton Corbijn is set to direct the music video for the song.[2]

Origin

Q magazine asked Chris Martin about the lyric on this song "I know Saint Peter won't call my name." The Coldplay lead singer replied: "It's about… You're not on the list. I was a naughty boy. It's always fascinated me that idea of finishing your life and then being analyzed on it. And it's that runs through most religions. That's why people blow up buildings. Because they think they're going to get lots of virgins. I always feel like saying, Just join a band (laughs). That is the most frightening thing you could possibly say to somebody. Eternal damnation. I know about this stuff because I studied it. I was into it all. I know it. It's still mildly terrifying to me. And this is serious."[3]

Plagiarism allegation

Coldplay were accused of copying portions of "The Songs I Didn't Write" by American alternative band Creaky Boards, for the melody of "Viva la Vida".[4] Creaky Boards' lead singer Andrew Hoepfner claimed that Chris Martin had heard the track at one of their shows. Coldplay have denied the claims; band spokesperson Murray Chambers says "Chris was working in AIR Studios in London" at that time.[5] Creaky Boards have since retracted the accusations.[5]

Track listing

Digital download

  1. "Viva la Vida (New Edit)" – 4:04

Promotional CD

  1. "Viva la Vida (Radio Edit)" – 3:45
  2. "Viva la Vida (Full Album Version)" - 3:59

Chart performance

"Viva la Vida" has become one of the band's most successful songs becoming their first number one in both the U.S. and the UK. Fueled by high digital sales, the song debuted at #15 on the Billboard Hot 100, and later became the band's first #1 single and their second top ten on the Hot 100. It is the first song by a British group to reach #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 since "Wannabe" by the Spice Girls in 1997, and it is the first song by a British rock band to top the chart since EMF's 1991 song "Unbelievable".

Although the song had been disqualified from the UK charts due to being initially available only by pre-ordering the album on iTunes, it became eligible to chart after the album was released and charted at number one, Coldplay's first chart topper in the UK.

The song has also reached the top ten thus far in Ireland, Australia, Norway, Sweden, and Canada to name a few.

Chart (2008) Peak
position
United World Chart[6] 9
Australia Singles Chart[7] 6
Canadian Hot 100[8] 4
Europe Hot 100[9] 58
Italy Singles Chart[10] 2
Irish Singles Chart[11] 3
Japan Hot 100[12] 12
New Zealand Singles Chart[13] 25
Norway Singles Chart[14] 5
Sweden Singles Chart[15] 9
U.K. Singles Chart 1
U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks[16] 15
U.S. Billboard Hot Modern Rock Tracks[17] 16
U.S. Billboard Hot 100[18] 1
U.S. Billboard Pop 100[19] 7
Preceded by UK Singles Chart number-one single
June 22 2008 		Succeeded by
incumbent
Preceded by Billboard Hot 100 number-one single
June 28 2008 - July 5 2008 		Succeeded by

References

  1. ^ "Viva la vida" literally and grammatically translates into English as "live the life" or simply "Live life". This statement is automatically a command, but the phrase can be used to imply or state enthusiasm, or a event of celebration for life, example: "Long live life".
  2. ^ "Coldplay going Dutch for video". The Sun. June 9 2008. Retrieved 2008-06-15. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  3. ^ Youngs, Ian (2008-06-06). "Joining Coldplay's musical journey". BBC. Retrieved 2008-06-25. Coldplay have hailed their new album, Viva La Vida Or Death To All His Friends, as the start of a new era. The results of their musical journey are now ready for fans to hear, so here is a track-by-track guide to the album.
  4. ^ The Independent
  5. ^ a b Martin, Nicole (2008-06-20). ""Coldplay didn't copy us, says American band"".
  6. ^ [1]. Issue date: June 28 , 2008. Retrieved on June 19, 2008.
  7. ^ ARIA Top 50 Singles Chart. Retrieved on June 22 2008.
  8. ^ [2] Issue date: June 14, 2008. Retrieved on June 17, 2008.
  9. ^ [3]. Retrieved on May 31, 2008.
  10. ^ [4]. Issue date: May 15, 2008. Retrieved on June 21, 2008.
  11. ^ [5]. Issue date: June 19, 2008. Retrieved on June 20, 2008.
  12. ^ [6]. Issue date: June 20, 2008. Retrieved on June 17, 2008.
  13. ^ [7]. Issue date: June 2, 2008. Retrieved on June 19, 2008.
  14. ^ [8]. Issue date: May 25. Retrieved on June 18, 2008.
  15. ^ [9]. Issue date: May 15, 2008. Retrieved on June 21, 2008.
  16. ^ [10]. Issue date: June 28, 2008. Retrieved on June 19, 2008.
  17. ^ [11]. Issue date: June 28, 2008. Retrieved on June 19, 2008.
  18. ^ Pietroluongo, Silvio (2008-06-18). "Coldplay To Assume Control Of Billboard Hot 100". Billboard magazine. Retrieved 2008-06-18.
  19. ^ [12]. Issue date: June 21, 2008. Retrieved on June 17, 2008.
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