Coldplay

by Annie D.

Coldplay is one of the most eye-opening bands of all time. In an era where rock music is mostly about heartbreak and love, sex and money, or emotional troubles, Coldplay opens our eyes to new issues that are rarely touched upon in rock music. In Coldplay’s single “Violet Hill”, Coldplay evokes war and irony in one verse by saying, “ priests clutched onto bibles, hollowed out to fit their rifles”. Coldplay’s songs about war, God, religion, and death stick out in comparison to the traditional passionate love songs that we are so accustomed to hearing in today’s pop culture. This is, in part, the reason that Coldplay is the hit band it is today, having sold over 50 million records worldwide. Coldplay’s lead singer, Chris Martin, says in an interview for MTV, that he “wants to be somebody those sixteen year old kids can look up to”. But, what are these sixteen year old kids actually learning form listening to Coldplay’s music? Are these songs eye-openers to real issues in the world, or are they examples of plagiarism that these young adults should follow? With the controversies over “Viva la Vida,” one can only presume that Coldplay stole the song from Creaky Boards, a song with almost the exact same melody as Coldplay. Many other sites disagree with this statement. According to New York Daily Time’s journalist Jim Farber, Creaky Board’s song “The Songs I Didn’t Write” is completely different from Coldplay’s “Viva La Vida.” Farber writes, “Want attention for your obscure band? Accuse a huge band of stealing your song.” This is just what happened for small band Creaky Boards. Creaky Boards posted a video on YouTube showing the parallels between the two songs, at which NYtimes Farber said made “ The Songs I Didn’t Write” look “flimsy” in comparison to Viva La Vida. Although Farber was very biased over the controversy, in Coldplay’s favor, readers had a different take on the subject. One blogger wrote, “It sounds exactly the same, no question. I disagree with Farber. They sound very similar! EQUALLY CRAPPY but similar,” and another, “I think they sound similar and that the video demonstrates that to anyone who has an ear for tone, key and melody, very well. The main difference? Coldplay's version of the melody is fuller and better produced.” Whether or not Coldplay did or did not plagiarize Creaky Boards music, we will never know. But it does put Chris Martin’s morals and intentions into question, which then leads to questions about what people are willing to do to make it in the music business. In my own personal opinion, I think that Creaky Boards is desperate for attention, grasping for the one song that sounds remotely similar to their own and claim it’s their work. What better way to get attention for your band, score a couple hundred thousand YouTube views, and also make money from the curious Coldplay fans who need to hear the full song for themselves.