1/22/19
3:56 PM
Really never thought that I’d write a post about Coldplay, but here’s a lesser work from them that a good number of people don’t know about, probably.
Prospekt’s March is an EP that comes a few months after Coldplay’s fourth studio album— Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends. In what seems to be a continuation and an elaboration of the album apropos of life, war, and the aftermath of the two, Prospekt’s March includes songs that sound familiar from previous records as well as songs yet unheard; From the cover artwork to the full and exciting orchestral sound that the EP produces, many similarities can be found and related back to Viva la Vida, and to no one’s surprise, as the artists have stated that any one of the songs in Prospekt’s March could have been included in the studio album. However, the interesting aspect of this EP is that even the songs that come from Viva la Vida are tempered with a little bit to be fresh to the listener.
Akin to its studio album correlative, Prospekt’s March deals closely with the themes of life and death. Written and inspired during a time of war in the world, many of the songs jump thematically between life to death, back to life, into the idea of heaven and eternity. Prospekt’s March and Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends both are a celebration of life, as well as a reminder that death is around us always. The transition from each track is noticeably distinct as to characterize the tempestuous nature of the human life. The usage of subtle symbolism and metaphors made this EP really intriguing to research, finding more meaning in the writing and understanding words and symbols were probably what made this record worth the while to listen to/ write about for me personally.
One of the most interesting aspects of this album is the line “Now my feet won’t touch the ground.” Like most of the album, context is so very important to decipher the meaning behind these words, the fluidity of this line is seen throughout the work and can be taken interchangeably— from the author having been liberated from gravity and heading upward towards heaven, to the mystery of having control over one’s footsteps taken away, and even to the idea of death and not belonging to the earth. All of these thoughts and questions add to the enigma of life to which the listener is left to question, “What is life and where am I going?”
After traveling the world, seeing so much, and becoming observers, Coldplay answers our question. In form of song, where we are all asking ripples in the water for answers and guidance, they answer—
“Son, don’t ask
Neither half full nor empty
Is your glass
Cling to the mast
Spend your whole life living
In the past
Going nowhere fast”
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“And what are we drinking when we’re done?
Glasses of water”
Listen to the album below: