Coldplay Takes On the Pope

One of the things that I hoped to accomplish with my two books The Rock & Roll Rebellion, Faith, God & Rock 'n' Roll and my next, Rock Gets Religion, was to encourage artists to use their music to grapple with the big issues of life. Theology, the study of our beliefs about God is of course one of those big issues of life that smart people like to sit around and speculate about, and U2 has always done a good job of talking theology, albeit obliquely.

For many U2 fans, Bono's religious lessons were easy to swallow because he always gave them an out. After all, though he didn't have a sex act in mind when he sang "If you want to touch the sky better learn to kneel," some of his fans may have thought so and few likely understood that The Joshua Tree referenced the cross that Christ died on, (Joshua being another name for Jesus). In fact Bono explicitly gave his more secular listeners an alternate reading with his song about the theological notion of "Grace" when he sang "It's the name for a girl, it's also a thought that changed the world."

So when I began to hear Chris Martin at my gym singing about St. Peter not calling his name I was intrigued. What in the world was he singing about? A lot it turns out. It seems that a debate is already raging in cyberspace about his band Coldplay and its song "Viva La Vida."

What Martin isn't doing is playing coy like Bono. At first blush, this appears to be a direct, albeit melodic attack on the Catholic Church. Listen and read for yourself here and here.

I'm not Catholic, and I'm certainly no theologian, but when a song apparently written from the perspective of the Pope or the Catholic church includes the line "For some reason I can't explain, I know St. Peter won't call my name," those sound like fighting words to me.

There's a pretty smart analysis of the song from a guy who's way smarter than I am here, but before poor Chris Martin is crucified for this song, I think it's important to step back, take a deep breath and say that this is exactly what rock and roll should be doing: debating the big issues of life, asking questions, provoking and challenging the status quo and all listeners, even Catholics, should prefer this to meaningless drivel like the number one song in the country this summer, "I Kissed A Girl And I Liked It."

Martin and company recorded the album in various Catholic churches which may alternately horrify the faithful or inspire. Whatever the case, my hat is off to Coldplay for starting a provocative debate and singing about something other than the number of women they bedded.

For half a century rock has been operating with half its brain tied behind its back-seeming to be capable only of talking about sex and drugs. Now, with U2, Switchfoot, Matisyahu and Coldplay leading the way, it's proving to be a venue for thoughtful and challenging discussions about the big issues of life as well.

Now, who will fire back and challenge Coldplay's view of the Catholic Church with a song that I can't stop humming? I can't wait to hear it.

Follow Mark Joseph on Twitter: www.twitter.com/markmjm

Comments

[katieg]

As the immortal Sundance Kid said, "Keep thinkin' Butch, that's what you're good at."

[mbaty]

I love this song.

[Chrisallalone]

From the lyrics, I can see why some would see a connection to the Church. However, I think that's an unnecessarily literal reading. Yes, the song mentions Jerusalem and missionaries, but other elements in the song don't seem to relate to religion at all -- has the Pope been reduced to sweeping streets, recently? So I would think that the religious references are metaphors, meant to evoke a feeling of greatness or rulership, not to be taken at face value.

I would agree that it seems more generally evocative of any fallen figure -- a world leader, perhaps, or anyone who was once, but is no longer, on top of the world. You certainly could give it a political reading as easily as a religious one. Imagine a leader who was resoundingly acclaimed, for whom "the crowd would sing," and now finds himself increasingly a pariah on the world stage ("People couldn't believe what I'd become"). Perhaps this leader went to war in the middle East and himself once referred to it as a "Crusade," thus leading to those missionary images in conjunction with "my sword and shield." Perhaps Martin imagines him realizing in the end that he did wrong, that there was "never an honest word," and that therefore St. Peter won't be calling him up to heaven after all, even though he may have thought he was in the right.

But I don't know that the song is that literal, either. Although it's fun to play with it.

[HoneyBQuick]

I think you're giving Coldplay a great big credit loan if you honestly think they were writing from a place that deep... Chris Martin lines up words that paint a pretty image and at the end, they must rhyme. There you have it: The great mystery.

Thank you LeBelAge, for pointing out that female artists have been writing about religion and politics and asking all the big questions albums and albums and albums ago... That rocked!

And 3fingerbrown, you probably could have added names to that list by the ten-fold, as obviously, you've been listening to the good stuff and know the difference between Top 20 pop and the Real Deal.

Me, I'm still listening to Radiohead's Wolf At the Door and feeling like Thom wrote that one to remind me that I'm not the only one who hears the beast howling to be let in...

[shengirl]

I prefer the explanation that it refers to B u s h.

[liberalarmyfamily]

See this is how I perceive it as well....any leader that is too big for his britches....

[LeBelAge]

Rock has been talking about religion for a lot longer than the above mentioned groups the author pointed out.

Female artists like Holly Near, Sinead O'Connor, and Tori Amos have been writing about religion for a decade or two.

Way to ignore female and indie artists.

[alsm9]

pftt! Takes on the Pope? Hardly...

[3fingerbrown]

"For half a century rock has been operating with half its brain tied behind its back ..."

Hey, Mark: Ever hear of John Lennon, Bob Dylan, Ray Davies, Bruce Springsteen, Elvis Costello, Marvin Gaye, Paul Simon, Neil Young, Pete Townshend, Curtis Mayfield, Van Morrison, Lou Reed, and George Harrison, who are among just the most famous of two generations of rockers who were making "smart rock" before the members of Coldplay were born?

By the way, what's the big deal about artists in 2008 whacking around the Catholic church? Anti-church sentiments in art and culture these days are so prevalent it's practically trite. If Coldplay were doing this in 1008, I'd be impressed.

[writerjohnny]

True True True. The people in 1008 who were questioning the Pope were burned at the stake.

[SD61]

I think Hugh Laurie already released the song you are looking for:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YiAR-4UUhu0

Pay special attention to the words he mumbles under his breath -- the answer is in there, somewhere.