Coldplay’s Violet Hill all by itself is already a very good piece of activist’s art, but with the following imagery it becomes even better. Maybe the original meaning of the lyrics shift a bit by becoming way more shocking, but I have to say, that only confirms that I must be an anarchist – I certainly don’t want anybody in a position to send me – or my son – into a war to be killed and just dumped into a hole in the ground – – and then dance about it…
To make things more complete, so that you can sing along happily, here are the lyrics…
Was a long and dark December
From the rooftops I remember
There was snow
White snow
Clearly I remember
From the windows they were watching
While we froze
Down below
When the future’s architectured
By a carnival of idiots on show
You’d better lie low
If you love me
Won’t you let me know?
Was a long and dark December
When the banks became cathedrals
And the fog
Became God
Priests clutched onto bibles
Hollowed out to fit their rifles
And the cross was held aloft
Bury me in honor
When I’m dead and hit the ground
A love back home unfolds
If you love me
Won’t you let me know?
I don’t want to be a soldier
Who the captain of some sinking ship
Would stow, far below
So if you love me
Why’d you let me go?
I took my love down to Violet Hill
There we sat in snow
All that time she was silent still
So if you love me
Won’t you let me know?
If you love me,
Won’t you let me know?