Lyrics for Speed Of Sound as interpreted by jommaz

Speed Of Sound Lyrics
how long before I get in
before it starts, before I begin
how long before you decide
before I know what it feels like
where to?
Where do I go?
if you've never tried then you'll never know
how long do I have to climb
up on the side of this mountain of mine

look up, I look up at night
planets are moving at the speed of light
climb up, up in the trees
every chance that you get
is a chance you seize
how long am I gonna can stand
with my head stuck under the sand
I start before I can stop
before I see thing the right way up

all that noise, all that sound
all those places that i have found
and birds go flying at the speed of sound
to show how it all began
birds came flying from the underground
if you could see it then you'd understand

ideas that you'll never find
or the inventors could never design
the buildings that you put up
Japan and China... all lit up
the sign that I couldn't read
or the light that I couldn't see
some things you have to believe
but others are puzzles, puzzling me

all that noise, all that sound
all those places that i have found
and birds go flying at the speed of sound
to show how it all began
birds came flying from the underground
if you could see it then you'd understand

all those signs I knew what they meant
something you can't invent
Some get made, and some get sent
ooh
words go flying at the speed of sound
to show how it all began
birds came flying from the underground
if you could see it then you'd understand
oh, when you see it then you'll understand

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chels15
07-06-2005

Rated 0 
i love this song it rocks on so many levels

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Loose Tongue
07-08-2005

Rated 0 
As an agnostic (who becomes a hardnut atheist in the face of Dubbya evangelists & born again John Howard Peter Costello 'Hillsong' Australia) it just seems to me when Chris Martin sings:
'...all the places I have found...'

has been imprinted on my brain as:
'...all the places our God found...'
after hearing over a 100 times. Some fans believe Amsterdam has lyrics like this:
'...Say what you mean as it won't change a SIN i'm sick of His secrets...'

So you can't discount anything as I have read on forums the reason why Coldplay have no lyrics in their album covers is they want their fans to think for themselves what the lyrics are so they can interpret it whatever 'puzzle' way they see fit (pun intended)

Also the birds flying from the underground is a somehwhat mystical view of evolution and the origins of life (aliens? God?). It reminds me of The Mothman Prophecies film with Richard Gere & The Day After Tommorow (when the birds scatter over New York city from impending Ice Age aka The Core). Some people believe humans originated from mermaids and that God is a woman...so Anything Can Happen....there is some evidence of that in paintings and old Earth histories...Check out the forum messages of the film She Creature (Stan Winston who did special effects for Jurrasic Park) on www.imdb.com that better explains it al...

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cpj1607
07-14-2005

Rated 0 
reallu really reallly reallly reallly reallly reallllllly great
f-cking good song

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cpj1607
07-14-2005

Rated 0 
and yeah i agree with loose tongue on the part that it says 'god' instead of 'i'

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ThaMan
07-14-2005

Rated 0 
I definetely agree with incoherentlove. The Kate Bush song you're talking about is "Running Up That Hill" and the verses of both songs are very soundalike. So the song is a mix of "Clocks" and "Running Up That Hill". That's what you call record company pressure. But still, I think Coldplay are one of the greatest bands around right now and they are a true band, which is rare these days.

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penpunk
07-16-2005

Rated 0 
Loved how they said they basically stole the entire musical structure off Kate Bush's "Running Up that Hill". My dad always said "I know that song from somewhere" when he heard SOS on the radio, even though it had just come out.

Guy said they tried to recreate the drum-part of the Kate Bush song and then they went straight to copying the chords, melody, and guitar as well (or almost ;). And it's true: you can pretty much sing the lines "You're running up that hill, you're running up that building" over the "All that noise, and all that sound" parts - all the time keeping the "Running up that Hill"-melody.

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bkat004
07-18-2005

Rated 0 
The chorus is the best I've heard this year, yet. The keyboards soar into this uplift of musical grandeur. You fly with it. It also helps, lyrically, that Martin is talking about birds. Glorious chorus.

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Loose Tongue
07-18-2005

Rated 0 
cheers cpj1607 for agreeing with me...if you want some more of my cuckoo 'bird' evolution theories or should I say 'conspiracies' check out Tom Cruise's 'War Of The Worlds' directed by Steven Speilberg (A.I.)...and Neil Finn's (ex Crowded House & Split Enz) son Liam who has a NZ band called Betchadupa who released a NZ single available on www.smokecds.com called 'My Army Of Birds & Gulls' : the cover artwork for that is a auspicious hybrid of army WOTW type Southpark The Movie final battle for Armageddon...ps 'Kill Eye' by Crowded House on Temple Of Low Men album outros with birds right before Neil Finn sings 'I want the Earth to open up and hold me' where previous song was 'I Feel Possessed' & after was 'Into Temptation'...other films that highlight my point of 2 cents view is the film 'The Core' an end of the world recent Hollywood fanfare in the vein of The Day After Tommorow...TC opens up with birds falling all over NY city...

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katie_b
07-21-2005

Rated 0 
This song makes me so calm...Even when I'm very sad it makes me smile!It's incredible!I can listen to it all over and over again!

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Heckeler
07-21-2005

Rated 0 
Since I heard the song, I think of superman flying faster than the speed of light to go back in time and save Lois Lane. I think he has the birds flying at the speed of light to see the truth about dreation, even if it seems superman inspired.

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Heckeler
07-21-2005

Rated 0 
Sorry, typo....creation, not dreation

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y7000k
07-24-2005

Rated 0 
I think this song is about man's self-discovery, or rather, man's journey to understanding life.

The first verse sounds like the guy is undecided about his life. Although he knows what must be done, for some reason, he hasn't done it. And he wonders. Hence the usage of the phrase 'how long...'

The second verse is a lot like the first. His life is confusion. The line 'planets are moving at the speed of light' refers to the feeling that time is running out, or moving too fast (I think).

The chorus is about the guy feeling somewhat angry(?) or confused ('all that noise / and all that sound') like he has had enough or something. And the next lines, 'and birds go flying at the speed of sound / to show you how it all began / birds go flying from the underground / if you could see it then you'd understand'. I think it talks about the guy's realization of the simplicity of things. And 'if you could see it then you'd understand' means that he can't quite explain it to you. Like 'you have to see it to believe it' sort of thing.

The next verse sounds a lot like confusion, utter confusion.

The last verse could mean that he finally gets it. Then it goes back to the part pf the chorus about the simplicity of all things, and the 'seeing is believing' part.

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Loose Tongue
07-24-2005

Rated 0 
ONE MOUTH IS FED ANOTHER ONE IS DENIED
y7000k,
You could be right, I could be wrong. That's the beauty in lyric interpetation: each to their own, kudoos/godspeed for finding that 'one in a million' person who thinks like you.

YOU ARE RIGHT.
I read an interview in an Australian street press publication that for this 'x&y' album to guarantee sucess Chris Martin AMBIVALENTLY (jovially & seriously) joked 'if I killed myself that would ensure our album would match the success of prior albums'...(EMI/PARLOPHONE are banking on the success of this album for financial survival) but HE would not do that as has a daughter APPLE to live for with wife Gwyneth Paltrow...MORE SO he wanted the album to be appreciated on it's own merits, not some lame ass vain PR stunt (aka Delta Goodrem & Kylie Minogue).

YOU ARE WRONG ALL AT ONCE
I've always found a constant theme in my favourite artists lyrics from Travis, David Gray, Beck, John Lennon, Wilco, Neil Finn, Tim Finn, Crowded House etc...They specialise in what you would call 'existential angst ridden UNDERDOG music'...They appeal to those 'detached' from society and give them comfort, solace, hope, emphathy - a connection with NO barriers. There is also a lot of self determination in their music...appealing to their listeners subtly but not in your face 'Serve Yourself - it's up to you to MAKE something out of your life'...NEVER in a dogmatic, preaching, life coach way...but a cryptic, non-forcefull poetic subliminal stye. Travis said some banter on their Glasgow DVD: 'this song is dedicated to anyone in your life who have so MUCH potential but sit on their bums all day playing Playstation...get up of your ASS & doing someting...you could be so good if your tried'...

IF YOU WANT TO BE A HERO WELL THEN JUST FOLLOW ME:
Hence the SOS lyric:
'every chance you get is a chance you seize...I'll start before I can stop before I see things the right way up'
All it is is advocating go for your dreams, stuff society's university/college degree traditional path...screw convention...'dare to dream' start now before you let society consume and dictate your lifestyle of mortgages, debts, credit cards, stress, Mid Life Krysis, menopause...because that is considered the 'right way up'...we need more bands like Coldplay, Travis to emulate John Lennon...to challenge the STATUS QUO...who cared if you sound eccentric or crazy? The Marx Brothers were 'crazy' for ever dreaming of inventing the airplane. For 1000's of years everyone though the world was flat...and if you sailed to far you will fall over the 'edge of the earth' into oblivion...you were a 'looney' if you thought otherwise...

A CHANCE IS MADE
A CHANCE IS LOST
WHEN WILL WE?
CARRY OURSELVES
TO THE EDGE OF THE WORLD

PS
Heckeler

You summed up it all up with Superman & Creation - thanks for the metahphor - you make me wanna but the Superman special edition double dvd now :)

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moody01
07-26-2005

Rated 0 
haha did you just say the Marx Brothers invented the airplane? that has to be one of the best typos I've ever read

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Loose Tongue
07-26-2005

Rated 0 
Sorry Tom Moody (crap OZ cricket player btw ;) :) I meant Wright Bros - well spotted Mr Sale Of The Century - as The Price Is Never Right on my non-PHD 2 cents opinions...have a good day & go Aussie Aussie oi oi oi oi!!!! :) :)

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nunnible
07-28-2005

Rated 0 
When ive been listenign to this song, to me, it seems to be about growth, and maturing as people... realizing that you are small compared to the planets and are really and insignifcant part of the universe... no matter what your problems or the pain your feeling...

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Loose Tongue
07-28-2005

Rated 0 
yes this agnostic's secret god NEIL FINN wrote that in his book ONCE REMOVED:

'to be absent from a list to uncover apathy all serves to remind you of your cosmic insigificance'

think about all the films made & slaved over with hard work (crews of at least 100+)...too many to watch, discuss with passion & longevity on forums (so the author, crew, writer, director feels appreciated & noticed, thanked, loved, adored, or at the very least acknowledged, noticed by even one fan, person, critic)...eg www.imdb.com ...that's just a TIP of the ICEBERG - books, novels, music, songs....

'forever we must ALL walk this earth like some forgotten soldier - NEIL FINN - 'sinner''

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Charon38
07-29-2005

Rated 0 
First, melodically, it's a rewoking of Clocks (but if you can't steal from yourself... well.) Second, I am still getting comfortable with the album. It is more down than I woudl expect form Martin, who with new wife and baby, seems to still want to talk about the achy part of love. Enough with that.
As for the song... it seems to me, if Martin is to be believed it juxtopositions the bands fame, and what it has allowed (travel is explicitly mentioned... and I the birds lyrics in the chorus invoke an image of craziness, and tumult, like what it must be like to perform.) with the downside of fame (the lack of privacy, the furor that surrounds them.. etc.) Just seems like a song where he is trying to come to terms with this dichotomy.

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angeleyes07
07-29-2005

Rated 0 
Absolutely Awesome Song. Coldplay rocks! :)

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fcompo91
08-01-2005

Rated 0 
i am addicted this song!!

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CrPrtFinch12
08-13-2005

Rated 0 
You people are all retarded. If you would actually listen to the song, it is nothing like "Clocks." Just because they have a more upbeat drum beat and the same effect on the guitar doesn't mean it is just like "Clocks." None of the guitar lines or drum lines are even close to the same. If you want to be a fan, please get to know the music better before trying to say things like that.......Great Song

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incoherentlove
08-13-2005

Rated 0 
ok before u start getting all arsey and offending ppl u shld really listen to the rhythmic patterns of clocks and speed of sound

and also the content of the lyrics, the disconnected lines eg. “shoot an apple off my head” in context to the rest of the line wldn’t make grammatical sense, neither would “every chance that you get is a chance you seize”

in both songs these seemingly random sentences come together with other sentences and it seems to make sense, and it works.

By comparing the 2 songs we are not necessarily devaluing the song or saying coldplay are unoriginal, because the messages are very different.

Your definition of music may just be a compilation of drum beats and guitar lines, but for me its also to do with structure, rhythm, and most importantly, the message to be put across. I agree that in structure and rhythm and pace it is similar to clocks, so I see what ppl are saying. Nonetheless a good song.

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SweetnessKitty
08-19-2005

Rated 0 
Compared to their past hits, such as "Yellow" and "In My Place", this song is (for lack of a better word) crap. It doesn't touch me in anyway, or stir up any feelings. While it may be pleasant to listen to, it's very bland, and a blatant rip-off of "Clocks". It's amazes me how this song and it's CD have become their most successful, when it's obviously their worst.

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dcook28277
08-24-2005

Rated 0 
You know--there is a way to interpret the song using the paparazzi theme that Chris Martin himself has said the song was about. The first stanza could refer to his pre-fame days: How long until he's successful? How much further will he have to climb to get to the top?
Then..second stanza could refer to making it and everything moving fast...looking up at the planets moving fast--time flying....his head stuck under the sand because he's so busy, everything moves too fast...so fast he has no idea which way is up...

All the noise and sound and places he has found...all can refer to being famous and successful and having to tour. Birds could mean planes...

Next stanza starts with ideas you'll never find that inventors could never design. Maybe this refers to creativity, especially in writing music. The buildings that are put up...even in far corners of the world...are lit up just for him (concerts..etc)...the signs he couldn't read nor the light he couldn't see also refer back to how fast things feel like they have moved for him...he suddenly found himself in the spotlight...he didn't see it coming this fast...

I think the paparazzi theme comes in because obviously if the razzi is chasing you, then you must be famous...and perhaps that shocked him...and he is writing about how fast things seem to have moved.

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Mhspantherzof06
08-25-2005

Rated 0 
After having read many of the comments posted here, I'm still torn as to the real meaning of this song. Yes, it's very beautiful, and the lyrics are very interesting. But I think Coldplay (and especially Chirs Martin) are deep thinkers, and try to put meaning into their songs. Every one I have heard has touched me in some way, and is very meaningful. Perhaps this song could be a mix of all these different ideas? I've been trying hard for a long time to figure it out, and I'm sure the composers are just laughing, only them knowing the true meaning!!

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