I turn the music up, I got my records on
I shut the world outside until the lights come on
Maybe the streets alight, maybe the trees are gone
I feel my heart start beating to my favourite song

And all the kids they dance, all the kids all night
Until Monday morning feels another life
I turn the music up
I'm on a roll this time
And heaven is in sight

I turn the music up, I got my records on
From underneath the rubble sing a rebel song
Don't want to see another generation drop
I'd rather be a comma than a full stop

Maybe I'm in the black, maybe I'm on my knees
Maybe I'm in the gap between the two trapezes
But my heart is beating and my pulses start
Cathedrals in my heart

As we saw ohh, this light I swear you, emerge blinking into
To tell me it's alright
As we soar walls, every siren is a symphony
And every tear's a waterfall
Is a waterfall
Oh
Is a waterfall
Oh-oh-oh
Is a is a waterfall
Every tear
Is a waterfall
Oh-oh-oh

So you can hurt, hurt me bad
But still I'll raise the flag

Oh
It was a wa-wa wa-wa wa-aterfall
A wa-wa wa-wa wa-aterfall

Every tear
Every tear
Every teardrop is a waterfall

Every tear
Every tear
Every teardrop is a waterfall

Every tear
Every tear
Every teardrop is a waterfall

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Lyrics submitted by EscObAR123, edited by rosematazz

Every Teardrop Is a Waterfall Lyrics as written by Alex Christensen Adrienne Anderson

Lyrics © Royalty Network, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.

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Every Teardrop Is a Waterfall song meanings

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52 Comments

+9
General Comment
Wow.

My initial interpretation was much different, maybe because I've been following the political upheavals in the Middle East and elsewhere very closely.

The word "Rebel" and "Next Generation", and made me feel the song had something to do with the recent political and economic crisis in their entirety.

The title "Every teardrop is a waterfall"- emphasizes the fact that no single teardrop is any less massive than an entire waterfall. It compares pain to a material natural phenomenon as massive as a waterfall and tells us, no teardrop will go in vain.

The beginning implies the act of drowning into self-belief, regardless of what the outer environment is, and irrespective of what's the reality. It relates to the crisis in the sense that, it's about time people start collecting themselves together, and believing in themselves to such extent that nothing else would matter more than what they want/desire.

The words "music" and "song" imply the figurative sounds in ones head distinguishing desires to reality.

The second verse goes on to say "and all the kids they dance" meaning some sort of a demonstration. Demonstrating with strong self-belief until triumph. "kids" imply the sense of the next generation. Freedom for the next generation.

"I'm on a roll this time" and "heaven is in sight" reminds me of the fact that, though repetitive political uprisings have occurred in such parts of our lengthy history, nothing of this magnitude has been ever achieve. Heaven is in sight implies, the success of our will have surpassed the fear of many of the tyrannical regimes/systems.

"Don't want to see another generation drop" implies the fact that, many generations have suffered over the years, but it's time to change what has been happening.

"I'd rather be a comma than a full stop" expresses the desire to bring about a revolution. A comma often denotes contradiction in sentences, whereas full stop denotes an end. The contradiction means in the sense that, the future will be different from the past.

The next verse, depicts the pain and inferiority the person feels, the helplessness he's been rendered with, yet he believes he's in the middle to achieving some sort of a success. "Cathedrals in my heart" tells the hope he has gathered within himself.

Well, this is just my interpretation. I realize mine, sounds quit insane when compared to a lot of yours, but isn't this the beauty of art? For one this might seem a dance song, for another, this might be a motivational soundtrack.

Music is subjective, and this was my opinion.

Wow. My initial interpretation was much different, maybe because I've been following the political upheavals in the Middle East and elsewhere very closely. The word "Rebel" and "Next Generation", and made me feel the song had something to do with the recent political and economic crisis in their entirety. The title "Every teardrop is a waterfall"- emphasizes the fact that no single teardrop is any less massive than an entire waterfall. It compares pain to a material natural phenomenon as massive as a waterfall and tells us, no teardrop will go in vain. The beginning implies the act of drowning into self-belief, regardless of what the outer environment is, and irrespective of what's the reality. It relates to the crisis in the sense that, it's about time people start collecting themselves together, and believing in themselves to such extent that nothing else would matter more than what they want/desire. The words "music" and "song" imply the figurative sounds in ones head distinguishing desires to reality. The second verse goes on to say "and all the kids they dance" meaning some sort of a demonstration. Demonstrating with strong self-belief until triumph. "kids" imply the sense of the next generation. Freedom for the next generation. "I'm on a roll this time" and "heaven is in sight" reminds me of the fact that, though repetitive political uprisings have occurred in such parts of our lengthy history, nothing of this magnitude has been ever achieve. Heaven is in sight implies, the success of our will have surpassed the fear of many of the tyrannical regimes/systems. "Don't want to see another generation drop" implies the fact that, many generations have suffered over the years, but it's time to change what has been happening. "I'd rather be a comma than a full stop" expresses the desire to bring about a revolution. A comma often denotes contradiction in sentences, whereas full stop denotes an end. The contradiction means in the sense that, the future will be different from the past. The next verse, depicts the pain and inferiority the person feels, the helplessness he's been rendered with, yet he believes he's in the middle to achieving some sort of a success. "Cathedrals in my heart" tells the hope he has gathered within himself. Well, this is just my interpretation. I realize mine, sounds quit insane when compared to a lot of yours, but isn't this the beauty of art? For one this might seem a dance song, for another, this might be a motivational soundtrack. Music is subjective, and this was my opinion.

Reason:

skaieon July 10, 2011 Link
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@skaie

Well interpreted! This is precisely where my head & heart take me when I hear this song. I was struck by the revolutionary feel of the music and looked up the lyrics. Imagined the Middle East.. revolution, hope, celebration...Couldn't agree more!

jdbenz11on September 15, 2011

Groovy interpretation!

musicgypsyon October 18, 2011

Wow. What an insightful interpretation!

UpperKatoon October 27, 2011

Hey. Thanks - I like your thoughts. For me, for some reason, the title resonated with a (somewhat different!) quote: 'A single death is a tradegy, a million is a statistic' (Stalin). I guess that's because, a single teardrop is a waterfall, a single death is tradegy seem to pair up. As you say, the song is impling that every teardrop is significant. I wonder if the writers were aware of the contrast with this quote? Perhaps not, but it would fit with your theme of revolution; the irony being that Coldplay are not suggesting a million teardrops are just a statistic, they are advocating change, whilst Stalin was talking about repression.

jcton November 09, 2011
+8
General Comment
In my eyes the song is about looking at life in a positive light regardless of what bad fortune may come your way you accept it and move on staying positive as life is what you make it and from this attitude happiness will be yours. Every Siren is a Symphony...Every Tear a Waterfall....

In my eyes the song is about looking at life in a positive light regardless of what bad fortune may come your way you accept it and move on staying positive as life is what you make it and from this attitude happiness will be yours. Every Siren is a Symphony...Every Tear a Waterfall....

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Yellowlogon June 22, 2012 Link
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@Yellowlog
+3
General Comment
This is definitely a better song musically than lyrically. Thankfully, the music is so good that it makes the lyrics seem far better than they actually are. This will certainly be one of my favorite mainstream hit singles of 2011, regardless of what anyone says about it.

This song seems to be about the liberating, revolutionizing power of music. In the first verse, the song's narrator describes the feeling of losing himself in a great song, to the point that he completely forgets about his world, at least until his reality comes to smack him in the gut. "Until Monday feels another life, I turn the music up". The second verse shows us that music is the narrator's form of rebellion- against his reality, regardless of how well things are going for him at the time. "In the Black, on my knees, in the gap between two trapezes" I actually think that the trapezes is a great metaphor for being in-between two extremes.

The second half of the song is much more cryptic, however, and is where things start to fall apart lyrically. I still haven't a clue as to what "Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall" is supposed to mean, and it's kind of odd for a song to have that title when it's this uplifting. I think that the chorus is attempting to describe the cathartic experiences that the narrator feels when listening to music, and the take-on-the-world confidence it builds in him, but I'm not entirely sure if Martin actually wanted to say something here or if he was just making stuff up. Still, a great song from Coldplay, and the summer's best song so far.

This is definitely a better song musically than lyrically. Thankfully, the music is so good that it makes the lyrics seem far better than they actually are. This will certainly be one of my favorite mainstream hit singles of 2011, regardless of what anyone says about it. This song seems to be about the liberating, revolutionizing power of music. In the first verse, the song's narrator describes the feeling of losing himself in a great song, to the point that he completely forgets about his world, at least until his reality comes to smack him in the gut. "Until Monday feels another life, I turn the music up". The second verse shows us that music is the narrator's form of rebellion- against his reality, regardless of how well things are going for him at the time. "In the Black, on my knees, in the gap between two trapezes" I actually think that the trapezes is a great metaphor for being in-between two extremes. The second half of the song is much more cryptic, however, and is where things start to fall apart lyrically. I still haven't a clue as to what "Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall" is supposed to mean, and it's kind of odd for a song to have that title when it's this uplifting. I think that the chorus is attempting to describe the cathartic experiences that the narrator feels when listening to music, and the take-on-the-world confidence it builds in him, but I'm not entirely sure if Martin actually wanted to say something here or if he was just making stuff up. Still, a great song from Coldplay, and the summer's best song so far.

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krisko6on June 04, 2011 Link
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@krisko6

Cryptic =/= Worse, mate.

Thyraion June 26, 2011
+3
General Comment
every siren is a sympohny And every tear's a waterfall

take the pain and make something beautiful, thats what this song is about.

every siren is a sympohny And every tear's a waterfall take the pain and make something beautiful, thats what this song is about.

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jasonbagzon June 08, 2011 Link
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@jasonbagz
+2
General Comment
i think you really get to understand what the song means towards the end.

" So you can hurt, hurt me bad But still I raise the flag "

def a very you-are-better-than-this song. and how he sings about growing as a person and growing from the problems and becoming better. singing about how much potential he has. INSPIRING!!! " i'd rather be a comma than a fullstop "

i think the title " every teardrop is a waterfall " taking it literally apart, teardrop is usually what we associate with sadness. when you think of waterfall we usually think of how nature's so beautiful. and all that. so i guess every teardrop is a waterfall would prolly mean there's also beauty within the ugly. inspiring no?

just my 5cents worth..

i think you really get to understand what the song means towards the end. " So you can hurt, hurt me bad But still I raise the flag " def a very you-are-better-than-this song. and how he sings about growing as a person and growing from the problems and becoming better. singing about how much potential he has. INSPIRING!!! " i'd rather be a comma than a fullstop " i think the title " every teardrop is a waterfall " taking it literally apart, teardrop is usually what we associate with sadness. when you think of waterfall we usually think of how nature's so beautiful. and all that. so i guess every teardrop is a waterfall would prolly mean there's also beauty within the ugly. inspiring no? just my 5cents worth..

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aurevoirkidson June 05, 2011 Link
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@aurevoirkids
+2
General Comment
Agree with Loose Tongue, its like 5 different genres in one. Very cool, uplifting tune. Can't wait for the album!

Agree with Loose Tongue, its like 5 different genres in one. Very cool, uplifting tune. Can't wait for the album!

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rPrieston June 05, 2011 Link
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@rPriest
+2
My Interpretation
After sifting through the comments, I think I'm the only one who doesn't get the whole "music is wonderful" vibe from this song.

I see the lyrics as a first-person narrative from the perspective of a young recluse/shut-in, who uses music to help him "shut the world outside". He is indifferent about the state of the world outside him, focusing only on his own existence in his room ("Maybe the streets alight, maybe the trees are gone / I feel my heart start beating to my favorite song"). Because he is so shut off from society, everything that happens in his life is magnified completely. Every siren that he hears going down the street is like a symphony to him, and every teardrop is like a waterfall.

With "And all the kids they dance, all the kids all night / Until Monday morning feels another life / I turn the music up / I'm on a roll this time / And heaven is in sight", he could possibly be referring to other kids who lead a 'normal' pattern of going to school and then enjoying the weekend. He is exempt from this monotonous life. By "heaven is in sight", he could either mean he is in complete bliss, or that he feels completely empty, as if near death.

"From underneath the rubble sing a rebel song / Don't want to see another generation drop / I'd rather be a comma than a full stop" Though he is 'buried' inside his room and cut off from the rest of the world, he is rebelling against the daily pattern that everyone follows without resistance. He doesn't want to see another generation lost to this thing, and shuts himself inside. He would rather people wonder where he has gone (simply disappearing one day) than have people know where he ended up (e.g. working a corporate job all his life, etc.).

After sifting through the comments, I think I'm the only one who doesn't get the whole "music is wonderful" vibe from this song. I see the lyrics as a first-person narrative from the perspective of a young recluse/shut-in, who uses music to help him "shut the world outside". He is indifferent about the state of the world outside him, focusing only on his own existence in his room ("Maybe the streets alight, maybe the trees are gone / I feel my heart start beating to my favorite song"). Because he is so shut off from society, everything that happens in his life is magnified completely. Every siren that he hears going down the street is like a symphony to him, and every teardrop is like a waterfall. With "And all the kids they dance, all the kids all night / Until Monday morning feels another life / I turn the music up / I'm on a roll this time / And heaven is in sight", he could possibly be referring to other kids who lead a 'normal' pattern of going to school and then enjoying the weekend. He is exempt from this monotonous life. By "heaven is in sight", he could either mean he is in complete bliss, or that he feels completely empty, as if near death. "From underneath the rubble sing a rebel song / Don't want to see another generation drop / I'd rather be a comma than a full stop" Though he is 'buried' inside his room and cut off from the rest of the world, he is rebelling against the daily pattern that everyone follows without resistance. He doesn't want to see another generation lost to this thing, and shuts himself inside. He would rather people wonder where he has gone (simply disappearing one day) than have people know where he ended up (e.g. working a corporate job all his life, etc.).

Reason:

rosebouqueton September 08, 2011 Link
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@rosebouquet
+2
General Comment
Chris Martin explained the song's meaning in an interview with Music Week: "The central theme of the record — 'Paradise' is kind of about this as well — is trying to turn bad things into good things somehow. We as a band have been through some funny incidents in terms of people being aggressive towards us or whatever. And a lot of the record is fuelled by a kind of fire which comes from turning that negativity into positivity. And I think everyone in their life has something like that."

Chris Martin explained the song's meaning in an interview with Music Week: "The central theme of the record — 'Paradise' is kind of about this as well — is trying to turn bad things into good things somehow. We as a band have been through some funny incidents in terms of people being aggressive towards us or whatever. And a lot of the record is fuelled by a kind of fire which comes from turning that negativity into positivity. And I think everyone in their life has something like that."

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FloridaGuyon October 10, 2011 Link
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@FloridaGuy
+2
General Comment
Kinda fun at MTV-EMAs Party Night!!!!! (Missed you, felt you, wish you were here and all the other Pink Floyd songs I love)

Lady GuyGuy - what a marketing scam that is.

VERY GOOD to see Cold Play ... and Queen.

(Too bad Lambert has no falsetto...that last note should have been an octave higher.)

But talk about your own personal dream cover band!!! And now he has a place where everybody loves that he is ... happy?) I see a long profitable gig in Vegas.

This Cold Play song that they performed tonight is about the VERY NEAR FUTURE kids. (Like you can see it coming with all the turmoil that is escalating currently yes?) After the "soon to arrive" devastations/tribulations/Teotwawki/etc...(and there's no Obamacare that's going to fix that one).

But the cool thing is that COLDPLAY has the positive attitude - and what else is cool is that they are looking forward to he reconstruction.

I just hope they survive as much as I know the tracks (that we have hidden with the spare ipods and electrical generators) down in the shelter will. So we can still listen to their records("ings") after the light go out and the street catches on fire.

(Here is the explanation of the lyrics. And some of you thought they were to "cutesy". Ya, right.)

I turn the music up, (headphones up to 11 = deaf but happy) Got my record(ing)s on (too many syllables in recordings to fit the beat) I shut the (devastated) world outside, until the lights come (back) on (after the EMP/solar storm/nuke meltdown turns them all off) Maybe the streets alight,(asphalt burns, rioters burn, banks burn, everything burns in a melt-down) Maybe the trees are gone (no problem...fresh charcoal to BBQ squirrels with!) I feel my heart start beating to my favorite song (music is all we will be all we have left to cheer us up)

And all the kids they dance (nothing else to do at night, no MTV to watch anymore. No advertisers.) All the kids all night (no more mommies and daddies to tell us to go to bed now - whoohoo!) Until Monday morning feels another life (because the business world has collapsed - Monday is a brand new way of life) I turn the music up (ears still ringing from Predator missile blasts) I'm on a roll this time (no government left to prevent us from taking over the world with LOVE now!) And heaven is in sight (we are going to rebuild Heaven on this planet this time - after it burns down from unrest and intolerance)

I turn the music up, (aaaaaah,that's better - ambient rules!!!!) I got my records on (Petabytes of the music files we saved underground away from the EMPs) From underneath the rubble (oops, earthquake or bombing zone) sing a rebel song (no government left to stop us warrior/rebels now!!!) Don't want to see another generation drop (have to rebuild the Earth correctly this time - there not enough resources left to screw up again like all the other generations before us, so if we blow it this last generation will drop off a cliff) I'd rather be a comma, than a full stop (some of us will need first-aid, but yet there will be a lot who just suddenly died)

Maybe I'm in the black (ashes from the forest fires, GRBs, nuke plant implosions, etc.) Maybe I'm on my knees (praying for the Second Coming to get here now that everything is equalized) Maybe I'm in the gap between the two trapezes (no more government entitlements left so we're in free-fall and waiting and hoping to land on our feet ... with what we practiced ahead of time) But my heart is beating and my pulses start (now we can get excited about rebuilding the Earth) Cathedrals in my heart (and we rebuild Heaven on Earth)

As we saw, oh this light (the return of the rider on the White Horse of the Apocalypse) I swear you emerge blinking (its dark underground with the lights off) into, (the light) to tell me it's alright (redemption is nigh) As we soar walls (parkour ... in order to get over the debris fields) Every siren is a symphony (it's FUN to be a part in all the emergencies that set us free!!! Sirens will die once the squad car batteries do) And every tears a waterfall (we are out of water - so every tear is valuable and precious! Save some tears for the poor in spirit.)

So you can hurt, hurt me bad (some of us will get wounded fighting off the left-over troopers) But still I'll raise the flag (the flag of the warrior/angel millennium)

It was a wa-wa-wa-wa-waterfall A wa-wa-wa-wa-waterfall

Every tear Every tear Every teardrop is a waterfall (seriously - store water, its going to be in really short supply and its going to be a while before we get the spigots back on!!!!)

So that's the meaning - but its upbeat if you are warrior!!! You know me ... I am Always.

(Stick around and I'll share my food storage and save a seat in the cave for you ... yes?)

Wolffee

Kinda fun at MTV-EMAs Party Night!!!!! (Missed you, felt you, wish you were here and all the other Pink Floyd songs I love) Lady GuyGuy - what a marketing scam that is. VERY GOOD to see Cold Play ... and Queen. (Too bad Lambert has no falsetto...that last note should have been an octave higher.) But talk about your own personal dream cover band!!! And now he has a place where everybody loves that he is ... happy?) I see a long profitable gig in Vegas. This Cold Play song that they performed tonight is about the VERY NEAR FUTURE kids. (Like you can see it coming with all the turmoil that is escalating currently yes?) After the "soon to arrive" devastations/tribulations/Teotwawki/etc...(and there's no Obamacare that's going to fix that one). But the cool thing is that COLDPLAY has the positive attitude - and what else is cool is that they are looking forward to he reconstruction. I just hope they survive as much as I know the tracks (that we have hidden with the spare ipods and electrical generators) down in the shelter will. So we can still listen to their records("ings") after the light go out and the street catches on fire. (Here is the explanation of the lyrics. And some of you thought they were to "cutesy". Ya, right.) I turn the music up, (headphones up to 11 = deaf but happy) Got my record(ing)s on (too many syllables in recordings to fit the beat) I shut the (devastated) world outside, until the lights come (back) on (after the EMP/solar storm/nuke meltdown turns them all off) Maybe the streets alight,(asphalt burns, rioters burn, banks burn, everything burns in a melt-down) Maybe the trees are gone (no problem...fresh charcoal to BBQ squirrels with!) I feel my heart start beating to my favorite song (music is all we will be all we have left to cheer us up) And all the kids they dance (nothing else to do at night, no MTV to watch anymore. No advertisers.) All the kids all night (no more mommies and daddies to tell us to go to bed now - whoohoo!) Until Monday morning feels another life (because the business world has collapsed - Monday is a brand new way of life) I turn the music up (ears still ringing from Predator missile blasts) I'm on a roll this time (no government left to prevent us from taking over the world with LOVE now!) And heaven is in sight (we are going to rebuild Heaven on this planet this time - after it burns down from unrest and intolerance) I turn the music up, (aaaaaah,that's better - ambient rules!!!!) I got my records on (Petabytes of the music files we saved underground away from the EMPs) From underneath the rubble (oops, earthquake or bombing zone) sing a rebel song (no government left to stop us warrior/rebels now!!!) Don't want to see another generation drop (have to rebuild the Earth correctly this time - there not enough resources left to screw up again like all the other generations before us, so if we blow it this last generation will drop off a cliff) I'd rather be a comma, than a full stop (some of us will need first-aid, but yet there will be a lot who just suddenly died) Maybe I'm in the black (ashes from the forest fires, GRBs, nuke plant implosions, etc.) Maybe I'm on my knees (praying for the Second Coming to get here now that everything is equalized) Maybe I'm in the gap between the two trapezes (no more government entitlements left so we're in free-fall and waiting and hoping to land on our feet ... with what we practiced ahead of time) But my heart is beating and my pulses start (now we can get excited about rebuilding the Earth) Cathedrals in my heart (and we rebuild Heaven on Earth) As we saw, oh this light (the return of the rider on the White Horse of the Apocalypse) I swear you emerge blinking (its dark underground with the lights off) into, (the light) to tell me it's alright (redemption is nigh) As we soar walls (parkour ... in order to get over the debris fields) Every siren is a symphony (it's FUN to be a part in all the emergencies that set us free!!! Sirens will die once the squad car batteries do) And every tears a waterfall (we are out of water - so every tear is valuable and precious! Save some tears for the poor in spirit.) So you can hurt, hurt me bad (some of us will get wounded fighting off the left-over troopers) But still I'll raise the flag (the flag of the warrior/angel millennium) It was a wa-wa-wa-wa-waterfall A wa-wa-wa-wa-waterfall Every tear Every tear Every teardrop is a waterfall (seriously - store water, its going to be in really short supply and its going to be a while before we get the spigots back on!!!!) So that's the meaning - but its upbeat if you are warrior!!! You know me ... I am Always. (Stick around and I'll share my food storage and save a seat in the cave for you ... yes?) Wolffee

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powdersnowboyon November 09, 2011 Link
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@powdersnowboy
+1
General Comment
I think Krisko6 pinpointed most of what this song means. I think the lyrics "As we soar walls, every siren is a symphony,and every tear's a waterfall" means that when listening to music, or this song that takes you away, even the bad things are beautiful and don't matter. I think Chris Martin is emphasizing how important music is and, even if just for a few minutes, it can make everything great and your life just blends into the beauty of the music.

I think Krisko6 pinpointed most of what this song means. I think the lyrics "As we soar walls, every siren is a symphony,and every tear's a waterfall" means that when listening to music, or this song that takes you away, even the bad things are beautiful and don't matter. I think Chris Martin is emphasizing how important music is and, even if just for a few minutes, it can make everything great and your life just blends into the beauty of the music.

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Reptile17on June 04, 2011 Link
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