The moving “Yellow” is easily one of Coldplay’s most iconic songs. The British band released the song on their debut album ‘Parachutes’ in July 2000, and the song became the band’s first worldwide hit. More than 2 decades later, “Yellow” is considered one of the best and most defining songs of the early 2000s. But what’s the meaning behind the song? In this article, we will dive into the story and meaning behind Coldplay’s classic.
Look at the Stars
“Yellow” was written during the recording of Coldplay’s first studio album, Parachutes, at Rockfield Studios in Wales. After recording the song “Shiver”, the band members and crew decided to take a break. Once outside, Co-producer Ken Nelson noticed how bright the stars were. ‘Look at the stars,’ he remarked.
Inspired by Ken Nelson’s words and the night sky, the band’s lead singer Chris Martin began writing “Yellow”. “I was just fiddling around on the guitar and it came to me,” He reflected. “At first I was singing it like a Neil Young song, and that melody came out and it sounded wicked. The first verse and the chorus came really quickly to me, and I thought it was beautiful. That was the very first time I felt that way, ’cause usually I doubt all my songs in the beginning.”
Yellow
While the music for “Yellow” quickly came to Martin, it took him longer to find words to the tune. He was convinced the song needed a strong single keyword, but he struggled to find one. Then, after glancing around in the studio, he noticed the “Yellow Pages” telephone book, inspiring him to use the word yellow.
“This is a perfect example of (a word) that just sounded good… It just works,” Martin said. “I tried not saying that word so much and it didn’t sound good. It has a nice ring to it… I don’t even like the colour yellow that much…”
Devotion
According to Chris Martin, “Yellow” is a song about devotion. “It’s about doing something for someone and being pleased about it,” he stated. The lyrics don’t reveal if the devotion is reciprocated, but the one-sided nature of the lyrics suggests the love is unrequited.
In 2009, however, Chris Martin told CBS he doesn’t know what the song is about. “I’ve got no idea. I still think about that every day. I love playing it. I love the tune. I love the chords. I love the balloons that we use live. But I still can’t quite work out what it’s about.”
Success
“Yellow” was released as the second single of Parachutes on June 26, 2000. The song performed significantly better than the album’s lead single, “Shiver”, and became Coldplay’s breakthrough hit. It was a top 5 hit in the United Kingdom and Australia and topped the chart in Iceland. It was also Coldplay’s first charting hit in the United States, where “Yellow” peaked at number 48.
Over the years, “Yellow” grew out to be one of Coldplay’s most celebrated songs – if not their most celebrated. Therefore, it’s no surprise the song is the band’s most-played live song. Maybe, the enduring power has something to do with the connection the song has with the band. “Yellow’ refers to the mood of the band,” Martin stated. “Brightness and hope and devotion. It’s quite concise — you don’t have to expand on it. It strikes a chord.”
The song is often considered one of the greatest songs released in the 2000s. On Rolling Stone’s list of the 100 Best Songs of the 2000s, “Yellow” ranked number 34. Pitchfork and Yardbarker also included the song on their lists of the greatest 2000s songs.
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