Violet Hill (song)

Infobox Single
Name = Violet Hill


Artist = Coldplay
Album = Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends
B-side = "A Spell a Rebel Yell"
"Lost?"
Released = Start date|2008|5|9|df=yes (Europe)
Recorded = 2007–2008
Genre = Alternative rock
Length = 3:49 (single)
3:42 (album version)
Writer = Guy Berryman, Jonny Buckland, Will Champion, Chris Martin
Format = Digital download, CD, 7"
Label = Parlophone, EMI (UK)
Capitol Records (U.S.)
Producer = Coldplay, Brian Eno, Markus Dravs
Last single = "White Shadows"
(2007)
This single = "Violet Hill"
(2008)
Next single = "Viva la Vida"
(2008)

"Violet Hill" is a song by English alternative rock band Coldplay. It was written by all members of the band for their fourth album, "Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends". Built around a repeating guitar sound, it utilises a marching tempo, supported by the pianos and rhythms that accompany the song's lyrics. The song was initially made available as a free download on the band's website and was downloaded more than two million times.

"Violet Hill" was received with positive reviews. The track was released worldwide as the lead single from "Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends", reaching number nine on "Billboard's" Hot Modern Rock Tracks, and number eight on the UK Singles Chart. The song has been widely sampled, with different covers and sounds.

Background and writing

Chris Martin described the song as having a "chalky, pastel feeling" which he said reminds him of his childhood. "Imagine a pseudo guitar-like circus music with a pinch of Chicago... It's something new from us and you will be impressed."cite web|url=http://www.rte.ie/arts/2008/0429/coldplay.html|title=Coldplay Single is free from today|accessdate=2008-04-28|date=2008-04-28|author=Hawthorne, Jackob|publisher="RTÉ"] The song is the first anti-war protest song from the band, [cite web|first=Chris|last=Willman|url=http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20206310,00.html|title=Viva La Vida Review|accessdate=2008-08-29|date=2008-06-13|work=Entertainment Weekly|publisher="ew.com"|format=Web] [cite web|first=Josh|last=Meares|url=http://www.planetwisdom.com/music/reviews/coldplay_violethill.php|title="Violet Hill" by Coldplay|accessdate=2008-08-29|publisher=Planet Wisdom] and borrows its rhythm from the Beatles. "Violet Hill" derives its title from a street of the same name near Abbey Road. [cite web|first=Rob|last=Harvilla|url=http://www.villagevoice.com/2008-06-17/music/coldplay-s-insurmountable-fire/2|title=Coldplay's Insurmountable Fire|accessdate=2008-08-29|date=2008-06-17|work=The Village Voice|publisher="villagevoice.com"|format=Web]

Martin revealed that the band wrote the first line and the first little melody of the song years ago, but didn't finish it until last year. Martin told "Rolling Stone" that lyrics from the song about "a carnival of idiots on show" and how a "fox became God" were a commentary on Fox News.cite journal|last=Hiatt|first=Brian|date=2008-06-26|title=The Jesus of Uncool|publisher="Rolling Stone"|issue=1055|pages=54|accessdate=2008-08-22] cite web|first=Brian|last=Stelter|url=http://tvdecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/06/12/coldplay-lyrics-take-a-swipe-at-bill-oreilly/?scp=3&sq=Violet%20Hill&st=cse|title=Coldplay Lyrics Take a Swipe at Bill O'Reilly|accessdate=2008-08-22|date=2006-06-12|work=The New York Times] "One day I was watching Bill O'Reilly, and I was like, 'I know how to finish that song,'" as Martin explained, "My best friend, Tim, he's a musician in a band called the High Wire, but he also has to work in a bar. He was having trouble with his boss, and it made me think that so many people spend their lives being told what to do by people that they just don't like. So it was that idea, and watching Bill O'Reilly, and all these words just came out."

During an interview with MTV News, Guy Berryman revealed that the song was one of the older songs that the band had been working on and that they had to move it to one side from the list of songs that were going to appear in the album. Phil Harvey, the band's manager, urged them to include the track in the album, which led to the band to drag it back to the shortlist.cite web|first=James|last=Montgomery|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1589032/20080609/coldplay.jhtml|title=Coldplay Give Track-By-Track Tour Of Viva La Vida, Explain Handclaps, Tack Pianos And The Number 42|accessdate=2008-08-29|date=2008-06-29|work=MTV News|publisher="mtv.com"]

Music and lyrics

listen|filename=Coldplay - Violet Hill.ogg|title="Violet Hill" excerpt
description=The music of "Violet Hill" is built around a jagged guitar riff.|format=Ogg"Violet Hill" is a synthesizer-and-guitar fuzz song. The momentum of the song builds around guitarist Jonny Buckland, who throws in a curling solo.cite web|first=James|last=Montgomery|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1586412/20080428/coldplay.jhtml|title=Coldplay Single Preview: Read About 'Violet Hill' Here Before You Download It On Tuesday!|quote=Track transitions from stomping guitar chords to hushed vocals, indicating the rest of the album's atmospheric sound.|accessdate=2008-08-22|date=2006-04-28|publisher="mtv.com"|work=MTV News|format=Web] The track opens with a piano melody from Martin, which soon follows with a jagged distorted guitar riff. [cite web|first=Evan|last=Serpick|url=http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/18915732/coldplay_at_work_on_something_different_for_upcoming_album|title=Coldplay at Work on "Something Different" for Upcoming Album|accessdate=2008-08-29|work=Rolling Stone|date=2008-02-27|publisher="rollingstone.com"|format=Web] Martin sings about medieval imagery of carnivals, cathedrals, religion and war, culminating in a soaring chorus with an anthemic theme.cite web|first=Ian|last=Youngs|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7439967.stm|title=Joining Coldplay's musical journey|accessdate=2008-08-22|date=2008-06-06|work=BBC News|publisher=BBC] [cite news|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/16/AR2008061602827_pf.html|title=Coldplay Gets Warmer With 'Viva'|last=Freedom du Lac|first=J.|date=2008-06-17|work=The Washington Post|publisher="washingtonpost.com"|accessdate=2008-10-10]

The lyrics are cryptic, as they start off with Martin's falsetto recalling: "Was a long and dark December/From the rooftops I remember there was snow" and continuing with "If you love me/Why'd you let me go?".cite web|first=James|last=Montgomery|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1588634/20080603/coldplay.jhtml|title=Coldplay's Viva La Vida: Everything To Everyone, In Bigger Than The Sound|accessdate=2008-08-29|date=2008-06-04|work=MTV News|publisher="mtv.com"] The song ends with Martin playing the piano and singing in falsetto, and nearly spoken-words whispers: "If you love me/Won't you let me know?"

Release and promotion

The band announced on 28 April 2008 that the single would be released on the official Coldplay website on 29 April 2008 for free for one week before the paid download on 6 May. [cite web|accessdate=2008-04-24|url=http://www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/index.php/2008/04/21/news-ticker-guns-n-roses-britney-spears-coldplay/|title=News Ticker: Guns N' Roses, Britney Spears, Coldplay |work=Rolling Stone|publisher="ew.com"|format=Web|date=2008-04-21|accessdate=2008-08-29] cite web|url=http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003795297|title=Coldplay Prep Album With Free Download, Concerts|accessdate=2008-04-28|date=2008-04-28|author=Brandle, Lars|work=Billboard] "Violet Hill" received its first radio play on 29 April 2008, on Radio 1 at 12:13. The song was downloaded for free by over 600,000 people in the 24 hours since it was made available at 12:15 p.m. on 29 April. [cite web|url=http://www.nme.com/news/coldplay/36320|title=Coldplay single downloaded by 600,000 people|accessdate=2008-05-01|work=NME] In the subsequent week, the single was downloaded 2 million times from the Coldplay website.cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7386422.stm|title=Coldplay song downloaded 2m times|accessdate=2008-05-06|work=BBC News|publisher=BBC]

Coldplay released "Violet Hill" in the US on 9 May 2008 as the album's first single. A promotional 7" vinyl release of the single was given away free in the 10 May issue of "NME", including non-album track "A Spell a Rebel Yell" on the B-side.cite web|url=http://www.nme.com/news/coldplay/36122|title=NME to give away new Coldplay songs free|accessdate=2008-08-29|date=2008-04-23|work=NME] On subsequent physical releases, "Lost?", an acoustic recording of album track "Lost!" serves as "Violet Hill"'s B-side instead.

The single debuted on the US "Billboard" Hot 100 on 24 May 2008 at number forty. [cite web|url=http://acharts.us/billboard_hot_100/2008/21|title="Billboard" Hot 100 - Music Charts|date=2008-05-24|publisher=αCharts|accessdate=2008-10-06] The song stayed in the peak position from its release. [cite web|url=http://acharts.us/song/35402|title=Coldplay - Violet Hill - Music Charts|publisher=αCharts|accessdate=2008-10-06] Three weeks after its release, the track entered at the number nine position on Hot Modern Rock Tracks. [cite news|url=http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/retrieve_chart_history.do?model.vnuArtistId=401639&model.vnuAlbumId=1140550|title=Artist Chart History - Coldplay|work=Billboard|publisher="billboard,com"|accessdate=2008-10-06] The song peaked at number six in Canada Singles Chart and UK Singles Top 40. [cite news|url=http://top40-charts.com/chart.php?cid=9&date=2008-05-16|title=Coldplay - Violet Hill at Top40-Charts|date=2008-05-16|publisher=Top 40-Charts|accessdate=2008-10-06] [cite web|url=http://top40-charts.com/chart.php?cid=25&date=2008-05-11|title=UK Singles Top 40|date=2008-05-11|publisher=Top 40-Charts|accessdate=2008-10-06] The song peaked at number eight in UK Top 75 on 17 May 2008. [cite web|url=http://www.chcmedia.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=18792|title=Official Top 100 Singles|date=2008-05-17|publisher=ChCmedia|accessdate=2008-10-06] The song peaked at eighty-two on 30 August. [cite web|url=http://www.chcmedia.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=21537|title=Official Top 100 Singles|date=2008-08-30|publisher=ChCmedia|accessdate=2008-10-06]

Reception

Critics were positive towards the song. In the "Los Angeles Times" review of the album, critic Todd Martens wrote: "The song's first guitar crush arrives after a lengthy ambient intro, and brings an electrifying jolt to the striking piano melody. Martin brings a booming confidence to his vocals that has been more evident in Coldplay's live shows than on record." [cite web|first=Todd|last=Martens|url=http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/extendedplay/2008/06/coldplays-la-vi.html|title=Coldplay's 'Viva La Vida': 10 track-by-track reactions|accessdate=2008-08-28|date=2008-06-13|work=Los Angeles Times] Simon Vozick-Levinson from "Entertainment Weekly" wrote: "'Violet Hill' opens with a thin synth wash that's very Music for Airports, and proceeds from there to some droning, stabbing guitar textures that sound cooler than most any Coldplay tunes I can think of. [...] Still, the songcraft itself feels lacking. The melody's fine, if nothing special; I can accept that Chris Martin may have spent up all his truly indelible melodies on the band's first few albums." [cite web|first=Simon|last=Vozick-Levinson|url=http://popwatch.ew.com/popwatch/2008/05/coldplay-violet.html|title=Snap judgment: Coldplay's 'Violet Hill'|accessdate=2008-08-29|date=2008-05-01|work=Entertainment Weekly|format=Web] Kristina Feliciano of "Paste" magazine wrote: "You know you're in for a different kind of Coldplay experience when Chris Martin ditches his anguished falsetto for a deep, doomy basso profundo, as he does on 'Violet Hill'". [cite web|first=Kristina|last=Feliciano|url=http://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2008/06/viva-la-vida-or-death-and-all-his-friends.html|title=Coldplay: Viva la Vida, or Death and All His Friends review|accessdate=2008-08-28|date=2008-06-12|work=Paste] Mikael Wood of "Spin" magazine wrote: "'Violet Hill' pulls a similar fake-out, bludgeoning a delicate Eno-style soundscape with big Black Sabbath guitars." [cite web|first=Mikael|last=Wood|url=http://www.spin.com/reviews/coldplay-viva-la-vida-capitol|title=Coldplay, 'Viva La Vida'|accessdate=2008-08-29|date=2008-06-17|work=Spin] Darcie Stevens of the "Austin Chronicle" wrote: "While the band's fourth LP begins light and pretty, its power breaks late-album with Old West tangent 'Violet Hill'". [cite web|first=Darcie|last=Stevens|url=http://www.austinchronicle.com/gyrobase/Issue/review?oid=oid%3A645868|title=Phases & Stages|accessdate=2008-08-29|date=2008-07-18|work=The Austin Chronicle]

After the song's release, it was announced that "Violet Hill" would be featured in "Guitar Hero III" as downloadable content. [cite web|first=Shirley|last=Halperin|url=http://hollywoodinsider.ew.com/2008/05/coldplay.html|title=Coldplay to make 'Guitar Hero' debut|accessdate=2008-08-29|date=2008-05-28|work=Entertainment Weekly] [cite web |url=http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/881/881555p1.html |title=Coldplay gets Emotional with Guitar Hero 3 |accessdate=2008-06-13 |last= Brudvig |first= Erik |coauthors= |date= 2008-06-13 |publisher=News Corporation |work=IGN Xbox 360] The single was covered by Pendulum, when they were guests in BBC Radio 1's Live Lounge. [cite news|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/livelounge/artist/080730_pendulum.shtml|title=Pendulum perform Coldplay's Violet Hill|date=2008-07-30|work=BBC Radio 1|publisher=BBC|accessdate=2008-09-15] The song has been mixed by Michael Brauer. [cite web|url=http://www.erikegerentertainment.com/producers/discographies/michael_h_brauer_singles.php|title=Michael H. Brauer Mixer Singles Mixed Discography|publisher=Erik Eger Entertainment|accessdate=2008-09-15] It was also featured on an episode of the UK soap opera, "Hollyoaks". [cite web|url=http://www.channel4.com/entertainment/tv/microsites/H/hollyoaks/music/previous/08/04/080822.html|title=What's Been Played|date=2008-08-18|work=Channel 4|publisher="channel4.com"|accessdate=2008-09-15]

Music videos

The music video for the song was filmed in Sicily and was filmed by director/visual artist Asa Mader. The official video for the single was released on 18 May. An alternative music video, named 'Dancing Politicians', was posted on Coldplay's official website on 17 May. The video is made up of clips, sometimes looped, featuring various politicians and scenes of war, as well as firework displays at the end. It prominently features George W. Bush, presenting clips of him in a mocking manner. Prominent 20th century personalities, such as Fidel Castro, Richard Nixon, Hugo Chávez, Robert Mugabe, Osama bin Laden, Saddam Hussein, Boris Yeltsin, Barack Obama, Bill and Hillary Clinton, Tony and Cherie Blair, and Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip are featured in this alternate video. [cite web|url=http://www.themodernage.org/2008/05/18/coldplays-violet-hill-music-video/|title=Coldplay's "Violet Hill" Music Video|accessdate=2008-08-29|date=2008-05-18|publisher=The Modern Age] This video is shown at live shows (Viva La Vida Tour) on a small on-stage TV screen.

The official video for "Violet Hill" was nominated for Best UK Video as well as Best Special Effects for the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards. [cite web|first=Chris|last=Harris|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1593631/20080827/west_kanye.jhtml|title=Kanye West, Rihanna, Chris Brown, Katy Perry Videos Pick Up More VMA Nominations|accessdate=2008-08-29|date=2008-08-27|publisher=MTV]

Track listings

Digital download

#"Violet Hill" – 3:49

Promotional CD

#"Violet Hill" [radio edit] – 3:21

Promotional 7" (free with NME)

#"Violet Hill" – 3:49
#"A Spell a Rebel Yell" – 2:46

CD release

#"Violet Hill" – 3:49
#"Lost?" – 3:39

Charts

{| class="wikitable"!align="center"|Chart (2008)!align="center"|Peak
position
-
align="left"|Italian FIMI Singles Chart [it icon cite web|url=http://www.italiancharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Coldplay&titel=Violet+Hill&cat=s|title=Italian Singles Chart|accessdate=2008-08-19|date=2008-05-31|publisher=Italian Charts]
align="center"|9
-
align="left"|Japan Hot 100 [cite web|url=http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/esearch/chart_display.jsp?cfi=848&cfgn=Singles&cfn=Japan+Hot+100+Singles&ci=3096641&cdi=9797128&cid=06%2F06%2F2008|title=Japan Hot 100|accessdate=2008-06-17|date=2008-06-07|work=Billboard]
align="center"|39
-
align="left"|Luxembourgian Airplay Chart [cite web|url=http://euro200.net/EU-nation.htm|title=European Union|accessdate=2008-08-29|date=2008-06-24|publisher=APC Chart]
align="center"|1
-
align="left"|New Zealand RIANZ Singles Chart
align="center"|5
-
align="left"|Norwegian Singles Chart
align="center"|8
-
align="left"|Slovak IFPI Airplay Chart [cite web|url=http://www.ifpicr.cz/hitparadask/index.php?a=titul&hitparada=18&titul=145063&sec=55c529fb14d778b864884b28c6abe120|title=Slovak Airplay Chart|accessdate=2008-08-29|publisher=IFPI]
align="center"|21
-
align="left"|Swedish Singles Chart
align="center"|8
-
align="left"|Swiss Singles Chart
align="center"|11
-
align="left"|UK Singles Chart
align="center"|8
-
align="left"|U.S. "Billboard" Hot 100
align="center"|40
-
align="left"|U.S. "Billboard" Hot Modern Rock Trackscite web|url=http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/esearch/chart_display.jsp?cfi=377&cfgn=Singles&cfn=Hot+Modern+Rock+Tracks&ci=3096779&cdi=9801386&cid=06%2F14%2F2008|title=Hot Modern Rock Tracks|accessdate=2008-06-14|date=2006-06-06|work=Billboard]
align="center"|9
-
align="left"|U.S. "Billboard" Pop 100 [cite web|url=http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/esearch/chart_display.jsp?cfi=396&cfgn=Singles&cfn=Pop+100&ci=3096782&cdi=9801449&cid=06%2F14%2F2008|title=Pop 100|accessdate=2006-06-06|date=2006-06-14|work=Billboard]
align="center"|38

References

External links

* [http://www.coldplay.com/nme.html Coldplay.com info page for promotion with "NME"]
*Youtube|IakDItZ7f7Q|Official music video
*Youtube|9WqQL5WFN20|Alternative "Dancing Politicians" video
* [http://wiki.coldplaying.com/index.php/Violet_Hill "Violet Hill" article] at Wikia