Fix You

Single infobox
Name = Fix You


Artist = Coldplay
from Album = X&Y
B-side = "The World Turned Upside Down", "Pour Me"
Released = June 14, 2005 (U.S.) September 5, 2005
Format = 7", CD, download
Recorded =
Genre = Alternative rock
Length = 4:54 (album version) 4:37 (no intro, video edit)
Label = Parlophone
Producer = Coldplay, Ken Nelson
Last single = "Speed of Sound" (2005)
This single = "Fix You" (2005)
Next single = "Talk" (2005)
Misc = Extra musicsample
Type = single
filename = Coldplay_-_Fix_You.ogg
format = Ogg
title = Fix You
artist = Coldplay
description =

"Fix You" is a song by English rock band Coldplay and is the fourth track on their 2005 album, "X&Y". During live performances of the song all four members of the band sing, although on record only Chris Martin and Will Champion do. It was also released as the second single from that album in various countries. In the United Kingdom it was released on 5 September 2005 to avoid competition with Oasis' "The Importance of Being Idle" (released 22 August 2005) in the UK Singles Chart. [cite web|title=Coldplay Avoids A Duel With Oasis|date=5 July 2005|accessdate=2006-12-03|url=http://news.softpedia.com/news/Coldplay-Avoids-A-Duel-With-Oasis-4423.shtml]

On 14 September 2005, Coldplay released the "Fix You EP" on the iTunes Music Store. In response to Hurricane Katrina, all of the sales went to the American Red Cross Hurricane 2005 Relief and the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences' MusiCares Hurricane Relief Fund. This song was also played on Shelter from the Storm. It has also become a tribute song for the victims and eventually became the anthem for the event.

The guitar solo and drum solo as well as ending half of the song was played over the trailer for the film "World Trade Center".

Writing

When writing the song, Chris Martin was influenced by Muse's use of a church organ on the track "Megalomania" from their album "Origin of Symmetry". Unable to gain access to one, Martin instead used an old keyboard that his late father-in-law (Bruce Paltrow) gave to his daughter Gwyneth Paltrow. [cite news|first= John|last= Kennedy|title= Coldplay on X&Y|url= http://www.xfm.co.uk/Article.asp?id=88936|work= XFM|accessadte= 2007-12-16] However, in other instances Martin has claimed that "Fix You" is a copy of Elbow's 2003 anthem "Grace Under Pressure". [cite web|title=Coldplay Admit Fix You Is A Copy Of Elbows Track|accessdate=2006-12-03|url=http://www.malefirst.co.uk/58932004-ent.html]

Some sources claim Martin wrote the song for his wife Gwyneth Paltrow after she suffered depression following the death of her father, Bruce Paltrow. [Devin Gordon. "Newsweek." [http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7935073 "Hot for Coldplay."] 30 May 2005 issue. Accessed 15 February 2007.]

This song is written in E-flat major.

Chart performance

The song was supported by 60 alternative rock radio stations in the United States, including WNNX (Atlanta), KNDD (Seattle), XTRA (San Diego), and WFNX (Boston). The band also performed the track at "Saturday Night Live" and Live 8.

The song debuted on the U.S. Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart on 28 August 2005. It reached #18 on the chart. "Fix You" also reached #42 on the Billboard Pop 100, #24 on the Adult Top 40, and #29 on the Hot Digital Songs chart. The song reached #4 on the UK Singles Chart, becoming the second of three conescutive Top 10 singles from "X&Y".

The song is on course to re-enter the UK Singles Chart on Sunday 22 June 2008, this is because of strong download sales. The song might not enter the Top 40 but will definitely enter the Top 75.

Music video

The music video for "Fix You", directed by Sophie Muller, was shot at the end of two concerts on 4 July and 5 July 2005 at Reebok Stadium in Bolton, England. [cite web|first=James|last=Montgomery|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1506837/20050802/index.jhtml?headlines=true|title=Coldplay's Clip For 'Fix You': All-New Footage Of Chris Martin Walking Around|accessdate=2008-09-04|date=2005-08-02|publisher=MTV] The concert goers doubled as extras for the video shoot, which required two takes on each day to complete. [ [http://www.nme.com/news/112907.htm www.nme.com] ]

In the first half of the video, Chris Martin wanders the streets of London, while the slogan "Make Trade Fair" is projected onto the National Film Theatre, using the same ITA2 colour scheme on the cover of "X&Y". The tunnels that Martin is seen wandering within are located near London Bridge station. The bridge that he walks across is Waterloo Bridge connecting the Southbank with The Strand. As soon as the electric guitar kicks in, Martin darts through streets corners until finally reaching the Reebok Stadium, where he joins the rest of the band for the song's finale. The metal steps signal the start of the Reebok Stadium scene.

After the video was released, rumours in the United States suggested that, given the location of some of the footage, the video was a tribute following the 7 July 2005 London bombings. Although this is impossible as the filming took place in June, it is suggested this due to references such as the construction site in the background as one scene with a sign for King's Cross in the corner, which may referring to rebuilding the damage at station. The band themselves have never denied such a connection.

Young@Heart

The song was performed in 2006 by the New England octogenarian chorus group Young@Heart. The group's performance was led by former chorus member Fred Knittle, who suffers from congestive heart failure and breathes with assistance from an oxygen tank. The performance was originally planned to be a duet between Knittle and Bob Salvini, another former chorus member, but Salvini died shortly before the show. Knittle performed it as a solo, as a tribute to his friend. [cite video
people=Walker, Stephen (Director)
year2=2007
month2=7
url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1047007/
title=Young@Heart
medium=Motion picture
location=Northampton, Massachusetts
publisher=Walker George Films]

The performance was initially recorded for a British documentary that aired on Channel 4; footage of the performance was uploaded to YouTube in November 2006 to positive response. [cite news
url = http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,680193150,00.html
title = Young@Heart bridges the age gap
author = Jake Coyle
work = Deseret Morning News
publisher = Associated Press
date = 2007-06-24
accessdate = 2008-03-13] [cite news
url = http://www.masslive.com/living/republican/index.ssf?/base/living-1/117336335531630.xml&coll=1
title = 'Young@Heart' documentary at Academy
author = Ronni Gordon
work = The Republican
date = 2007-03-09
accessdate = 2008-03-13] An expanded version of the film, titled "Young@Heart", debuted at the 2007 Los Angeles Film Festival and was released in United States theatres in 2008.

Track listing

# "Fix You" (video edit) – 4:37
# "The World Turned Upside Down" – 4:32
# "Pour Me (Live at the Hollywood Bowl)" – 5:01 (featured on the UK Enhanced CD, Australian, and U.S. iTunes EP versions)
# "Fix You" [video] (featured on the UK Enhanced CD and U.S. iTunes EP versions)

Charts

References

External links

* [http://lyricwiki.org/Coldplay:Fix_You "Fix You" lyrics]