Viva La Vida Totalitarianism

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Many history aficionados are aware that, for several millennia, civilizations have flourished into gargantuan empires only to be consumed by corruption and ultimately meet their demise. This very concept is embodied by Coldplay’s critically acclaimed “Viva La Vida.” The song provides a considerably deep narrative that involves a once-esteemed monarch reminiscing about his golden age upon the throne, and detailing how his transition toward totalitarianism ultimately caused the citizens to seek retribution through a coup d’état (“Viva La Vida”). The song debuted in early May of 2008 and was initially exclusive to Apple’s iTunes Store for nearly three months until a proper music video was released alongside a CD single at the end of July. Having …show more content…

While the instrumentation includes a variety of instruments, including violins, cellos, acoustic and electric guitars, drums, cymbals and a piano, the melody does not sound like an actual orchestra; synthesizers were likely utilized to produce an ethereal tone that would represent the fallen monarch’s golden age that he references throughout his lament. The melody initiates at 0:13 with a moderately fast tempo in which the king recalls his early stages of regality when he was universally acclaimed (“Viva La Vida”). Alongside the main melody, the stringed section produces the primary form of accompaniment, and drums help structure the tempo with a soft dynamic. Despite the relatively fast tempo, the guitars and violins form a timbre that acts in conjunction with the vocalist’s higher pitch to maintain a mellow atmosphere and avert a sense of disarray; however, throughout the melody, the drums transition to a higher dynamic level and a cymbal is used to accentuate this great dynamic increase. Furthermore, at 3:00 the song culminates in the introduction of the rubato section during which the vocalist’s dynamics increase to a tremendous extent; this pervades the section with a sense of overwhelming strife, and this is likely representative of the coup d’état and ultimate demise of the king. The original melody returns at 3:16, and the …show more content…

Similarly to Coldplay’s version, the audience is thrown into the melody at 0:13; the tempo is infinitesimally faster than Coldplay’s version, and the vocalist carries a mildly belligerent timbre, a trademark of many punk rock bands (“Coldplay - Viva La Vida Rock Version”). The instrumentation also contrasts from Coldplay’s and Karlberg’s version, as the only instruments used are an electric guitar and drums; however, the drums are a much more prominent focal point, as several drum riffs are thrown into the accompaniment, such as the one at 1:04, that help the melody transition into the chorus during which louder dynamics are used. This vast dynamic range helps the audience discern the chorus from the other portions of the song. Each of these elements contributes to eliciting a subtle sense of aggression throughout the song, indicating that the narrating monarch does not regret his heinous actions and ironically covets another opportunity to have utter control over his fallen kingdom. Unlike Karlberg’s cover, the rubato remains intact and begins at 2:47 (“Coldplay - Viva La Vida Rock Version”). However, unlike Coldplay’s utilization of louder dynamics throughout the rubato section, the dynamics remain virtually identical to those used in the song’s chorus. The chorus returns at 3:00, and the legato notes from the rubato section

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