Coldplay - Clocks - Lyrics Meaning

It was Coldplay's second album, A Rush of Blood to the Head, that produced "Clocks," one of the group's most successful songs. The track was the album's third single in the UK and the second in the US, where it reached number nine on the Billboard Hot 100. "Clocks" went on to win the 2004 Grammy Award for Record of the Year. The song, according to Coldplay's lead singer Chris Martin, was inspired by English rock band Muse. Though rather enigmatic, the lyrics of "Clocks" focus on the themes of indecision and urgency. The song's narrator expresses insecurity about his life - past decisions, perhaps, or past relationships - in the lines "Am I part of the cure / Or am I part of the disease?" The narrator also feels the pressure that comes with the passing of every second. He sings of "closing walls and ticking clocks" to illustrate the oppressive nature of time, and to demonstrate his frustration with the fact that he cannot cheat it. He also sings of "cursed missed opportunities" that he regrets not taking, giving the song a powerful message: have no regrets, and make the best of what you have while you have it.