Coldplay - The Speed of Sound - Lyrics Meaning

Off of the X & Y album The Speed of Sound reached number eight in the US and number two in the UK. This single made the group only the second UK male band in the history of the Hot 100 to debut a single in the top ten. The piano riff in this song is the same as their hit Clocks except that every second not was taken out. In an interview with the London Times Coldplay said they were trying to recreate Kate Bush's 1985 song Running Up that Hill. The Speed of Sound was the first single off of the album.

Speed of Sound refers to how fast life goes by. The sheer velocity of everything that is going on around us is enough to overwhelm and cause fear. The song talks about getting a hold of the fear and not allowing life to speed by and run you over. Martin talks about making sense of the velocity and seeing life's signs and using them to make sense of life. The song vacillates between frustration and hope. In one sentence the tone is that life is ready to be conquered but in the next the frustration and fear are evident. The track is a good representation of the speed and ups and downs people go through. Often times emotions move at the speed of sound and go from one extreme to the next.