Viva La Vida

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I have on occasion posted about the connections between art and songs, the most recent of these being five months ago when I gave you Some Art, And A Tune. This was picked up by WordPress for their Freshly Pressed feature, and has gathered so many views and likes that it is way ahead at the top of my all time top ten list, so I think this is a popular theme that might be worth revisiting.

The painting and song I am featuring today are in my title. First, the painting which inspired the song:

 

 

Viva La Vida (Watermelons) by Frida Kahlo was her final painting, completed just eight days before her awful death in 1954 at the age of only 47. Frida had suffered huge health and physical problems, and must have known that her end was near when she painted this – its title translates into English as “Long Live Life.” It is full of symbolism from her native Mexican culture. Watermelons are closely associated with Día de los Muertos, (The Day Of The Dead) as they are often displayed in ofrendas (offerings) and eaten during the holiday to celebrate the sweet cycles of life and death. The watermelon can also be seen as a metaphor for Frida herself. Like the fruit, she maintained a hard, protective exterior to endure a life marred by those debilitating health issues and emotional turmoil (her husband, Diego Rivera, had many affairs), while keeping her vibrant, sweet interior. In her final diary entry, just days before her death, she wrote “I hope the exit is joyful, and I hope never to return.” The website for the Frida Kahlo Organisation, which is dedicated to preserving her memory, says the painting is ‘a bright and vibrant celebration of life in both its simplicity of composition and complexity of emotional expression. It is not emblematic of the fear of death, nor is it hopelessly longing for the continuation of her own life. When Kahlo’s husband, Rivera, was nearing death three years later, he painted his own watermelon epitaph, perhaps as a testament to their spiritual bond.’

And here is the song that was inspired by the painting and its title:

Viva La Vida was released as a single by Coldplay in May 2008, the month before it became the (partial) title track for their fourth album Viva La Vida or Death And All His Friends, which came out that June. Both were massively successful. The single topped the charts in both the UK and the US, selling 4.2m in the UK and 6.6m in the US. It won the Grammy Award for Song of the Year in 2009 and is one of the most-streamed songs on Spotify with over 3.1 billion plays. The album also reached #1 in both countries, along with 34 others, had sold 13m copies worldwide by 2011, and also won a Grammy in 2009, for Best Rock Album.

Chris Martin had seen the painting while at the Frida Kahlo museum in Mexico, and thought it was a good title for a song. The song primarily tells the story of a king who has lost his kingdom, and reflects on the social aspects of revolution. It went through several different styles as the band tried to settle on its composition. Eventually, a church bell sound effect was added which completed the sound they were searching for. After hearing the bell, Martin remarked: “That’s it.” The band’s manager Phil Harvey said: “I remember Chris hearing it and his face lit up and it was probably the happiest I’ve ever seen him in the recording studio.”

The song’s lyrics, which you can see here on genius.com, are written from the point of view of someone who has lost his kingdom – thought to be a reference to King Louis XVI in 1793, in France. That interpretation is further supported by the lines “And revolutionaries wait / For my head on a silver plate” in the third verse, though that might also be a reference to John the Baptist, as there are several other religious images in the lyrics: among them being “pillars of salt and pillars of sand”, “Jerusalem bells a-ringing”, “Roman cavalry choirs”, “missionaries”, and “Saint Peter.” The song has been covered several times and has appeared many times in tv shows, including The Simpsons and having been sung by an up-and-coming band called One Direction in the 2010 series of The X-Factor. And to complete its accolades it is included in the 2026 edition of the video game Just Dance, not that I know much about that! Coldplay played it at the One Love Manchester benefit concert, which took place on 4 June 2017 to help support and raise money for the families and friends, who lost loved ones during the Manchester Arena bombing on 22 May.

So, a painting full of symbolism by a well-known artist has become a massive success as the inspiration for a rock song – art and music may never have been better united.

Just for fun, I’ll leave you with a bonus of Coldplay performing the song live in São Paulo in 2017:

Simply…wow!

See you again for Song Lyric Sunday 👍

32 thoughts on “Viva La Vida”

    • Hi Robbie, thank you for these kind words. I’m glad you enjoyed this and picked up some info from it. And thanks for hitting the ‘like’ button too – much appreciated 👍

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  4. Frida is one of my favourite artists, and I saw an exhibition of her work in London many years ago. I understand there is a new one opening this year there. As for Coldplay, suffice to say one of their songs will soon be featuring in my ‘Songs I Don’t Like’ series. I must have been born without the ‘Coldplay Gene’, Clive. 😉

    Best wishes, Pete.

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  11. Really good song and I liked both videos. Interesting connection between the painting and the song that was inspired by it. I’ve always been interested in Frida Kahlo, and have a small framed photo of her on my wall of crosses. I saw the movie of her life, too. 🙂

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