I’ve always loved Coldplay. Started listening to them around college time. And this was the first song that made me sit up and notice. I remember that when I first heard it, I thought they sounded like Radiohead and/or Counting Crows. And then they really started making their own brand of music. “Shiver” and “Trouble” came along and of course, “In My Place” became some sort of anthem for me (will blog about it next time).

Yellow, for me, is about how what or who we love, focuses our entire being. I have a friend who describes himself as the “ultimate bachelor”–apathetic, swinging, selfish prick (his own words, not mine). True to form, he got a girl pregnant. They didn’t get married immediately but waited for the girl to graduate from college. He tells me how much he changed when the baby was born. When before he was only thinking about basketball shoes, and mag wheels and leather for his car; now when he has money, it’s automatic for him to think of how many cans of milk and how many diapers he can buy with it. Because love–if it is real–focuses your entire being. Your energy becomes focused on making life easier for the beloved. On doing the little things–the flick of the hair, tucking in the sheets, kissing the forehead, holding hands, bringing the bag, walking on the danger side, sending flowers, writing notes, taking pictures, texting sweet nothings–that make the day more beautiful and make who you love smile.

Because if you’ve ever been in love, you know that the smile makes it all worth it.

Pedro Arrupe says it so beautifully,

“What you are in love with, what seizes your imagination, will affect everything. It will decide what will get you out of bed in the morning, what you will do with your evenings, how you will spend your weekends, what you read, who you know, what breaks your heart, and what amazes you with joy and gratitude.

Fall in love, stay in love and it will decide everything.”

Yellow
Coldplay

Look at the stars,
Look how they shine for you,
And everything you do,
Yeah, they were all yellow.
I came along,
I wrote a song for you,
And all the things you do,
And it was called yellow.
So then I took my turn,
Oh what a thing to have done,
And it was all yellow.
Your skin
Oh yeah, your skin and bones,
Turn into something beautiful,
You know, you know I love you so,
You know I love you so.
I swam across,
I jumped across for you,
Oh what a thing to do.
Coz you were all yellow,
I drew a line,
I drew a line for you,
Oh what a thing to do,
And it was all yellow.
Your skin,
Oh yeah your skin and bones,
Turn into something beautiful,
And you know for you,
I’d bleed myself dry for you,
I’d bleed myself dry.
Its true, look how they shine for you,
Look how they shine for you,
Look how they shine for,
Look how they shine for you,
Look how they shine for you,
Look how they shine.
Look at the stars,
Look how they shine for you,
And all the things that you do.