Coldplay – Champions Of The World

Coldplay has done it again! They’ve just come out with yet another visual treat, following their music video for ‘Cry Cry Cry’ which was the most romantic thing to drop on Valentine’s Day; and this time, they’ve landed with the official video for ‘Champions of the World’.

The video takes us on a rather painful trip down memory lane, showing Chris Martin, as a kid, getting picked on by his peers. Martin’s not only struggling with all the bullying but he’s being raised in an unhealthy household too. In order to escape from what seems to be a box, constantly closing in, he resorts to his imagination and finds comfort in music. The song is co-written by late singer, Scott Hutchison, and is also inspired by his – ‘Los Angeles Be Kind’. The song not just arrives as a tribute to Scott, who took his life in May 2018, but also to many more like him.

I tried my best to be just like
The other boys in school
I tried my best to get it right
And died at every June
This mountainside is suicide
This dream will never work
Still the sign upon my headstone, write
“A champion of the world”

The lyrics, as you can see, are poignant and heartbreaking. The lines speak of the constant need to fit in, and the crippling fear of loneliness that seems to linger with all of us. And so, we learn to live in our little fantasies, to dream of rockets and space. The reality is harsh, but sometimes, it appears that our imagination might just be the safest outlet out there.

The music video is directed by Cloe Bailly, a Los Angeles based director who hinted at what the song’s really trying to say, “The video is about this magic power that kids have to switch off from reality and jump into their own world,” Bailly said in a statement.

Despite the painful lyrics, the track and video arrive with a sense of comfort. And for now, that’s enough.