Coldplay’s “Yellow” Lyrics Meaning
Even though the titular color (“Yellow”) is used to compare the addressee to the stars, ultimately it isn’t meant to have any sort of specific meaning, rather serving as a symbol. And what it symbolizes is the vocalist’s high level of love and appreciation for the addressee.
Moreover, even though such metaphors such as comparing a person to an astronomical body may be commonly utilized in romantic pieces or what have you, in this instance such is not the case.
Yes Chris Martin and co. are speaking to a true love, the type that has you appreciating a person so much that you’d ‘bleed yourself dry’ on their behalf. But of course such feelings are not only confined to romance but can also, say apply to a brother. As such Martin has clarified that this piece is not in honor of a specific person – like a lover – or a certain type of relationship, instead respectively (i.e. based on the vocalist) speaking to true interpersonal love in all types of associations.
When was “Yellow” released?
“Yellow”, was released on June 26 of 2000 as the 2nd single from the album, “Parachutes”. The said album is Coldplay’s debut studio album.
“Yellow” peaked at number 4 in the UK making it the band’s first top 5 song in that country. It peaked at No.48 in the US and No.1 in Iceland. It also ranked in top 10 charts in the following countries:
- Ireland (9)
- Scotland (4)
- Australia (5)
Awards and Accolades
The song has won many accolades. Notable amongst them are the nominations for “Best Rock Song” and “Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal” at the Grammy Awards in 2002. The group lost the forma to Train’s “Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me)” and the later to “Elevation” by U2.
Covers of “Yellow”
Since the song’s release in 2000 scores of artists have released their own versions. Here are some notable ones:
- Richard Cheese (2004)
- Music Box Mania (2014)
- K’s Choice (2008)
- Kina Grannis (2017)
- Katherine Ho (2018)
- Alex Parks (2003)
Movie Appearances
The song was featured in the 2014 American drama, “Boyhood”. It was also featured in Jon M. Chu’s 2018 romantic comedy film, “Crazy Rich Asians”.
Who wrote “Yellow”?
The song was written by the following members of Coldplay:
- Jonny Buckland
- Guy Berryman
- Will Champion
- Chris Martin
Englishman Ken Nelson, a highly rated record producer, was responsible for its production.
Coldplay’s “Parachutes” Album
The album, “Parachutes”, was released on July 10 of 2000. It was released through a German-British record label, Parlophone. Aside from “Yellow”, three other singles were released from the album. “Shiver” was released on March 6 of 2000, “Trouble” on October 23 of 2000 and “Don’t Panic” was released as the 4th and final single on March 19 of 2001.
“Parachutes” peaked at number 2 in Australia and Ireland, number 4 in New Zealand and number 51 in the US. It occupied the number 1 spot in the following countries:
- Australia
- Norway
- Scotland
- UK
By 2020, “Parachutes” had recorded sales of over 13 million copies globally. It earned a 9× Platinum certification in the UK and 2x Platinum in the US. It is also on record as being one of the UK’s best-selling albums of all time.
In 2002, it won the award, “Best Alternative Music Album” at the annual Grammy Awards.
