coldplay orphans song meaning

Coldplay – Orphans (Lyrics Review and Song Meaning)

Coldplay is back with more music than we can handle. The band announced their upcoming studio album ‘Everyday Life.’ The album is said two be a two-part production, where part 1 is titled ‘Sunrise’ followed by part 2 titled ‘Sunset.’ The new single “Orphans” releases as the lead single off the album and the ‘Sunset’ part.

The British rock band also released another single titled “Arabesque” along with the album announcement. The 2019 eighth studio album follows Coldplay’s 2015 album ‘A Head Full of Dreams.’

The new single “Orphans” talks about the story of a little girl named Rosaleem and her father being killed in a bombing and are met in heaven. Despite the upbeat tune and the vibrant music video, there is utter sadness hidden beneath the lyrics. Watch the music video below.


Download “Orphans” Single on Apple Music and Amazon

“Orphans” is a direct reference to the incidents of Damascus bombings of 2018. This capital city of Syria was attacked by the US, UK and France and caused many casualties including innocent children. The death count is assumed to be over 40.

In the first verse of the song, Coldplay narrates the story of a girl named Rosaleem, who lived in the city of Damascus with her Baba (the Persian word for father). Chris Martin of Coldplay goes on to describe her beauty; eyes like the moon and she could have made it as a movie star. But she was caught off guard with some missiles she had nothing to do with.

The chorus of the song is of Rosaleem questioning when can she get back to earth, be with her friends and live her youthful life.

The second verse narrates the story of her father. He was a peaceful man making a living out of heckling with the land. He grew flowers, fruits and crops to be sold. On a peaceful morning time when he was reaping what he sowed, missiles caught him off guard. His Tulip flowers turned to the colour of honey–real honey could assume a dark reddish colour resembling blood.

The bridge provides the only consolation in this song, which suggests that the girl and her father are in heaven. Coldplay drops the names of two arch-angels, Cherub and Seraphim, who meets the dead entering the heaven and welcome them. Rosaleem wishes that these two angels will fly them back home. In doing so, Coldplay might be alluding to all the orphans’ wish out there-to go back home!

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