A Spell a Rebel Yell

"A Spell a Rebel Yell"
General information
Artist	Coldplay
A-Side	"Violet Hill"
Released	10 May 2008
Recorded	2006-2008
Genre	Alternative rock Shoegaze
Length	2:48
Label(s)
Songwriter(s)	Guy Berryman Jonny Buckland Will Champion Chris Martin Daniel Green
Producer(s)	Markus Dravs Brian Eno Jon Hopkins Rik Simpson
B-Sides chronology
"How You See the World (Recorded Live at Earls Court)"
"A Spell a Rebel Yell"
"Death Will Never Conquer"
"Violet Hill" chronology
"Violet Hill"
"A Spell a Rebel Yell"
"Lost?"

"A Spell a Rebel Yell" is a song by Coldplay and the first B-Side of the single "Violet Hill".

Background and release

"A Spell a Rebel Yell" was released as an accompanying B-Side to "Violet Hill", the first single from the band's fourth studio album, Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends. The song was first made available as a free download on the band's website on 6 May 2008, receiving later an exclusive release in a special NME edition as a promotional 7" vinyl release of the "Violet Hill" single, which was given away free on the 10 May 2008 issue titled The Return of Coldplay.

About the track's limited release, former editor of NME Krissi Murison revealed that Chris Martin contacted the editors directly from the band's studio, saying, “I have just written this song and it's the perfect song. NME readers are gonna love it, we have to get it out there.”

Lyrics

[Verse 1]
As far as I can see
All time and circuitry is wrong
As far as poetry
Sit down and sing to me a song

[Chorus]
'Cause all I want in this world
All I want in this world
Is for you to come home
A spell a rebel yell
A spell

[Verse 2]
Soldier come home to me
You've been away from me so long

[Chorus]
And all I want in this world
All I want and deserve
Is for you to come home

[Outro]
A spell a rebel yell
A spell a rebel yell
A spell a rebel yell
A spell a rebel yell

Oh, oh, oh, oh

A spell a rebel yell
A spell a rebel yell
A spell a rebel yell
A spell a rebel yell

Audio

Coldplay - A Spell A Rebel Yell Promo (Full)

Critical reception

In a ranking of the band's entire discography, in celebration of the 20th anniversary of the release of Parachutes, NME reviewed the song, wroting: "Are there three different tracks playing at once? There's energy and force on this ‘Viva la Vida’ reject, but the lack of any substantial bass, weight, emotion explains why this one didn't quite make the cut."

Trivia

• "A Spell a Rebel Yell" was not included on both the album Viva la Vida and on its related EP Prospekt's March.

• On subsequent physical copies of "Violet Hill", the song was replaced as its B-Side by "Lost?", an acoustic recording of "Lost!";

• According to the band's website, the song at the time would not be released anywhere else besides the NME copies of the magazine;
  • However, it can currently be found on the band's Spotify channel.