"Flags" is a song by Coldplay from their eighth studio album, Everyday Life (2019). It is the ninth track on the second side of the album, Sunset, on the Japanese edition. It was released worldwide on 21 December 2020 as the fourth promotional single from the album.
Release[]
"Flags" was first made available as a bonus track exclusively for the Japanese editions of Everyday Life on 22 November 2019. It was released internationally on streaming services one year later as a promotional single, on 21 December 2020. A few days before the song's worldwide release, a Twitter user asked the band if the song could be included on Spotify, to which Phil Harvey replied positively.[1] On the release date, alluding to the COVID-19 pandemic precautions, the band explained on their social media they had “to socially distance” the song after all the spaces on the album had been filled.[2]
Composition[]
Billboard called "Flags" as an “introspective, dreamy song about living up to your potential opens with [a] star-gazing verse” as also the chorus “pay[ing] homage to the beauty of just doing you”.[3] NME described the track as “both anti-patriotism and pro-individuality [as] Martin lays out a fluttering flag metaphor”.[4]
Along with Will Champion, band producer Rik Simpson also provides backing vocals for the song.[5]
Lyrics[]
[Verse 1: Chris Martin]
Talk among the skeletons this morning
Aside from all the medicine and health
If you could do it all again, would you do it all the same?
Is there something that you'd tell your former self?
There were those that wished they'd spun upon a jukebox
There were pirates who had never seen the sea
But the one recurring theme, the one recurring dream they had
Was to be whatever they wanted to be
[Chorus: Chris Martin & Will Champion]
To be Pyotr Tchaikovsky
To be free like everyone else
There will be no flags to warn me, no!
'Cause I just want to be myself
[Verse 2: Chris Martin]
Julie, telephoning by a ouija
Is there any advice that you could give?
When you know you're not like them
Do you know La Varsovienne?
I know that I am living, but can you show me how to live?
[Chorus: Chris Martin & Will Champion]
And the Holy Roman Army
Said "your heart beats like everyone else
You don't need no flags to tell you who you are, so say
'I just want to be myself'"
[Interlude: Chris Martin]
Lalalala lalalala lalalala
Lalalala lalalala lalalala
Lalalala lalalala lalalala
Lalalala lalalala lalalala
[Chorus: Chris Martin & Will Champion]
There's an aura that surrounds thee
There's a different kind of wealth
And I don't need flags to know you're really something
And I just love you for yourself
Oh, I just love you for yourself
[Outro: Chris Martin]
Lalalala lalalala lalalala
Lalalala lalalala lalalala
Lalalala lalalala lalalala
Official audios[]
Trivia[]
- "Flags" mentions Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, a Russian composer of the Romantic period whose works are among the most popular in the classical repertoire.
References[]
- ↑ @coldplayxtra (05 December 2020). "Coldplay’s Everyday Life Japanese bonus track, Flags, could soon be available worldwide." (Tweet) - via Twitter.
- ↑ @coldplay (21 December 2020). "We love this song but by the time it came along the spaces on Everyday Life had been filled and we had to socially distance it. Thankyou for all the ways you’ve supported us this year. We love & appreciate you more than you could know. Love c, g, w, j & p" (Tweet) - via Twitter.
- ↑ Billboard - Coldplay Drop Dreamy ‘Everyday Life’ Japanese Bonus Track ‘Flags’
- ↑ NME - Every single Coldplay song ranked in order of greatness
- ↑ @coldplayxtra (21 December 2020). "Coldplay’s Flags writing credits include backing vocals from @Rikademus Coldplay’s utopian anthem is now available to stream and buy globally" (Tweet) - via Twitter.