O

"O"
General information
Artist	Coldplay
Genre	Soft rock Ambient
Length	7:46 (standard and physical edition) 5:23 (Target deluxe edition/digital copies) 3:54 ("Fly On") 1:29 ("O")
Labels
Producer(s)	Coldplay Paul Epworth Rik Simpson Daniel Green Madeon (uncredited)
Album	Ghost Stories
Ghost Stories track listing
A Sky Full of Stars
"O"
All Your Friends

"O" (also known as "O (Fly On)", or simply "Fly On") is a song by Coldplay from their sixth studio album, Ghost Stories. It is the ninth and final track of the album's standard edition.

Although its double titling, it is divided into two different songs: "Fly On" and "O".

Background and recording

Fly On

According to Chris Martin in an interview with Zane Lowe said the hidden track, "Fly On", is he saying to himself "you're amazing, you've got to be amazing", adding he needs to improve a bit. In a complete track by track interview for Beats Music, he said the song is about "trying to get to a place where you are happy for the people around you. As long as they're happy and whatever it is they choose." He continued: "I guess its about unconditional love I think. That's talking about birds and I don't mean to be mean but I'm not a big fan of people putting birds in cages because to me, that thing can fly, how can you do that? It's crazy. And so, it's that feeling of, do your thing. No, no, there's no birds chirping! That's Jonny being a bird on his guitar. Say what you like about him, he does incredible guitar animal impressions. And that will ultimately be what we fall back on."

O

On the interview with Zane Lowe, Chris said is him, his daughter, Apple Martin, and her friend, Mabel Krichefski, singing the song. His son, Moses Martin, sings the Target deluxe variation of the song, "O (Reprise)". About his children's involvement on the songs, he answered: "It means so much to me but also, 'cause when they come in the studio, they bring such a funny energy and they're so used to it that it just makes me laugh. [...] This is a very important message for me at the end of the record like "Don't ever let go", so my dad used to say to me "Never give up", and it's what hopefully I'm saying to myself or to anyone. [...] And so for me like having my baby, essentially, singing that is very powerful to me."

In the Beats Music track by track interview, he said: "Is my kids, essentially saying, don't ever let go, which I just think it's a nice thing to be told. In the same way of having the rest of the band on the song makes you feel alive and part of something else. I dunno if it's just the sound of kids singing or, particularity, my kids singing, but it just makes me feel reassured and embraced somehow. There's a certain warmth to it.

Chris said Apple was in the studio with her friend, Mabel, on the day of recording. "They flit in and out in the studio because there's a room upstairs with some toys and stuff which they kind of prefer, but they were listening [and asked] "What's this, dad? I like this" and I said "Oh, it's called "O". What if we put a mic up, will you and Mabel maybe sing it?" [which she replied] "Sure!" No big deal at all."

Composition

The track is divided into two different songs: a hidden song called "Fly On" (0:00–3:54) and the actual "O" (3:55–5:23), on the Target deluxe and digital editions of the album. "Fly On" is a 3:54 long piano ballad, while "O" is a 1:29 long ambient piece. The total length of both songs on the standard edition is 7:46, having more than two minutes of silence between them, while on the Target deluxe and in some streaming services is 5:23, having no silence between the songs.

"O" begins with the same angel choir of the album opener, "Always in My Head", as Chris, Apple and Mabel can be heard repeating "Don't ever let go" through a vocoder.

At the end of the song, there's a deep sound effect added by uncredited French DJ and producer, Madeon, while him and Chris were working on "Always in My Head".

Lyrics

["Fly On"]

[Verse 1]
Flock of birds
Hovering above
Just a flock of birds
That's how you think of love

[Chorus]
And I always look up to the sky
Pray before the dawn
'Cause they fly away
Sometimes they arrive
Sometimes they are gone
They fly on

[Verse 2]
Flock of birds
Hovering above
Into smoke I'm turned and rise
Following 'em up

[Chorus]
Still, I always look up to the sky
Pray before the dawn
'Cause they fly away
One minute they arrive
Next you know, they're gone
They fly on
Fly on

[Bridge]
Oh ohhhh

[Chorus]
So fly on, ride through
Maybe one day I'll fly next to you
Fly on, ride through
Maybe one day I can fly with you
Fly on

[Outro]
Fly on
Fly on

["O"]

[Verse]
Don't ever let go
Don't ever let go
Don't ever let go
Don't ever let go

Official Audio

O

Critical Reception

The song received positive reviews from critics. Stephanie Benson of Spin said the song "represents Coldplay's entire journey coming full circle. The twinkling piano ballad recalls the Martin we met back in 2000: the hopeless romantic and perpetual stargazer, who will — broken heart be damned — eternally keep his head up in the name of love."

Billboard also praised the track, wroting: "This beautifully produced piano ballad poignantly offers a sense of hope and forgiveness. Similar to "X&Y" closer "'Til Kingdom Come", "O" is stripped of pretense, and Martin sounds utterly exhausted by the final line.

In a ranking of the band's entire discography, in celebration of the 20th anniversary of the release of Parachutes, NME said the song "isn't trying to prove much, letting a lilting piano dance around Martin's lyrics – about birds escaping, feelings fading and perfect memories flying away. It could slot perfectly into anything from ‘X&Y’ or ‘Rush of Blood’ – but as it stands, it's one of the more soothing and somehow comforting tracks on ‘Ghost Stories’.

Trivia

• Chris said the song is his favourite piece of music the band has ever made.