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"Old Friends" is a song by Coldplay from their eighth studio album, Everyday Life. It is the fifth track on the second side of the album, Sunset.

Background and composition[]

Chris Martin revealed the song is about one of his first best friends, Tony, who passed away in mid 2007-2009 from leukemia. In an Everyday Life track by track interview to Apple Music, he stated: "One time, I was cycling in one way and [Tony] was cycling the other, and I thought he was waving at me, but he was actually telling me to keep going, and I stopped and a car hit me. But if I hadn't been confused, I would've stopped earlier and would never have survived. So, he saved my life on that and many other occasions. And he passed away ten years ago and this song is about him."[1]

"Old Friends" was described as "a mournful ode to loss" with "beautiful and well-arranged melodies".[2][3] In a ranking of the band's entire discography, in celebration of the 20th anniversary of the release of Parachutes, NME described it as "a mounting acoustic number" that "dwells on the once larger-than-life figures that slowly fade into the past."[4]

Lyrics[]

[Verse]
Tony was a friend of mine
We were together all the time
He had my back
Once he really saved my life

[Pre-Chorus]
Sometimes I wanna call him
Say, "Hey, let's stay up 'til morning"

[Chorus]
And when I close my eyes, when I close my eyes
I see you, you
When I close my eyes, when I close my eyes
You come through, you
Time just deepens
Sweetens and mends
Old friends

[Outro]
We all melt back into the picture
Raindrops back into the water
Old friends
Hmm, hmm
And there are no ends to old friends
Amen

Lyric video[]

Coldplay_-_Old_Friends_(Lyric_Video)

Coldplay - Old Friends (Lyric Video)

Official audio[]

Old_Friends

Old Friends

Trivia[]

  • The last time Chris and Tony saw each other was in Dubai; Chris' last words he ever said to Tony were "You fucking idiot!" because he had broken his toe at that concert. Chris explained this was okay because they were friends for life and said Tony "was a really nice man."[5]

References[]

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