Released 11 June 2008 | Recorded November 2006 - 2008 | |
Length 4:04
7:06 (with "Chinese Sleep Chant") Label EMI, Parlophone, Capitol Writer(s) Guy Berryman
Jonny Buckland
Will Champion
Chris Martin Producer(s) Markus Dravs
Brian Eno
Rik Simpson | ||
"Yes" is a song by English alternative rock band Coldplay. It was written by all members of the band for their fourth album, Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends. A hidden song, entitled "Chinese Sleep Chant", shares this track with "Yes", bringing the length of the track up to over seven minutes.
Contents
Writing and composition
The song, and especially the tuning, were originally inspired by The Velvet Underground.
The main characteristic of the song are the low vocals by Chris Martin. This was suggested by producer Brian Eno, to add to the variation between the songs on the album. The band's drummer Will Champion said in an interview for MTV: "One of the main things we tried to focus on with this record is changing vocal identities, because Chris has a very recognizable voice."
The strings were played (on an electric violin) and arranged by musician Davide Rossi.
The hidden track "Chinese Sleep Chant" was described as "a self-conscious parody of shoegaze" with My Bloody Valentine influences. Critics also noted the "wall of sound, heavily processed guitar-swirl and falsetto vocals through reverb."
Song meaning
The song is mostly about forbidden love and sexual temptation. The singer is tempted to have sex with a specific woman, wanting her to say "yes" (If you'd only, if you'd only say yes). He's trying not to give in to his desires (Saying, "Lord lead me not into temptation"), either because he fears the rejection and the end of his friendship, or because having sex before marriage is a sin into the eyes of God (Sin, stay gone), so that the couple tries to stay abstinent.
However, he can't stop thinking about it, due to his frustration, loneliness (But I'm just so tired of this loneliness) or his manly needs taking over. (The night makes a fool of us in the daylight) signifies the regret when he's no longer in the state of drunken lust the next morning, and he realizes what he's done, or that the person who seemed to be attractive last night really isn't.
Chris Martin himself calls "Yes" a "sexy" song, "written for another character" and that he's "just pretending to be someone else in there."