The song "Viva La Vida" by Coldplay describes a fall from great power and status. It tells the story of someone who used to rule the world and have supernatural abilities but now sleeps alone and must serve others. Though this person seeks spiritual help and protection, they know they will not be welcomed into heaven due to past actions when they ruled the world through deception.

1. Music as Poetry Analyzing popular music lyrics

2. Coldplay -Viva La Vida

5. “ Seas would rise when I gave the word” Exodus 14:21 And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all the night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. The Parting of the Red Sea by Arnold Friberg

6. “ Sweep the streets I used to own.” From the words of Martin Luther King, Jr., "If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted or as Beethoven composed music. He should sweep streets so well that all the host of heaven and earth will pause and say, here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well."

9. “ I hear Jerusalem bells are ringing.”

10. “ Revolutionaries wait for my head on a silver plate” Matthew 14:6-8 6 On Herod's birthday the daughter of Herodias danced for Herod and his guests. She pleased Herod very much. 7 So he promised with an oath to give her anything she asked for. 8 Her mother told her what to say. So the girl said to Herod, "Give me the head of John the Baptist on a big plate."

11. “ I know St. Peter won’t call my name” A leader in the early Christian church. Roman Catholic tradition states that he was the first pope and thus holds the keys to heaven. In popular culture he is often depicted as a man who stands at the pearly gates of heaven's main entrance, acting as a sort of hotel-style doorman/ bouncer who personally interviews prospective entrants into Heaven.

12. Other Figurative Language… “ It was a wicked and wild wind” ---alliteration “ I sleep alone/ Sweep the streets I used to own”--- assonance “ Shattered windows and the sound of drums” --- sound imagery “ Just a puppet on a lonely string” --- metaphor & personification

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