Viva la Vida
| "Viva la Vida" | ||||
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| Single by Coldplay | ||||
| from the album Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends | ||||
| B-side | "Death Will Never Conquer" | |||
| Released | 25 May 2008 | |||
| Recorded | 2007–2008 | |||
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| Coldplay singles chronology | ||||
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| "Viva la Vida" on YouTube "Viva la Vida" (Alternative version) on YouTube | ||||
"Viva la Vida" (/ˈviːvə lə ˈviːdə/, Spanish: [ˈbiβa la ˈβiða]; Spanish for 'long live life' or 'live life') is a song by British 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 (2008). The lyrics contain historical and Christian references (King Louis XVI of France and the French Revolution, "Roman cavalry choirs", Saint Peter) and the track is built around a looping string section with a digitally processed piano, while other layers are gradually added.
The track was first made available as part of the album pre-order on 7 May 2008, being released individually on 25 May 2008 as the album's second single. Debuting to critical acclaim and commercial success, "Viva la Vida" reached the top spot of the UK Singles Chart and Billboard Hot 100, becoming the band's first number-one single in both the U.S. and U.K. The song also won the Grammy Award for Song of the Year at the 51st Annual Grammy Awards in 2009.