What is a strawberry swing?

[Dorle]

I`m confused of the title. whats the meaning of it?

[Tnspieler1012]

ask lucy.

[akasapple]

strowberry is a swing's colour. i think .i'm not sure

[Pseudonym]

its a metaphor for happiness and warm summer days or something like that.

[Tonsu]

It's a metaphor for the perfect moment with your children, in the park on a bright summer's day, and it's beautiful :)

[Fixed]

Someone has given the title of a blog "Strawberry Swing":
If I might say so myself, my berry-heaven trifle was pure perfection for the taste buds. Berries and vanilla sponge cake and custard and berry sauces and jelly. Perfect combination.
http://themeanderingthoughts.blogspot.com/2008/06/strawberry-swing.html

Apparently this is a Strawberry Swing:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3166/2560417979_21ff62284b.jpg?v=0.jpg
http://www.flickr.com/photos/akkku/2560417979/

I somehow don't think Coldplay are singing about a cake though... But I may be wrong :P

This looks like an actual Strawberry Swing though:
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1041/1023500007_6a1b68ee20.jpg?v=0.jpg

[Dorle]

Ok. i see that strawberry swing is a perfect moment. But i dont get the sense of sitting on the strawberry swing or talking under the SS or walking up to SS.:\

They were sitting
They were sitting on the strawberry swing
Every moment was so precious

They were sitting
They were talking under strawberry swing
Everybody was for fighting
Wouldn't wanna waste a thing

Cold, cold water bring me round
Now my feet won't touch the ground
Cold, cold water what ya say?
When it's such…
It's such a perfect day
It's such a perfect day

I remember
We were walking up to strawberry swing
I can't wait until the morning
Wouldn't wanna change a thing

People moving all the time
Inside a perfectly straight line
Don't you wanna curve away?
When it's such…
It's such a perfect day
It's such a perfect day

Now the sky could be blue
I don't mind
Without you it's a waste of time

Could be blue
I don’t mind
Without you it’s a waste of time

Could be blue,
could be grey
without you I’m just miles away

could be blue
I don’t mind
Without you it’s a waste of time http://www.metrolyrics.com/images/l/1165912734.jpg

[kaisin]

It's a metaphor for the perfect moment with your children, in the park on a bright summer's day, and it's beautiful :)

Agreed! It just gives me the feeling that the four of them (Chris, Gwyneth; Apple and Moses) were walking in a park on a warm summer's day and they saw a red swing and one of the children said "look at the strawberry swing, daddy" or something like that lol

[iPsy]

same here, I love the name...it just does bring a brilliant metaphor of a perfect moment in the sun...it's amazing how a song can make you feel sooooooooooo good though, isn't it?

[mygdalom]

YES!

I hear it again and again and again, it recharges me.

[REManic]

Could there be a connection between that and Strawberry Fields Forever??

[Magnus]

I can't help imagining a small cosy caffe bar located up on Violet Hill :lol:

''They were sitting
They were sitting in the strawberry swing ''

[devzors]

Reminds me of stopping to appreciate a beautiful day and/or make everyday interesting. In some interview or article with Chris Martin I remember him talking about how he likes to make every day amazing. As a whole, the song perplexes me, but I can't help feeling amazing with the "afro-pop" guitar and upbeat mood.

[Romy_arg]

Mmmmmm i have read all that you've said guys..
but I still can't find a exactly meaning...

i translate all Viva la Vida songs to spanish yesterday.. nad the only one that i couldn't finish was Strawberry Swing.. i mean i can't find it an explication in spanish.. help please!

[iPsy]

i would...but i'm not Spanish!, lol

[Tonsu]

Mmmmmm i have read all that you've said guys..
but I still can't find a exactly meaning...

i translate all Viva la Vida songs to spanish yesterday.. nad the only one that i couldn't finish was Strawberry Swing.. i mean i can't find it an explication in spanish.. help please!

I don't think we can ever find an exact meaning, all we can do is speculate.

The problem in translating is that we don't know if Strawberry Swing is a particular swing in a park, or the name or nickname of a place (shop, restaurant etc etc).

If it's a real place name like Violet Hill then you wouldn't need to translate it - why not go with that?

[Deedee]

^ Because it's not written with capital letters; it couldn't be a place like Violet Hill, which actually exists.

I'm thinking it's an actual swing because the song talks about being sit on a swing, and 'strawberry' sometimes aludes to the colour of the fruit.

[Tonsu]

^ Because it's not written with capital letters; it couldn't be a place like Violet Hill, which actually exists.

I'm thinking it's an actual swing because the song talks about being sit on a swing, and 'strawberry' sometimes aludes to the colour of the fruit.

Well, it's written on my CD with capital letters...?

And Chris sings 'to Strawberry Swing' (with no 'the') which sounds more like a place name (or nickname) than a description of anything.

[Deedee]

I have the lyrics (supposedly the original ones) and it's not written with capitals... if you have the booklet with the lyrics like that then it must be like you say.

The first time it says 'they were sitting on the strawberry swing' but now that you mention, afterwards it is used like a proper name:thinking:
OK, I'm officialy confused

[Deedee]

Post the lyrics please :lol:
I have it but it doesn't look like it's from the booklet...

[Pseudonym]

Before the album came out I thought Strawberry Swing was gonna be a dance that went with the song. LOL, I thought they would go all Soulja Boy on us!:laugh3:

[Elyria]

I miss my BABY!!! (my CAT)....ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!! :cry:

[maxx0722]

Cold, cold water bring me round
Now my feet won't touch the ground
Cold, cold water what ya say?

For some reason whenever I hear these lines I think of chris lying on the ground being splashed with cold water and waking up being delirious.

For me this is what the song is about. Waking up and realizing that the world can be a beautiful place, especially when your in the company of loved ones.

Just some thoughts....

[Romy_arg]

I don't think we can ever find an exact meaning, all we can do is speculate.

The problem in translating is that we don't know if Strawberry Swing is a particular swing in a park, or the name or nickname of a place (shop, restaurant etc etc).

If it's a real place name like Violet Hill then you wouldn't need to translate it - why not go with that?
yes you're right..
but Is there something (a strawberry swing) where you can walk up to, or sitting on it..?
mmm :thinking:
I have to figure that out!

I MUST! :P

[Tonsu]

I have the lyrics (supposedly the original ones) and it's not written with capitals... if you have the booklet with the lyrics like that then it must be like you say.

The first time it says 'they were sitting on the strawberry swing' but now that you mention, afterwards it is used like a proper name:thinking:
OK, I'm officialy confused

Where did you get your lyrics from, DeeDee?

If they're from Japan then please trust me, there's nothing official there about capitalisation or spelling or anything really (though it might be pretty close)!!

If it's from another place - especially from any English-speaking countries, please share!! :)

[chuck kottke]

The Strawberry swing could be a swing (dance), and the music sounds like an Appalachian folk song..or possibly Native American? Sort of, but then it has the sound of Chinese traditional instruments a bit..:\ Oh who knows where they came up with it - ask this Martin fellow!:laugh3:

[RICK8]

Ah so it must be about a dessert.

[LiquidSky]

I love this song but I am also confused about the title maybe he's talking about a place? :huh:

[chuck kottke]

The place - could be in the foothills in the Carolinas, Virginia, Kentucky, or the Catskills.. and a lot of the folk music here is derived from folk music from Scotland, Ireland, Wales (which all goes back to ancient tribal songs - Celtic, Gaelic, Picts, etc.)and some old English, as these were the families that first went inland to the mountains.. But I think if you look at it musically, it could as well be played on a hammer dulcimer, harpsichord, mandolin, etc. by more traditional musicians. But somehow the instruments sound like Chinese traditional instruments as well - the tuning, the twanging, something about the sounds..:)

[Deedee]

Where did you get your lyrics from, DeeDee?

If they're from Japan then please trust me, there's nothing official there about capitalisation or spelling or anything really (though it might be pretty close)!!

If it's from another place - especially from any English-speaking countries, please share!! :)
As a matter of fact, they are. Wow, I thought they were the official ones (that is what I was told). So now I understand why they were different/wrong. Thanks for the clarification ;)

As Romy says, is hard to translate the lyrics sometimes, esp when they talk about things that can have such different meanings, like this song :(

[Tonsu]

As a matter of fact, they are. Wow, I thought they were the official ones (that is what I was told). So now I understand why they were different/wrong. Thanks for the clarification ;)

As Romy says, is hard to translate the lyrics sometimes, esp when they talk about things that can have such different meanings, like this song :(

Well, they are official in Japan! They've been cleared by the record company, people who work directly for the band, and even the guys themselves may have checked tham - Japan is such an important market for them. So I'm sure they're REALLY close and may even be perfect.

But at the same time mistakes do creep in sometimes between all the people who work at the record companies in Japan (many of them are not fluent in English) so we cannot assume they are 100% right, alas (especially with 'minor' things like capitalisation) :(

If strawberry swing wasn't a place (either a real name or a nickname, it doesn't really matter) then it would have 'the' in front of it, I'm pretty sure. So why not go with that??

[tylerb]

Its obvious. Lets look at it, coldplay kicks what? Ass, right. Strawberries = kick ass. What else kicks ass? Swings. So this is an obvious song about the begginings of the band and the band itself.

[A RUSH OF VIDA]

who knows

[emedy]

It's a metaphor for the perfect moment with your children, in the park on a bright summer's day, and it's beautiful :)

i thought about the same thing:stunned:

[Fixed]

A strawberry swing is best taken after a few mojo filters.

[yeahhright]

Cold, cold water bring me round
Now my feet won't touch the ground
Cold, cold water what ya say?

For some reason whenever I hear these lines I think of chris lying on the ground being splashed with cold water and waking up being delirious.

For me this is what the song is about. Waking up and realizing that the world can be a beautiful place, especially when your in the company of loved ones.

Just some thoughts....

Perfect perfect perfect! I never even thought of it that way until I read this but it goes so perfectly! That and the metaphor idea about it being the "perfect moment with your children in the park on a bright summers day" I believe are what they are trying to get across with this song.

[strawberryswinger]

isn't it that thing in parks where kids (and not kids) play? and strawberry-coloured :laugh3:

[kruthika]

i think its about two kids enjoying their time on swings and they get separated due to war

[chuck kottke]

It's actually the strawberry moon when the natives dance; a type of swing dance done during the month of the strawberry moon..:P

[technicolor24]

I think Coldplay's lyrics are like poems, so everyone can interpert the meaning of 'Strawberry Swing' differently.

[ivet]

Before the album came out I thought Strawberry Swing was gonna be a dance that went with the song. LOL, I thought they would go all Soulja Boy on us!:laugh3:

:laugh3::laugh3:
LMAO, that's funny!

[Syn]

So who`s sitting on the strawberry swing?

[tauiwi]

They were.

[walkryfe]

according to derrida, you are all right, and all wrong, all at once. it means what you think it means just as much as whatever it meant to coldplay (originally). i kind of agree with derrida, so i guess i will just speak for me. i think it's about really great sex with someone you love, on a really nice day, that you recall while you are lying left for dead in a the middle of a battlefield, and someone splashes water on your face and there you are, back in hell again to face the next attack, wondering if you will ever make it home... or something like that.

[century-letters]

To whoever said something about Strawberry Fields Forever, that's exactly what I thought when I first saw the title 'Strawberry Swing'.

[I Bloom Blaum]

Could there be a connection between that and Strawberry Fields Forever??

Yep, you've got it exactly right. I recall in an interview Chris gave that he mentioned the song's title was a tribute to The Beatles. ^^

Of course, that doesn't mean Strawberry Swing isn't just a Beatles tribute, it probably means everything else that you guys said as well, IMO.

[mattaio26]

I feel that this song is talking about the journey to the moment when you achieve perfect harmony and happiness with the one you love; and along this journey there are battles and trials that they have to go through to get there. In the beginning Coldplay sings about how they view people sitting on this strawberry swing and see how they are extremely happy with it, and even through there was fighting all around them, they don't care because they have each other. Then as the end of the song comes 'round they finally reach the point of true happiness, and all that they want is each other.

This could just be me over analyzing again, but I kinda like it

I think Coldplay's lyrics are like poems, so everyone can interpret the meaning of 'Strawberry Swing' differently.

This is one of the reasons that I love Coldplay so much, they affect everyone in a totally unique way

[mhs10er]

Hahahahah....this is exactly what Coldplay wanted to happen. I recall in the interview on 60 Minutes, they showed the list of rules for the band. One of them was to keep things a mystery. They never really reveal much about a song because if you know what its about....then your interpretaions don't matter and then the song isn't very personal, and then you just get bored with it.

My interpretation is just having a perfect day with someone you are in love with and just having the perfect picnic under a tree with a swing atop a hill. And of course, butterflies would be flying around.

I actually experianced this with one of my ex's. We went to a park and had a picnic. I had my ipod and my speakers and we listened to this song and just got lost in it.

[The Final Track]

I experience it as a look back at childhood summers, but that's probably because I can relate to it easily.

[Macintosh]

Well... Strawberry Swing is the best thing in the world!

[The Final Track]

Well... Strawberry Swing is the best thing in the world!

Yes. Yes, it is.

[Macintosh]

I think “Strawberry” because almost all people, except for probably diabetics, love strawberry and besides it personifies love, romantic and all that...;)
Certainly Chris could name a song Pizza’s Swing, and it would please many fans, because the bigger half of people love pizza the same way and its no less romantic what strawberry. But however a strawberry is loved by plenty of people and ... I don’t see output here
:uhoh2:

[The Final Track]

I think “Strawberry” because almost all people, except for probably diabetics, love strawberry and besides it personifies love, romantic and all that...;)
Certainly Chris could name a song Pizza’s Swing, and it would please many fans, because the bigger half of people love pizza the same way and its no less romantic what strawberry. But however a strawberry is loved by plenty of people and ... I don’t see output here
:uhoh2:

Ehhhrm :\

[Apparsheik Flamboone]

Reminds me of stopping to appreciate a beautiful day and/or make everyday interesting. In some interview or article with Chris Martin I remember him talking about how he likes to make every day amazing. As a whole, the song perplexes me, but I can't help feeling amazing with the "afro-pop" guitar and upbeat mood.
I also feel the same way. :):)

[Stuch123]

I think Strawberry Swing means different things to different people, whenever I hear it, it reminds of a holiday I went on to Greece, because it was so laid back and calm.

They were sitting, they were sitting in the strawberry swing: Chilling together
Every moment was so precious: Laughing, having fun, chatting

Stuch

[Mark]

I expect Strawberry Swing to be a song that started with the title. Rather like Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall, Hurts Like Heaven, A Rush of Blood to the Head, 42... Of course, I don't know if any of these songs actually did start with the title (apart from 42), but they're all wonderful phrases that must've come to mind before the rest of the lyrics.

[admnistramation]

It sounds like a strawberry margarita. :wink3:

[Zim.]

it means nothing.

Not one of their best IMO.

[SupermassiveCPnerd]

I can remember being about 12 years old and getting Viva La Vida when it first came out and every time I ever brought up the song, I'd have to catch myself 'cause I'd accidentally call it "Strawberry Fields." It's just so similar...:D