what is "the scientist" really about?

[mojoker]

now what in the world would warrant another discussion group on the scientist when there is already one there? well firstly, i just want to get some attention :) secondly i think there is a certain principle at work in music which i just discovered when i listened to that song. it may sound simple- and it probably is- but i wonder if artists think much about the "recieved meaning" of a song that they write. with the scientist, i must confess i have never seen the video (which artists dont get a whole lot of say in past the general outline anyway), but i believe that the song lends itself to a pretty cool interpretation- and this is half the beauty of writing- what makes artists like the counting crows and colplay so good is that it is up to you (the listener) to find the meaning in the song.

for me, the scientist is a song about a person (not unlike myself) who wrestles with science and faith. i believe the writer is speaking to God (not a girl) in the song and he is speaking from the voice of a scientist who is told by everything and everyone around him that there is no God, yet he is realizing that science (which many deem the final determining factor on knowledge) is not as objective as he had first made out- that it is in fact very subjective and subject to error and even unintentional manipulation. so- despite what science (and everything else) tells him he is willing to go on what he "feels"- that there is a God- and he wants to talk to Him about life and stuff.

please give the song another listen and tell me what you guys think is the meaning-
jlopez@peace.gordon.edu

[::Hayley::]

I think The Scientist is about breaking up with someone......coz having recently experienced a breakup , i can relate to the lyrics...

Come up to meet you, tell you I'm sorry
You don't know how lovely you are
I had to find you, tell you I need you
Tell you I set you apart...


Nobody said it was easy
Oh it's such a shame for us to part
Nobody said it was easy
No one ever said it would be so hard

I think the references to science are about how human emotions are more powerful than science ...

I was just guessing at numbers and figures
Pulling the puzzles apart
Questions of science, science and progress
Do not speak as loud as my heart

hmm...i love this song :roll:

[Katharina]

I completely agree, Sunset_Scientist!! What is your real name anyway?? I am sure the song is about LOVE and a sad break-up. Not about God. I don't think Chris would say God is 'lovely'... 8)

[::Hayley::]

my real name is Hayley 8) :-)
are u really from Germany or are u a student or something? i was really good @ GCSE German.....got an A :roll: 8) :lol: ....tschus

----------------------------------------------------
“ Waiting for a star to fall, and carry your heart into my arms, that’s where you belong ; in my arms baby yeah ”

[Katharina]

Hayley, I remember that now... ;) I am actually from Berlin. Born here and never moved anywhere else...
Tschüß!! :D

[mojoker]

well as i said- songs are mainly what you interpret them to be. i dont think the writer intended it to be about God either, but this is merely what i got from the song. i hope that there would be more replies about the meaning of this song- i know there is more out there than just love. not that love is not interesting, quite the contrary, but i believe there are still yet more interpretations to come out of this song

[Katharina]

If you see it like that - I'm sure there are always different ways of interpreting a song... Maybe you can compare it to the horoscope... It always lies in the eye of the beholder. And love is good enough for me. By the way, what's your name? And are you from New York City? Speaking of love - that is what I feel for NYC... :)

[mojoker]

pleased to meet you :) my name is jon lopez- or as some people call me- "jlo"- i live right outside the city on long island. its a fun place to be but someday i would love to live in manhattan! if anything would be called "lovely"- in my mind it would be NYC.

[Katharina]

Hi Jon! Nice to meet you, too! So you are the male JLo... :D Manhattan, sigh... I've been to New York three times so far, last time was in September. What can I say? It's my favorite city. I would LOVE to live there for some time later on. We'll see. At the moment I'm stuck here in Berlin, which isn't all to bad either. But NYC would be soooo much better! 8)

[';']

hi jon. :-D

ah there goes katharina and her new york hehehe :D

[jewl*]

nice to see .... uhh.. meet you jon!


in my opinion about this song, i heard that he was talking about a girl, eerr somthing like that. but , since i know from writing and doing that stuff before, this song could mean nearly anything, anything could be true. maybe he is talking about a relaltionship between him and someone else..... after studying many bands/ singers (yata,yata,yata) many of them base their songs about people they dont even know . ... songs sometimes dont even have meaning. some artist do it about their emotion and how they were/ are feeling as they sing this song. they make music maybe about what they see, or from a book, or from an experience like i said befor.

going on other links of other artist, bands... reporters ask about how they met, where they met, where they started, how they started, what did they have to do..., and and of a certain song and its meaning

lets take red hot chili peppers... i went on a website about them and read about this situation.... all they said was that they just right what they think people will like, and if it isnt a hit, theyll just move on to somthing different

enya, her songs are based upon love and her homeland, (i know this part im getting to doesnt have anything to do with this subject but im using it as an example... so just go along :) ) shell tell about the rain, and people she doesnt know!! if any of yall like her or have any of her cds listen to a wild child .. she is just taking somthing maybe from her mind and put it together.

anybody could make a song and use a theme of anything ....

and..... well im think ive said enough so ill just shutup now :lol: :)

[mojoker]

hey gingerag and jewl,
welcome to this board!
ive def been listening to coldplay more often now and im beginning to appreciate the running themes of restoring broken love relationships throughout their music. i suppose this is a pretty common topic for songwriters (i have heard that nobody is a good songwriter until they get their heart broken a few times- may be true ;) ) what i really appreciate about these guys tho is that they can take this well worn path and really create something brialliant and fresh- i saw them in concert about two months ago and they only played a few songs. the other bands that were there were mostly so distorted (guitars and otherwise) and had such meaningless lyrics that the whole night was almost a complete waste. however, when coldplay came on they played clocks, politik, in my place, yellow, and then finished off with the scientist. before her started the last song chris said something like "im going to do something very dangerous here- im going to play a ballad to finish up." everyone loved it and at the end he said "im glad you still dont have to use distortion to play rock and roll that people like". i thought this was def brilliant and true- he is not only holding on to a tradition being lost to mediocre bands like boxcar racer, audioslave, and kelly osbourne (all were there that night), but he, and the band, are defying the statement that it has "all been done"- they are taking it back to the start (no pun intended) and giving us a fresh look at love in all its forms, for whatever meaning we get out of it- whether it be love for our friends, siblings, partners, spouces, God, or ourselves. them playing "the scientist" before a crowd that mostly listened to "new rock" was one of the moments that most defined the band and its purpose for me. sorry that this was such a long post- i got inspired! peace

[';']

hey gingerag and jewl,
welcome to this board!

lmao..... :D thanks :D

[jewl*]

hey gingerag and jewl,
welcome to this board!
ive def been listening to coldplay more often now and im beginning to appreciate the running themes of restoring broken love relationships throughout their music. i suppose this is a pretty common topic for songwriters (i have heard that nobody is a good songwriter until they get their heart broken a few times- may be true ;) ) what i really appreciate about these guys tho is that they can take this well worn path and really create something brialliant and fresh- i saw them in concert about two months ago and they only played a few songs. the other bands that were there were mostly so distorted (guitars and otherwise) and had such meaningless lyrics that the whole night was almost a complete waste. however, when coldplay came on they played clocks, politik, in my place, yellow, and then finished off with the scientist. before her started the last song chris said something like "im going to do something very dangerous here- im going to play a ballad to finish up." everyone loved it and at the end he said "im glad you still dont have to use distortion to play rock and roll that people like". i thought this was def brilliant and true- he is not only holding on to a tradition being lost to mediocre bands like boxcar racer, audioslave, and kelly osbourne (all were there that night), but he, and the band, are defying the statement that it has "all been done"- they are taking it back to the start (no pun intended) and giving us a fresh look at love in all its forms, for whatever meaning we get out of it- whether it be love for our friends, siblings, partners, spouces, God, or ourselves. them playing "the scientist" before a crowd that mostly listened to "new rock" was one of the moments that most defined the band and its purpose for me. sorry that this was such a long post- i got inspired! peace

thanks for the warm greeting!!

and i like what you have said about what you think it means. ... it makes sense! :shrug: :)

[jewl*]

wierd.. can yall se my avator?, cause i cant. :devilish: :letitallout:

[jewl*]

oh, and now you can see it!

[';']

i see it.

yeah the scientist is a good song. it's cool to hear what other people think about it. 8)

[jewl*]

thats good!

[::Hayley::]

hey jewl*.....i can see ur avatar 8) but its awwwwfully wee ;)

[jewl*]

Good you see it...im wanting a new one though

[bodman]

Ok heres my take on "The Scientist":

Whomever the character is, they think in terms of tangible objects, notions, and so forth. For example, science is something we can see and measure and interpret objectively. However, the character does not see until it is too late that love is more tangible than any math equation, or biological being. One can also interpret love, but subjectively. The character then finds that they think too much in terms of practicality and logistics, when really they should be following their heart. Its the never ending battle between something concrete, and something of a notion. But really both exist.

[::Hayley::]

very deep...i like it 8)

[jewl*]

makes very mutch sense! :D ;)

[Sternly]

I'm new here, and my English is not my 1st len. so....

I think The Scientist is a love song, I don't know If he wrote it for a friend or for a girl but on the cd sad the scientist is Dan, so I don't think he wrote it thinking on God. It sound to me, like he's kinda "deseperate?" and ashe always says his biggest problems are girls........ anyway he look kinda gay to me...... ;)

[Guy'sChick]

anyways ur english is good ! u werent talking about chris when u said he looks gay right? :o

[Sternly]

Yeah........ he look kinda gay to me, but I might be wrong If Mrs. Paltrow rumor is true......

[jewl*]

Yeah........ he look kinda gay to me, but I might be wrong If Mrs. Paltrow rumor is true......

how does he sound gay though??

the scientist being dan might them just be playing around.

i didnt even know about any rumor either!

oh and your english so far is cute! ;)

[Guy'sChick]

well to me chris doesnt look gay and he sooooo not is gay ok thats all im going to say about it

[jewl*]

well to me chris doesnt look gay and he sooooo not is gay ok thats all im going to say about it

oh, i agree!

[Sternly]

You don't have to agree with me.. I just say what it look to me

I think the only thing will ever agree is that Coldplay is one of the best band now a days

[Sternly]

I just say what I think............

[';']

I just say what I think............that's good :D

[bodman]

I THINK... uhhhh well i dont know, it kinda fit the thread don't ya think? :shrug:

[Guy'sChick]

Guess so :shrug:

[weedy_gonzalez]

Ok heres my take on "The Scientist":

Whomever the character is, they think in terms of tangible objects, notions, and so forth. For example, science is something we can see and measure and interpret objectively. However, the character does not see until it is too late that love is more tangible than any math equation, or biological being. One can also interpret love, but subjectively. The character then finds that they think too much in terms of practicality and logistics, when really they should be following their heart. Its the never ending battle between something concrete, and something of a notion. But really both exist.

that`s a great interpretation. i`ve never been good at interpreting (is it a word?) i`m more of a logical typa chick (a left-handed left-brainer)

[weedy_gonzalez]

chris looking gay? buahahaha an absurd it is

[Guy'sChick]

chris looking gay? buahahaha an absurd it is

i know thats what ive been telling him!!!

[weedy_gonzalez]

telling chris? :beammeup:

[Guy'sChick]

nah not chris the gay who said he looked gay!

[weedy_gonzalez]

nah not chris the gay who said he looked gay!

:rofl:

[Guy'sChick]

http://www.click-smilie.de/sammlung/sehrgrosse/grosse043.gif

[';']

ah that kind of looks scary :o :(

[Guy'sChick]

hehe yeah i know its a kind of a sarcastic smile lol

[unbornchikkenvoices]

its about ripping off fake plastic trees by radiohead

[Guy'sChick]

:shock:

[Chrissy]

i like the smilie lol, and the very clever intrepretations - you all made me think again

[Guy'sChick]

think about how clever i am or how crazy i am? :P

[Paranoid_Scientist]

I agree withsunset_scientist :) , Sadly i xperienced a break-up also :(

[Guy'sChick]

awww who was it :sad:

[bozo]

I was at a McDonalds in Hollywood this morning around 6:30am and The Scientist was on when I walked in..... what a good morning!

[Guy'sChick]

awww i was in the car the other day and they played it too! i felt so good :)

[Grimace Strikes Back]

I can get an intrepretation from the song, but there's one line I'm sort of stuck on...

"...coming up tails
Heads on a science apart."

I can't get anything from that line. Anyone?

[girlstar]

Yeah, I didn't quite get that part either. :/

[Guy'sChick]

i dont get that line either

[Mojo Pin]

hmmmm same here :/

[Valleyboy]

i think this coming in tails thing is kinda about animals that chase their own tails and they keep spinning and spinning and are stuck in the same place. like, this song line is trying to compare that to our lifes, i guess. And the heads on a science apart would mean that, this kind of stuff is beyond our comprehension. It's a science that we don't understand.

That's just my interpretation, though.

[Mojo Pin]

Great interpretation man! :D

[girlstar]

Every line in that song is just, incredible. Like each line has it's own meaning. Whatever you're interpretation, you can't really say it's not a classic song, or at least a very beautiful song.

[badlydrawngirl]

now what in the world would warrant another discussion group on the scientist when there is already one there? well firstly, i just want to get some attention :) secondly i think there is a certain principle at work in music which i just discovered when i listened to that song. it may sound simple- and it probably is- but i wonder if artists think much about the "recieved meaning" of a song that they write. with the scientist, i must confess i have never seen the video (which artists dont get a whole lot of say in past the general outline anyway), but i believe that the song lends itself to a pretty cool interpretation- and this is half the beauty of writing- what makes artists like the counting crows and colplay so good is that it is up to you (the listener) to find the meaning in the song.

for me, the scientist is a song about a person (not unlike myself) who wrestles with science and faith. i believe the writer is speaking to God (not a girl) in the song and he is speaking from the voice of a scientist who is told by everything and everyone around him that there is no God, yet he is realizing that science (which many deem the final determining factor on knowledge) is not as objective as he had first made out- that it is in fact very subjective and subject to error and even unintentional manipulation. so- despite what science (and everything else) tells him he is willing to go on what he "feels"- that there is a God- and he wants to talk to Him about life and stuff.

please give the song another listen and tell me what you guys think is the meaning-
jlopez@peace.gordon.edu


its about splitting up with someone and wanting to get back with them. this is one of coldplay's easier songs to figure out the lyrics to I think

oh and haha it doesn't sound like fake plastic trees to whoever said it. :lol:

[Valleyboy]

yeah, i totally agree julia. I think it's the most beautiful song ever recorded. and yeah, there are so many ways to interpretate it.


oh and haha it doesn't sound like fake plastic trees to whoever said it.


whoa... now that you said it... i think it really sounds a lil bit like fake plastic.

[LiquidSky]

All I see it's red X? :/

[badlydrawngirl]

yeah, i totally agree julia. I think it's the most beautiful song ever recorded. and yeah, there are so many ways to interpretate it.


oh and haha it doesn't sound like fake plastic trees to whoever said it.


whoa... now that you said it... i think it really sounds a lil bit like fake plastic.


you think? it doesn't to me ::shrugs:: :smug:

[Valleyboy]

haha aww, come on... just a lil bit like fake plastic.... come oooon... :D

"Come up to meet you, tell you i'm sorry, my fake plaaaaastic love..." :P

[Guy'sChick]

:lol: :lol: :lol:

[Valleyboy]

:D ;) :D

[HELP IS ROUND THE CORNER]

I think The Scientist is about breaking up with someone......coz having recently experienced a breakup , i can relate to the lyrics...

Come up to meet you, tell you I'm sorry
You don't know how lovely you are
I had to find you, tell you I need you
Tell you I set you apart...


Nobody said it was easy
Oh it's such a shame for us to part
Nobody said it was easy
No one ever said it would be so hard

I think the references to science are about how human emotions are more powerful than science ...

I was just guessing at numbers and figures
Pulling the puzzles apart
Questions of science, science and progress
Do not speak as loud as my heart

hmm...i love this song :roll:

A scientist could be someone who relied not on his feelings but on some facts, maybe what people used to say about him and his girlfriend, and when the relationship was over it was difficult for him to admit it, cause for him everything seemed to work just fine, according to some "scientific" rules. He's also realized that the relationship is about the feelings first, then about working your life out with the person you love. He simply realized it too late. I LOVE THIS SONG. And I think that the video may be a hint (Chris & Co. had to agree on the idea, am I right? So maybe they chose smthg close to the meaning of the song's lyrics?) :smug:

[MakeTradEfaiR87]

hmmmmmmmm :huh:

[rf_ucsd]

The Scientist is about crystal meth.

It's about somebody meeting up with their connection to get crystal meth. It's calles The Scientist just because of the way meth is made ... laboratory stylee. Nobody said it was easy.

Chris's moans are nothing but his reaction to getting his fix.

Just a theory.

[Carol_Berryman]

:lol: :lol: :lol:
the scientist is about dan

[Dak Mattek]

The scientist in my opinion is a song about love lost.. and this scientist who discovers that not even science can mend or repair the damage done.

"Science and progress do not speak as loud as my heart"

I don't want to dig too deep as it would only explode my precious brain.. heh