Princess of China's melody fits completely into Hurts Like Heaven's

[rafaelchampion]

I was about to make this thread on PoC section, but it can lead to a bigger discussion about the whole album so I made it here.
Well, I like to analyse the songs very much. Each note I can say.
I listen to Hurts Like Heaven about a hundred times on a day and I just thought that the ending, the piano part, could give us some idea of another song. Well, today I was coming back from the university, listening to Hurts Like Heaven when I said "Hold on. I know this".

Hurts Like Heaven's melody's notes and progression and Princess of China ones are the same. Well, they are not on the same key, nor the same tempo, but if you low HLH's key by a half tone and make it a little slower. You can see it's almost the same. Even it's progression is equal.

Try listening like this:

Written in graffiti on a bridge in a park / Once upon a time ....
Do you ever get the feeling that you're missing the mark / .... as fast as I can (don't know PoC's lyrics)
It's so cold, it's so cold / Got to go
It's so cold, it's so cold / Got to go

This is the verse, now the chorus

Yooooooooooooooo... / You could have been the princess, I'd be your king. Could we have a castle and wore a ring but
(*Changes the note*)
ooooooooou... / Noooooooo, You let(got?) me goooooo.

We also have the Lalala part that fits on the solo. And other parts too. I need to analyse it better.

What do you think about it?

[Blue Glisten]

I prefer Hurts Like Heaven than POC! :)

I don't think they have the same melody :embarrassed:

[coldplaykb]

I see what you mean, if you slow both of them down it fits and has the same progression.

[macky]

I'm sorry but I just can't understand why everyone is obsessed with POC when we don't even have a quality sound.
I'm wiht you about HLH, I can't stop replaying it.

[rafaelchampion]

Nonono it's not about PoC. It's just that every album has something that fits. VLV for example, if you listen to Chinese Sleep Chant's drums and Life in Technicolor's you can see they are alike in some parts. You know, it's not something you just listen and say, "oohh it's alike". You have to stop and analyze.
Maybe we can get a model or pattern analyzing these things.

There is also the fact that on both songs we have the verse like this:

Line 1: Lalalalalala
Line 2 Lalalalalala
Line 3: A phrase (It's so Cold / Still I won't let go / Got to go / on and on)
Line 4: The same phrase (It's so Cold / Still I won't let go / Got to go / on and on)

[MrMagpie]

I don't know either song. :O

[JackZ]

Really? Why? Have you not listened to them or do you just think they're bad and don't want to?

[rainplay]

How do you guys even know the melody to POC?

[rafaelchampion]

We have Rock Im Park recording. We can get some lyrics and melody.
As I said, I like analyzing things. I listen to these songs all day long.

[rainplay]

Oh ya, I gave up on that video. The bass hurt my ears.

[JackZ]

Havent you heard the newer version? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NrhPePOih9E

[thescientist354]

Nonono it's not about PoC. It's just that every album has something that fits. VLV for example, if you listen to Chinese Sleep Chant's drums and Life in Technicolor's you can see they are alike in some parts. You know, it's not something you just listen and say, "oohh it's alike". You have to stop and analyze.
Maybe we can get a model or pattern analyzing these things.

There is also the fact that on both songs we have the verse like this:

Line 1: Lalalalalala
Line 2 Lalalalalala
Line 3: A phrase (It's so Cold / Still I won't let go / Got to go / on and on)
Line 4: The same phrase (It's so Cold / Still I won't let go / Got to go / on and on)

I can kinda see what you mean. I tried playing the new coldplay songs on the piano by ear, and a majority of them have similar chords played in similar keys, so you are right.

Not to get off topic but the beginning of the charlie brown melody and the piano section of mtm right before "8 to 9 9 to 10" are played really similar on the piano, just to give another example to your theory

[admnistramation]

I'm sorry but I just can't understand why everyone is obsessed with POC when we don't even have a quality sound.
I'm wiht you about HLH, I can't stop replaying it.
EDIT: just see the video Jack posted. :)

[rainplay]

Havent you heard the newer version? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NrhPePOih9E

Nope, didn't know there was any other version..I just listened to it finally, thanks!

[macky]

Okay, the new version is decent.
But am I the only one who thinks that Chris sang "lalalalalalala" because I forgot the lyrics?

[pansonic]

I'm kind of liking the 'lalala' part. :)

[Strawberry Swinger]

THANK YOU! I thought the same about these songs but didn't wanna burst anyone's bubble...They do have similar melodies really. And Lost and Lovers in Japan have the same chord progression in some parts btw. But that's normal I guess.

[Samuel_94]

haha i never noticed this

[princesanji]

okay i have both in my ears kinda, but i'm not listening to them, but:
yes i must agree, they do show similarities! maybe check the key etc...

[prjio307]

THANK YOU! I thought the same about these songs but didn't wanna burst anyone's bubble...They do have similar melodies really. And Lost and Lovers in Japan have the same chord progression in some parts btw. But that's normal I guess.

The chorus of Lovers in Japan ("they are turning" etc...) is also the same chord progression as The Scientist in a different key and tempo. This sort of thing happens all the time. Amazing how many different-sounding songs you can make with one chord progression.

[The Doctor]

Okay, the new version is decent.
But am I the only one who thinks that Chris sang "lalalalalalala" because I forgot the lyrics?

I like the lalalalalalalala but I see your point there

[RedBalloon]

Would that be natural for a writer to just have some similar but not exact same notes/patterns to express a certain kind of emotion; thus it is reflected in several songs. Another thing in composition I guess, there might be a main/original inspiration/melody first, then you can develop it into different directions or versions. It would be very cool that a song and its reversible one can express different things.

Not to make you disappointed, and I do like the idea a song can somehow gives clues of another - like a hidden link connecting all the songs in one concept album. Sometimes, lyrics can do a better job. But if it is intentional, two melodies can be sensed as a reciprocated pair if not exactly the same.

[ColdplayingfromKansas]

I like the lalalalalalalala but I see your point there

Same here, although maybe Chris hadn't finished writing the song yet and was just filling in the gaps? (another reason why they could have decided to stop playing it live) :shrug:

[MosesTheMarshmallow]

Honestly, I don't hear it at all. My understanding of the song is not thorough, but here's what we have:

POC:
Am - Dm or Am - Cmaj7 - Dm (main riff, verses)
C - Dm (the you could be a princess part)
Dm - G - Am (lalalala)
Am - G - possibly a Dm - Am (outro)

Up a half step?
Bbm - Dbm...etc

HLH:
Bb - Eb (verse)
F - Eb - Bb (prechorus)
Bb - Eb (instrumental bit)
F - Eb - Bb (chorus)
Bb - Eb (solo)
So on...
F - Eb - Bb - Dm - Eb - Bb (the whoa oah part)
Bb - Eb (outro)

Basically, neat idea. But no, I completely disagree with you rafael.

ON THE OTHER HAND, POC has some of the same lyrical structures, like the "got to go, got to go" vs "it's so cold so cold".

Oh and yes, LIJ and Lost are pretty similar based ONLY on chord progression. But chord patterns get pretty similar in rock music.

[Dany93]

^ I totally agree (also about the chords :P). Inside an album the most likely is to find songs with similar features, it happens to every band and singer... It's normal that if you write songs in the same months they'll probably have some similarities, and it also depends on the style you want to create for the album.

[rafaelchampion]

Honestly, I don't hear it at all. My understanding of the song is not thorough, but here's what we have:

POC:
Am - Dm or Am - Cmaj7 - Dm (main riff, verses)
C - Dm (the you could be a princess part)
Dm - G - Am (lalalala)
Am - G - possibly a Dm - Am (outro)

Up a half step?
Bbm - Dbm...etc

HLH:
Bb - Eb (verse)
F - Eb - Bb (prechorus)
Bb - Eb (instrumental bit)
F - Eb - Bb (chorus)
Bb - Eb (solo)
So on...
F - Eb - Bb - Dm - Eb - Bb (the whoa oah part)
Bb - Eb (outro)

Basically, neat idea. But no, I completely disagree with you rafael.

ON THE OTHER HAND, POC has some of the same lyrical structures, like the "got to go, got to go" vs "it's so cold so cold".

Oh and yes, LIJ and Lost are pretty similar based ONLY on chord progression. But chord patterns get pretty similar in rock music.

Don't try to transcript the notes. Just sing one song over the other and you'll se what I'm talking about. Sing Princess of China on Hurts Like Heaven.
And if someone misunderstood me, I didn't mean Chris ran out of creativity at all. I just like how we can create 2 absolutely different songs with the same progression.

[rafaelchampion]

This:
http://www.mediafire.com/?01ljt7854pgft1f
is what I mean.
(This is an attempt to put Princess of China's Lyrics on Hurts Like Heaven. Please don't pay attention at the quality, but how we can put the lyrics of one song in the other)

[Stv]

Okay, the new version is decent.
But am I the only one who thinks that Chris sang "lalalalalalala" because he forgot the lyrics?

No, I think the same

[Stv]

Hurts Like Heaven is happy and PoC is sad

btw, there's a lot of coldplay songs with similar chord progression or melody or something. I won't make a complete analysis.

Lost !/? and The Scientist
Clocks and Speed Of Sound
Life In Technicolor II and Charlie Brown