A Rush Of Blood To The Head by Coldplay

Album: A Rush Of Blood To The Head (2002)

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Coldplay frontman Chris Martin told Crud Magazine in 2002 that this song is about "impulsiveness." It depicts a person losing control of their emotions and seeking violent revenge, before blaming their actions on "a rush of blood to the head":

Said, I'm gonna buy a gun and start a war
If you can tell me something worth fighting for
Oh, and I'm gonna buy this place, is what I said
Blame it upon a rush of blood to the head
Martin makes considerable use of his baritone on "A Rush Of Blood To The Head." The Coldplay vocalist told Billboard Magazine this was a "homage to Johnny Cash." He continued: "Him, Dylan, and Hank Williams are just the greatest men with just guitars. And I really wanted to sing a song low."
"A Rush of Blood to the Head" is the penultimate song on Coldplay's sophomore studio album of the same name. According to Martin, much of the album deals with the urgency he felt toward life after the September 11 attacks. Speaking to MTV in 2002, he said: "I've realized that time is not infinite, and all my friends aren't going to be around forever and maybe I'm only going to get to do certain things once. My grandfather always used to tell me to do things right now because whatever you have, it's not gonna last forever."

Comments: 10

Jamie from Kalispell, Mtthis song to me is about a couple who go thru many turbulant times while apart and the other feels helpless to help and the other finds the strength to overcome and starts to lift themselves out of the situation and finally is reunited for the rest of thier lives
Mike from West Bend, WiAlso, I think in a way it alludes to John Lennon. His philosophy of no possessions to me is represented here. Maybe if you're not happy with life, rid yourself of everything, burn it all down and forget about. Worry about the important things in life, you know?
Mike from West Bend, WiTo me this song represents what one needs to do after losing everything, including hope. Risks taken, losses gained. And finally realizing that maybe you need to tear it all up and start over. Go on, burn it down, buy a gun and fight a war. This is not to be taken literally, it means grow some testicular fortitude and fight to survive this life no matter how hard the past was...
Nik from Banning, CaThis song has always brought to my mind the scene in "Forrest Gump" where Forrest buys Jenny's childhood home and has it bulldozed. It strikes me as a passionate love song to someone traumatized in the past and their lover's efforts to make things right, even if some of the methods seem crazy ("blame it on a rush of blood to the head"). I think the line about "I'm gonna buy a gun and start a war if you can tell me something worth fighting for" expresses the anger and frustration of loving someone with a history of abuse and seeing how it has effected them. I love this song and "Green Eyes" just about equally.
Stephen from Newcastle, EnglandHow can the site confirm the meaning Songfacts? the whole point of ambigious and mysterious songs is what they mean to us or what they meant to the artist.

To me the song is obvious, its a love song but a dark freaky one. Its about how the guy just goes and does horrible things without thinking because hes in love.

Burning down a place she had a bad memory of.
Starting a war with the world, if she tells him whats upsetting her.
Buying a place, without thinking, getting swept away in the moment.

And of course 'start as you need to go on' implies you've opened a can of worms, or you've started a war now I have to finish it.

Sorry I wasn't thinking, just a rush of blood to the head.

I don't think its deep and philosophical, the album already has Politik after all.
Justin from Austin, TxI like "moo" sound at 3:05. It represents how much milk we drink. In all seriousness: I think the song obviously represents mankind. The "buy a gun and start a war if you can tell me something worth fighting for" is mocking all of the wars we've had and how quickly we are to start them for little reasons. Its basically calling us idiots and its astonishingly accurate.
Jon from West Bend, IaI have no idea if this is "correct," in the sense of it being the band's meaning, but yeah. I always felt it was about a person who was burning down a place, like a tavern if the as said person has a friend who's an alcoholic. He's burning it down and "Do(ing) back the things it did to you in return."
Dev from Somewhere, CoThe phrase "A rush of blood to the head" is one characteristic to the UK, basically meaning something done that is spontaneous and without pre-planning. Taking this into account changes the theories about the song.
Pianogodd from New Boston, Txfor some reason the lyrics really make me remember Jenny and her father's trouble in Forrest Gump
Rachel from Toronto, CanadaI think of this song as Chris taking someone and showing them our civilization from afar. It takes an outsider's approach to our society and paints a bleak picture of rubble and ashes and shows our nature- "So I', going to buy a gun and start a war, if you can tell me something worth fighting for." It's that every single deed or act that has been done in the history of humanity all started from a thought- "Blame it upon a rush of blood to the head". It's telling us to look at everything we've built, all this hatred and animosity, all the good and all the bad and takes us back to the source and shows us how we created it all- we are the victims of our own creations.

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