Coldplay – Yellow

Look at the stars
Look how they shine for you
And everything you do
Yeah they were all yellow

I came along
I wrote a song for you
And all the things you do
And it was called "Yellow"

So then I took my turn
Oh what a thing to have done
And it was all yellow

Your skin
Oh yeah, your skin and bones
Turn into something beautiful
You know, you know I love you so
You know I love you so

I swam across
I jumped across for you
Oh what a thing to do
'Cause you were all yellow

I drew a line
I drew a line for you
Oh what a thing to do
And it was all yellow

Your skin
Oh yeah your skin and bones
Turn into something beautiful
And you know
For you I'd bleed myself dry
For you I'd bleed myself dry

It's true
Look how they shine for you
Look how they shine for you
Look how they shine for
Look how they shine for you
Look how they shine for you
Look how they shine

Look at the stars
Look how they shine for you
And all the things that you do


Lyrics submitted by jose, edited by carefree02

"Yellow" as written by Guy Rupert Berryman Christopher Anthony John Martin

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

Yellow song meanings
Add your thoughts

517 Comments

sort form View by:
  • +34
    My InterpretationWhen I listen to this song I think of my little boy. He is now seven years old. He was born with highly functioning autism - aspergers. Although he has a "disability" he is the most special, beautiful, miraculous thing that has ever happened to me. I am a single dad and for the longest time it was just us. As the lyrics of this song go, I would do anything and everything for him... for his happiness. It's been hard at times and we've had to sacrifice a lot but everything was worth it. This song will always make me think of him. I dedicate it to him.
    "Yellow" is essentially about the undying selfless love one person feels for another. Be it a spouse, dear friend, mother, father, daughter, or son, etc.
    christianvon January 15, 2013   Link
    • 5 Replies
  • +18
    General Commentby first impression you can say that it's a Love song but...
    the Word "Yellow" actually doesn't have any meaning here.

    Read following paragraph for explanation -

    "Yellow" was written in a Rockfield studio in Wales called the Quadrangle, where Coldplay began working on their debut album, Parachutes. One night after finishing recording "Shiver", the lead single of the album, the band took a break and went out of the studio. Outside, there were few lights on and the stars in the sky were visible and "just amazing", according to the song's co-producer, Ken Nelson. He told the band to look at the stars, which they did. Vocalist Chris Martin was inspired by the sight and the song's main melody, consisting of a chord pattern, popped into his head. At first, Martin did not take it seriously "as he relayed the tune to the rest of the band in his worst Neil Young impersonation voice".

    ***Martin went on to further explain that the word "yellow" has absolutely no meaning whatsoever and while writing the rest of the song he tried his best to change yellow to something else since every lyric before yellow made no sense but in the end the word "yellow" just sounded right. Martin also told Stern that through the years depending on the attitude and manner of whoever interviews him, he would make up some story about a song or album titles just to move on to the next question. Martin applauded Stern saying "I like you, Howard, so that's the first time I've ever told anyone the truth behind 'Yellow'."***


    ...and guess what, I like his explanation that that Word Yellow really does NOT have any meaning but it still fits perfectly and feels good and People are coming up with their own interpretations and that's Good. As long as people can connect themselves, you have hit the right chords!
    chamyaon July 23, 2012   Link
    • 2 Replies
  • +17
    General Commenti think this song is about custard
    musicAlgarveon January 18, 2013   Link
    • 5 Replies
  • +8
    General CommentIt's a beautiful love song, with just enough rocky bits, and for me the most poignant line is 'For you I'd bleed myself dry.' Something about that line strikes a chord with me everytime I hear it.
    violetzebrason February 04, 2002   Link
  • +6
    My InterpretationTo me, this song is about a girl who leads a wonderful life (hence the title, yellow). She obviously has a boyfriend, and everything else is good. Except she doesn't see her life that way. She's the opposite of yellow, depressed. She can't see how good everything in her life is. Maybe she has depression. This girl's boyfriend tries to convince her to be happy. For example, "Look at the stars, look how they shine for you." That's how I see this song.
    storyofmeon January 14, 2013   Link
  • +5
    Song MeaningYou are all wrong, this song is not about finding that special someone, or saying goodbye to your girlfriend. This song was made and dedicated to Chris Martins mom. She was sick and dieing from a disease that made her skin yellow. When she was sick, she lost a lot of weight which is why he says" you are skin and bones". It shows how much he loved his mom and all the things she did for him. He loves her so much that he would bleed just for her.
    Roockooon January 21, 2010   Link
  • +5
    General CommentOkay so this is a little far fetched but hear me out...it seems it could be written to a girl who doesn't love herself and has an eating disorder. He loves the girl deeply and is troubled by the fact that he would do anything in the world to help her but she doesn't have the piece of mind to help herself. Idk, what do you guys think?
    MemberXon June 10, 2012   Link
    • 4 Replies
  • +4
    General CommentIt's about The Simpsons
    algunmaeon February 16, 2006   Link
  • +4
    General CommentI'm almost positive this song is about a loved one who contracted Hep C or perhaps some sort of liver disease (which both turns your skin yellow) through drug abuse hence the line "I drew a line for you" implying his concern and looking out for her by 'drawing the line'. Also, the line that says "for you i'd bleed myself dry" could mean that he'd give her a blood transfusion if it would save her life. He talks about her "skin and bones turns into something beautiful" As well as at the end, when he sings about the stars and how they shine for her, which both imply that she passed away.
    eve27on April 25, 2012   Link
  • +4
    My InterpretationYellow is the color of many things. Light, flowers, the sun and other stars, it represents happiness as well a illness in some cases. Yellow is a color that can mean many things and have many emotions. However, it is a primary color, therefore, one of the simplest colors. Just as true unconditionally love. It is unpredicatble and raw. It's simple yet profound. It's also infinite like the possibilities of yellow when it comes to what it can mean or what other colors you can make when you mix it. Yellow also comes in many shades and intensities just as love does. When you love someone you would "bleed [yourself] dry for them" and "[their] skin and bones turn into somethng beautiful" to you. This song is about unconditional love. The real type that everyone wants and deserves. The kind of love that is everything it wants or needs to be.
    LunarLoveon February 24, 2013   Link

Add your thoughts

Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.

Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!

Back to top