In My Place
From WikiColdplay
"In My Place" was one of Coldplay's "old-new" songs for their second album. It had originally been written at the time of Parachutes original release in September 2000. The song had been performed regularly on live tours prior to A Rush of Blood to the Head.
"In My Place" won Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal at the 2003 Grammy Awards.
"In My Place" appeared on a 2006 episode of TV's Cold Case, as a closing montage song about a case from 2003.
"In My Place" is the first single on Coldplay's second album A Rush of Blood to the Head. This was their third Top 10 hit on the UK Singles Chart. Regional singles were released for UK, Europe, the Netherlands, France, Canada, and Australia. Promo singles were released in UK, US, France, and Japan. The single cover features guitarist Jon Buckland, art directed by Solve Sundsbo.
Contents |
Track listing
- "In My Place"
- "One I Love"
- "I Bloom Blaum"
All versions of the official single included the B-side, "One I Love". This track was regularly performed on the subsequent A Rush of Blood to the Head Tour and is on the Live 2003 DVD.
Release
Coldplay released In My Place in the US and UK on 5 August 2002 as the album's lead single. The single was pressed with two B-sides: "One I Love" and "I Bloom Blaum". The single cover features guitarist Jonny Buckland, with art directed by Sølve Sundsbø.
"In My Place" peaked at number two on UK Singles Charts on 17 August 2002, kept off the top by "Colourblind" by Darius Danesh. It stayed at number two until 23 November 2002. The song reached number eighteen on Billboard's Hot Modern Rock Tracks in 2002. The band were yet to have a number one single. In 2005, "Speed of Sound", the lead single of the band's third album, X&Y, also reached number two, but never the number one position. "Speed of Sound" was marked as Coldplay's most successful single until "Viva la Vida", reached number one in 2008.
Cover images
 UK Promo CD |
Reception
Critics were positive towards the song. In the Entertainment Weekly review of the album, critic David Browne wrote: "Songs like 'In My Place' and 'Warning Sign' marry lyrics imbued with deep regret and mistakes (...You were an island / And I passed you by in the touching latter song) with lyrical melodies and guitar hooks that twinkle and sparkle." Adrien Begrand of PopMatters wrote: "When the shimmering, pretty lead-off single 'In My Place' represents the album's weakest moment, you know you've got something extraordinary. Currently storming the charts a la 'Yellow', 'In My Place' is another surprisingly simple song, carried by Jon Buckland's chiming guitar and Chris Martin’s heartfelt vocals. It really shouldn't amount to much, but Coldplay make it work very well. When Martin sings, "Please, please, please/Come back and sing to me," he totally sells it, and you buy it. And why not? The song's lovely. Amy M. Bruce of The Towerlight wrote: "With a slew of introspective rock songs like 'In My Place' and 'God Put a Smile Upon Your Face,' this album is worthy of the hype surrounding the band's first album." Jules Willis of the BBC wrote: "The second track, the first written post-Parachutes and sounding like a refugee from that album, is the grower 'In My Place'. It's a fantastic pop tune that justifies Coldplay's status as one of UK's most exciting bands."
In 2003, In My Place was featured on Coldplay's live album, Live 2003. The song appeared in the 2006 episode "Saving Sammy" on CBS' television series Cold Case. The song was used as a closing montage song about a case from 2003. The track appeared again on an episode of the television series Fastlane. The song is also featured in as playable in Guitar Hero 5 (2009).
Awards
In My Place won a Grammy Award in the category of Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal at the 2003 Grammy Awards. The song was nominated for two MuchMusic Video Awards for Best international video–group and People's Choice: Favorite international group.
Music video
The music video for "In My Place" was directed by Sophie Muller, and it debuted on 17 June 2002 on AOL. It features a by-the-numbers band performance, in which the band is playing in a huge, nearly empty room. The two women in the background were members of the video crew: a makeup artist/wardrobe assistant and the video commissioner. The video starts off with band playing; while they play, Chris Martin who is sitting in a corner, gets up and joins them in the song. During the video, Martin sings directly to the camera. During the guitar solo, Martin runs up to two women in the background, talks to them for awhile, and then returns to sing the rest of the song. The video ends with the band finishing the song.
Quotes
Chris Martin on "In My Place": "That's about where you're put in the world, and how you're given your position, and the way you look, and how you have to get on with it." [1]
Lyrics
In my place, in my place Were lines that I couldn't change I was lost, oh yeah I was lost, I was lost Crossed lines I shouldn't have crossed I was lost, oh yeah Yeah, how long must you wait for it? Yeah, how long must you pay for it? Yeah, how long must you wait for it? For it I was scared, I was scared Tired and underprepared But I wait for it And if you go, if you go And leave me down here on my own Well I'll wait for you, yeah Yeah, how long must you wait for it? Yeah, how long must you pay for it? Yeah, how long must you wait for it? For it, yeah Sing it please, please, please Come back, come sing to me To me, me Come on and sing it out Now, now Come on and sing it out To me, me Come back, come sing it In my place, in my place Were lines that I couldn't change I was lost, oh yeah Oh, yeah...
