rising sun
rising sun
Lovers in Japan/Reign of Love
Lovers, keep on the road your on
Runners, until the race is run
Soldiers, you’ve got to soldier on
Sometimes even right is wrong
They are turning my head out
To see what I’m all about
Keeping my head down
To see what it feels like now
But I have no doubt
One day, were gonna get out
Tonight, maybe we’re gonna run
Dreaming of the Osaka sun
Ohh, ohh, ohhh
Dreaming of when the morning comes
They are turning my head out
To see what I’m all about
Keeping my head down
To see what it feels like now
But I have no doubt
One day, the sun will come out
—-
Reign of love
I can’t let go
To the sea I offer
This heavy load
Locusts will
Lift me up
I’m just a prisoner
In a Reign of Love
Locusts will
Let us stop
I wish I’d spoken
To the Reign of Love
Reign of Love
By the church, we’re waiting
Reign of love
My knees go praying
How I wish
I’d spoken up
Or we’d be carried
In the Reign of Love
“Lovers in Japan” is a rousing call to perseverance and endurance, evocative of U2’s “Walk On” on All That You Can’t Leave Behind.
As in many Coldplay lyrics, they want us to know that they are not ignorant of the trials and travails of our current existence. In an everything-instant society, the call to persevere amid struggle may be the most honorable thing to do. But it is also the hardest.
So, Lovers stay with the one you love, despite the impulse to move on.
Runners—finish the race you started. Runners race—that’s who you are!
But “Soldiers, you’ve got to soldier on/sometimes even the right is wrong” is a tricky phrase. What (or who) is “right” and what/who is “wrong” here?
Let’s interpret this lyric within the context of the rest of the album. Remember, Viva La Vida–both the song and the album–are largely a protest against unjust war. We could take this line to the soldier in at least three ways:
1) To the “true-believer,” who perhaps unthinkingly believes the war is right and just—have you entertained the notion that the right impulse has degenerated into wrong implementation?
2) To the soldier with grave misgivings about the war: the right thing is to do your job and keep fighting, despite feelings you have about what you’re fighting for. This is a surprising statement, given the context of the album. But Martin is pushing us past the comfort of Monday morning quarterbacking the war from our living room sofas. What would you do if you were a soldier? Particularly if your perception of the war changed even as you were fighting it? What would then be the most honorable course of action? You still have a responsibility to your country and fellow soldiers. I think Martin is trying to demonstrate sympathy and understand towards the soldiers.
3) The Really Bad Pun option: “Even the [Republican, Conservative] Right [Wing] is wrong.” If this is the lyric, it’s pretty lame. Nor does it fit the overall hopeful tone of the song. But given that he takes a swipe at Fox News in Viva La Vida, I can’t rule it out.
Given the fact that the other two exhortations are addressed to people trying to do the right thing in difficult situations, it seems #2 is the best option here.
In each of these scenarios, there comes a time to persevere through our struggles to reach a greater goal. To the Lover who wants to walk away, to the Runner who wants to quit, and to the Soldier who doesn’t want to fight, the exhortation is to keep going and press on. Though the process is exhausting and mentally taxing (if not physically), it is nevertheless NOT the end of the story. “They” may be turning our heads inside-out and keeping our heads down, but that’s not all there is. There is a future hope.
Unlike the typical “keep your head up” song, this song’s encouragement seems to be grounded on something more than good feelings. Not a wishful thinking kind of hope, not a naïve “everything will somehow turn out alright,” but something stronger and more certain.
“I have no doubt/someday we’re gonna get out…I have no doubt/someday the sun’s gonna come out.” The realization of this rescue—this redemption—is beyond doubt. It is as certain as the sun rising. Osaka is, of course, a city in the “Land of the Rising Sun.” (Perhaps that reference helps this song avoid the corn-syrup overkill of “The Sun Will Come Out Tomorrow”).
Though these two songs do not need to be joined (Lovers in Japan is by itself acoustically on Viva La Vida, and remixed on Prospekt’s March), they are logical counterparts. Reign of Love gives further definition to the certain (but unspecified) hope of Lovers in Japan.
Lovers in Japan could be referencing at least two metaphors which the Apostle Paul uses to exhort his disciple Timothy in 2 Timothy 2 and 4:
3Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs—he wants to please his commanding officer. 5Similarly, if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not receive the victor’s crown unless he competes according to the rules. 2 Timothy 2:3-5
6For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure. 7I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing. 2 Timothy 4:6-8
The hope of “Lovers in Japan,” (and whose imagery overlaps a good bit with these passages in 2 Timothy) is made clear by Paul: Jesus Christ, the sun who is certain to rise one day, who will one day appear in glory. The “Reign of Love” described here sounds an awful lot like the coming of the Kingdom of God, what Christians believe will happen when Jesus returns: a Reign of Love. As 1 Corinthians 13 famously states, “and now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.” Why? Because faith and hope are temporary; love is permanent. Neither faith nor hope will be necessary once Love comes in fullness.
The Reign of Love will mean the defeat and expulsion of anything opposed to love (ie, Death and All His Friends). Things will be put right, put the way they are supposed to be. God’s “shalom,” will rest upon everything: peace, wholeness, rightness, completion.
This reign of Love hasn’t arrived yet—we still walk with heavy loads that will need to be unloaded. The certainty of the hope doesn’t make us passive; it actually drives us to the Church, to wait and pray. Most of this imagery is familiar, but what are we to make of the Locusts?
locusts
Martin shows his Christian roots by using apocalyptic, eschatological images (the locusts) which are signs of the dreadful day of the LORD (Joel 2:11), but which also point to the shalom, the reign and rule of Christ in love over all his creation. This is likely obscure to those who don’t know their Old Testament minor prophets: In Joel 2, the prophet describes the “Day of the LORD,” when judgment will be visited on the earth with locusts. But after this, the LORD would pour out his Spirit on all people and great things would happen. The Day of the LORD means judgment upon Death and All His Friends, but salvation for all who put their hope in him.
Significantly, the early church believed Joel’s prophecy to be partially fulfilled at Pentecost. Peter himself connects Joel 2 to the events described in Acts 2. The full reign of God’s Love is not yet here, but it is coming.
Curiously, the speaker is expressing regret that he did not “speak up” beforehand. It’s unclear if he is subject to judgment and missing the reign of love, or if he wishes he had participated more fully in the reign of love beforehand.
Reign of Love is Kingdom language, consummation language, New Jerusalem language. How will this “Reign of Love” come? While Coldplay doesn’t necessarily highlight the judgment aspect of the second coming, we do have a nod to Christian teaching: its not something we can bring in by our own strength; we don’t even know when it will happen. Rather, “By the church we’re waiting; my knees go praying.” Maranatha! Come, Lord Jesus!
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