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Trouble (Coldplay single)
Encyclopedia
"Trouble" is a song recorded by British alternative rock
band Coldplay
for their debut album, Parachutes
. The band wrote the song and co-produced it with British record producer Ken Nelson. The song repeats the word "trouble" throughout the lyrics, and its musicscape is minimalist
.
The song was released on 26 October 2000 as the album's third single. It reached number 10 on the UK Singles Chart
, making it the band's second Top 10 single in the country. Although "Trouble" failed to chart on the main singles chart in the United States, the music press deemed it almost as successful as its predecessor, "Yellow
". Two different music videos for the single were released.
, inspiration for writing "Trouble" came from his own behaviour. Martin recalls, "There were some bad things going in our band ... the song is about behaving badly towards somebody you really love and I was certainly doing that to some members of the band." He added that he supposed it was about time to act of a knobhead. The four members of Coldplay are credited as co-writing "Trouble", based on Martin's idea.
British record producer Ken Nelson and the band produced "Trouble" for their debut album, Parachutes
. The track was recorded four times before the band got the take they preferred. The backing track was first recorded, and each time they add to see if it was working. They, however, decided that the first three versions were not "working". The last take was recorded into Pro Tools
with a shaker
to provide the rhythm
to the track. For the backing track, Will Champion
played the drums and Martin on the piano which they recorded in a little wooden room. After Guy Berryman
's bass was recorded, guitarist Jonny Buckland
added the guitar section. In recording the piano section of the track, the band used two microphones—one was brighter-sounding and one with a fuller sound. Nelson, who wanted to keep the song simple, chose the fuller sound microphone for the mixing.
"Trouble" was mixed
in New York by American mix engineer Michael Brauer
. The initial mixed version, which was sent back to the band and Nelson, fell short of their desired quality, so it had to be redone. According to Nelson, "the vocal was overcompressed and the piano was too bright". Despite this, he did not blame Brauer because he was not present during the mixing since they were, at the time, recording the album.
", Martin wrote "Trouble" with the repetitive use of the word trouble. The song's lyrics have "softer emotional themes", including apologies, unrequited love, and longing.
The song's musicscape follows the minimalistic
approach. "Trouble" is built around a piano, with a snare drum
background that was mixed very low. The snare drum section tends to be inaudible when the guitars come in. According to the sheet music published by Musicnotes, Inc., the song's time signature
follows the common 4/4, with a tempo
of 70 beats per minute. Martin's vocal range in the song spans from F4 to A5, the highest note being sung using the falsetto
register, despite the fact Martin can reach this note in full voice.
"Trouble" was released on 26 October 2000 in the United Kingdom, and on 18 December 2001 in the United States as the third single
of Parachutes. A limited-edition CD of the single was released, featuring a remix of the songs "Yellow", the US-lead single
of the album, and "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
". It was pressed to 1,000 copies, and was issued only to fans and journalists. An extended play
titled Trouble – Norwegian Live EP
was released in the summer of 2001. In 2003, the song was featured on Coldplay's live album
Live 2003
.
Like for their others songs, Coldplay has refused to accept several offers to use "Trouble" for promotional tools. In 2004, the band rejected a multi-million Euro
offer from Diet Coke
and Gap
to use the song and "Don't Panic
", the fourth single from the album. They asked manager Phil Harvey
to not refer such offers to them because "a discussion might lead to compromise". American actor Sylvester Stallone
was interested to use the song for the soundtrack of his 2001 film Driven
, but the band declined.
, making it the band's second Top 10 single in the UK after "Yellow". Aside from the album's successful previous single releases, the performance of "Trouble" has been attributed to the "colossal home sales" of Parachutes in the United Kingdom.
The positive reception of the single continued when the British outfit Lost Witness
made a remixed version of the song, which was released and became "an unlikely dance floor anthem". With three singles successfully released, the band decided to abandon their initial plans of issuing "Don't Panic" as the fourth single of the album, deemed enough for a single album in the United Kingdom. "Don't Panic", however, was eventually released in some European regions.
In the United States, the single's chart performance was nearly as successful as that of "Yellow"'s. It has reached number 23 on the Billboard Adult Top 40 and 28 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks
. Martin has claimed that the single had saved them from being a "one-hit wonder" band. The band, thinking it was not a "great single", surmised it would not perform well in the United States.
. The video footage was shot in a Newhall, California
ranch. A Wild West-themed video, it features Martin as a prisoner in a dark warehouse, tied with ropes to a chair, being circled by cars in the freezing cold. The other members of the band are seen on the upper floor in a slow motion
sequence where Buckland and Champion struggle with bassist Guy Berryman
, tying him to another chair and forcing him to look in front. At this point, Martin's struggling causes his chair to tip over, and he hits the ground on his side. He sings the final line of the song ("They spun a web for me..."), before the darkness abruptly turns to daylight. A beautiful sunrise is then revealed, but as the camera pans out, it is revealed to be fake and part of a large theater backdrop, with Martin still lying on his side, tied to the chair.
A U.S. version of the music video was created, directed by Tim Hope. The video follows the motif of "Don't Panic" by showing the band as two-dimensional cut-outs. The band are aboard a horse carriage that cruises along a forest. On the top of a mountain, a woman waters plants inside a house. A little crow flies from the carriage up to the house, where it transforms into a more menacing bird. It flies over the house and turns into a black cloud, which pours rain onto the land. The rain burns little holes on the things it falls into, and crow feathers protrude from the holes. Finally a tornado grabs the house and lifts it from its foundations placing it along others in a more suburban setting. Its acclaimed visuals earned Tim Hope an MTV Video Music Award for Best Art Direction
in 2002. It was also nominated for Breakthrough Video
.
Australian CD single
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
band Coldplay
Coldplay
Coldplay are a British alternative rock band formed in 1996 by lead vocalist Chris Martin and lead guitarist Jonny Buckland at University College London. After they formed Pectoralz, Guy Berryman joined the group as a bassist and they changed their name to Starfish. Will Champion joined as a...
for their debut album, Parachutes
Parachutes
Parachutes is the debut album by English alternative rock band Coldplay, released by the record label Parlophone on 10 July 2000 in the United Kingdom. The album was produced by the band and British record producer Ken Nelson, excluding one track which was produced by Chris Allison...
. The band wrote the song and co-produced it with British record producer Ken Nelson. The song repeats the word "trouble" throughout the lyrics, and its musicscape is minimalist
Minimalism
Minimalism describes movements in various forms of art and design, especially visual art and music, where the work is set out to expose the essence, essentials or identity of a subject through eliminating all non-essential forms, features or concepts...
.
The song was released on 26 October 2000 as the album's third single. It reached number 10 on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
, making it the band's second Top 10 single in the country. Although "Trouble" failed to chart on the main singles chart in the United States, the music press deemed it almost as successful as its predecessor, "Yellow
Yellow (song)
"Yellow" is a song by English alternative rock band Coldplay. The band wrote the song and co-produced it with British record producer Ken Nelson for their debut album, Parachutes...
". Two different music videos for the single were released.
Production
According to the band's vocalist Chris MartinChris Martin
Christopher Anthony John "Chris" Martin is an English song-writer, who is the lead vocalist, pianist and rhythm guitarist of the band Coldplay. He is married to actress Gwyneth Paltrow.-Early life:...
, inspiration for writing "Trouble" came from his own behaviour. Martin recalls, "There were some bad things going in our band ... the song is about behaving badly towards somebody you really love and I was certainly doing that to some members of the band." He added that he supposed it was about time to act of a knobhead. The four members of Coldplay are credited as co-writing "Trouble", based on Martin's idea.
British record producer Ken Nelson and the band produced "Trouble" for their debut album, Parachutes
Parachutes
Parachutes is the debut album by English alternative rock band Coldplay, released by the record label Parlophone on 10 July 2000 in the United Kingdom. The album was produced by the band and British record producer Ken Nelson, excluding one track which was produced by Chris Allison...
. The track was recorded four times before the band got the take they preferred. The backing track was first recorded, and each time they add to see if it was working. They, however, decided that the first three versions were not "working". The last take was recorded into Pro Tools
Pro Tools
Pro Tools is a digital audio workstation platform for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X operating systems, developed and manufactured by Avid Technology. It is widely used by professionals throughout the audio industries for recording and editing in music production, film scoring, film, and television...
with a shaker
Shaker (percussion)
The word shaker describes a large number of percussive musical instruments used for creating rhythm in music.They are so called because the method of creating sound involves shaking them—moving them back and forth rather than striking them. Most may also be struck for a greater accent on certain...
to provide the rhythm
Rhythm
Rhythm may be generally defined as a "movement marked by the regulated succession of strong and weak elements, or of opposite or different conditions." This general meaning of regular recurrence or pattern in time may be applied to a wide variety of cyclical natural phenomena having a periodicity or...
to the track. For the backing track, Will Champion
Will Champion
William "Will" Champion is an English musician and the drummer of rock band Coldplay.-Early life:William Champion was born in Southampton, Hampshire, England, and was brought up in Highfield, Southampton, where his father, Timothy Champion, is a professor of archaeology...
played the drums and Martin on the piano which they recorded in a little wooden room. After Guy Berryman
Guy Berryman
Guy Rupert Berryman is a Scottish musician known as the bassist for the groups Coldplay and Apparatjik. Berryman is left-handed but chooses to play the bass right-handed.-Coldplay:...
's bass was recorded, guitarist Jonny Buckland
Jonny Buckland
Jonathan Mark "Jonny" Buckland is an English guitarist and musician, best known as the lead guitarist of the band Coldplay.-Early life:...
added the guitar section. In recording the piano section of the track, the band used two microphones—one was brighter-sounding and one with a fuller sound. Nelson, who wanted to keep the song simple, chose the fuller sound microphone for the mixing.
"Trouble" was mixed
Audio mixing (recorded music)
In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may...
in New York by American mix engineer Michael Brauer
Michael Brauer
Michael Brauer is a New York-based mix engineer whose credits encompass a wide range of genres, and include The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney, Coldplay, John Mayer, Ash, My Morning Jacket, Ben Folds, Dream Theater, The New Radicals, Change, Fountains of Wayne, David Poe, Wilco, Alpha...
. The initial mixed version, which was sent back to the band and Nelson, fell short of their desired quality, so it had to be redone. According to Nelson, "the vocal was overcompressed and the piano was too bright". Despite this, he did not blame Brauer because he was not present during the mixing since they were, at the time, recording the album.
Composition
Like in the song "YellowYellow (song)
"Yellow" is a song by English alternative rock band Coldplay. The band wrote the song and co-produced it with British record producer Ken Nelson for their debut album, Parachutes...
", Martin wrote "Trouble" with the repetitive use of the word trouble. The song's lyrics have "softer emotional themes", including apologies, unrequited love, and longing.
The song's musicscape follows the minimalistic
Minimalism
Minimalism describes movements in various forms of art and design, especially visual art and music, where the work is set out to expose the essence, essentials or identity of a subject through eliminating all non-essential forms, features or concepts...
approach. "Trouble" is built around a piano, with a snare drum
Snare drum
The snare drum or side drum is a melodic percussion instrument with strands of snares made of curled metal wire, metal cable, plastic cable, or gut cords stretched across the drumhead, typically the bottom. Pipe and tabor and some military snare drums often have a second set of snares on the bottom...
background that was mixed very low. The snare drum section tends to be inaudible when the guitars come in. According to the sheet music published by Musicnotes, Inc., the song's time signature
Time signature
The time signature is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats are in each measure and which note value constitutes one beat....
follows the common 4/4, with a tempo
Tempo
In musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece. Tempo is a crucial element of any musical composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece.-Measuring tempo:...
of 70 beats per minute. Martin's vocal range in the song spans from F4 to A5, the highest note being sung using the falsetto
Falsetto
Falsetto is the vocal register occupying the frequency range just above the modal voice register and overlapping with it by approximately one octave. It is produced by the vibration of the ligamentous edges of the vocal folds, in whole or in part...
register, despite the fact Martin can reach this note in full voice.
Release
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
of Parachutes. A limited-edition CD of the single was released, featuring a remix of the songs "Yellow", the US-lead single
Lead single
A lead single is usually the first single released by a musician or a band before the release of its home album.During the era of the grammophone record, all music arrived in the marketplace as what is now termed a single, one potential hit song backed by an additional song of generally less...
of the album, and "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
"Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" is a song introduced by Judy Garland in the 1944 MGM musical Meet Me in St. Louis. Frank Sinatra later recorded a version with modified lyrics, which has become more common than the original. The song was written by Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane...
". It was pressed to 1,000 copies, and was issued only to fans and journalists. An extended play
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
titled Trouble – Norwegian Live EP
Trouble – Norwegian Live EP
Trouble – Norwegian Live EP is an EP released by English rock band Coldplay in the summer of 2001. It consists of five tracks recorded live by the band at Rockefeller Music Hall in Oslo, Norway.-Track listing:...
was released in the summer of 2001. In 2003, the song was featured on Coldplay's live album
Live album
A live album is a recording consisting of material recorded during stage performances using remote recording techniques, commonly contrasted with a studio album...
Live 2003
Live 2003
Live 2003 is a live album by English alternative rock band Coldplay, first released in November 2003. The set features concerts filmed at Sydney's Hordern Pavilion on 21 July 2003 and 22 July 2003....
.
Like for their others songs, Coldplay has refused to accept several offers to use "Trouble" for promotional tools. In 2004, the band rejected a multi-million Euro
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
offer from Diet Coke
Diet Coke
Diet Coke is a sugar-free soft drink produced and distributed by The Coca-Cola Company. It was first introduced in the United States on August 9, 1982, as the first new brand since 1886 to use the Coca-Cola trademark...
and Gap
Gap (clothing retailer)
The Gap, Inc. is an American clothing and accessories retailer based in San Francisco, California, and founded in 1969 by Donald G. Fisher and Doris F. Fisher. The company has five primary brands: the namesake Gap banner, Banana Republic, Old Navy, Piperlime and Athleta. As of September 2008,...
to use the song and "Don't Panic
Don't Panic (song)
"Don't Panic" is a song written and recorded by English alternative rock band Coldplay. Originally titled "Panic", the earliest known version of the song existed in 1998, performed live during the band's first gig in the same year. It had a different melody, and was included in the band's second...
", the fourth single from the album. They asked manager Phil Harvey
Phil Harvey (manager)
Phil Harvey is the former manager and sometime 'creative director' of the English rock group Coldplay....
to not refer such offers to them because "a discussion might lead to compromise". American actor Sylvester Stallone
Sylvester Stallone
Michael Sylvester Gardenzio Stallone , commonly known as Sylvester Stallone, and nicknamed Sly Stallone, is an American actor, filmmaker, screenwriter, film director and occasional painter. Stallone is known for his machismo and Hollywood action roles. Two of the notable characters he has portrayed...
was interested to use the song for the soundtrack of his 2001 film Driven
Driven
Driven is a 2001 film directed by Renny Harlin and starring Sylvester Stallone, who also wrote and produced. It centers on a young racing driver's effort to win the ChampCar World Series...
, but the band declined.
Reception
"Trouble" was a commercial success. It has reached number 10 on the UK Singles ChartUK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
, making it the band's second Top 10 single in the UK after "Yellow". Aside from the album's successful previous single releases, the performance of "Trouble" has been attributed to the "colossal home sales" of Parachutes in the United Kingdom.
The positive reception of the single continued when the British outfit Lost Witness
Lost Witness
Lost Witness is an English trance production and DJ , composed of Simon Paul . Also part of the collaboration are songwriter Edward Barton, writer of the 1983 Jane & Barton single, "It's a Fine Day" , as well as vocalist Danielle Alexander.He also recorded under the aliases Dusk Til Dawn and The...
made a remixed version of the song, which was released and became "an unlikely dance floor anthem". With three singles successfully released, the band decided to abandon their initial plans of issuing "Don't Panic" as the fourth single of the album, deemed enough for a single album in the United Kingdom. "Don't Panic", however, was eventually released in some European regions.
In the United States, the single's chart performance was nearly as successful as that of "Yellow"'s. It has reached number 23 on the Billboard Adult Top 40 and 28 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks
Modern Rock Tracks
Alternative Songs is a music chart in the United States that has appeared in Billboard magazine since September 10, 1988. It lists the 40 most-played songs on modern rock radio stations, most of which are alternative rock songs...
. Martin has claimed that the single had saved them from being a "one-hit wonder" band. The band, thinking it was not a "great single", surmised it would not perform well in the United States.
Music videos
The original European version of the music video for "Trouble" was directed by British director Sophie MullerSophie Muller
Sophie Muller is a British music video director, noted for her long-time collaborations with artists like Sophie Ellis-Bextor, No Doubt, Sade, Shakira, Shakespears Sister, Garbage, Blur, Annie Lennox and Eurythmics.-Background:...
. The video footage was shot in a Newhall, California
Newhall, California
Newhall is the southernmost and oldest district of Santa Clarita, California. Prior to the 1987 consolidation of Valencia, Canyon Country, Saugus, Newhall, and other geographically proximate settlements into the conglomerate city of Santa Clarita, it was an independent but unincorporated town...
ranch. A Wild West-themed video, it features Martin as a prisoner in a dark warehouse, tied with ropes to a chair, being circled by cars in the freezing cold. The other members of the band are seen on the upper floor in a slow motion
Slow motion
Slow motion is an effect in film-making whereby time appears to be slowed down. It was invented by the Austrian priest August Musger....
sequence where Buckland and Champion struggle with bassist Guy Berryman
Guy Berryman
Guy Rupert Berryman is a Scottish musician known as the bassist for the groups Coldplay and Apparatjik. Berryman is left-handed but chooses to play the bass right-handed.-Coldplay:...
, tying him to another chair and forcing him to look in front. At this point, Martin's struggling causes his chair to tip over, and he hits the ground on his side. He sings the final line of the song ("They spun a web for me..."), before the darkness abruptly turns to daylight. A beautiful sunrise is then revealed, but as the camera pans out, it is revealed to be fake and part of a large theater backdrop, with Martin still lying on his side, tied to the chair.
A U.S. version of the music video was created, directed by Tim Hope. The video follows the motif of "Don't Panic" by showing the band as two-dimensional cut-outs. The band are aboard a horse carriage that cruises along a forest. On the top of a mountain, a woman waters plants inside a house. A little crow flies from the carriage up to the house, where it transforms into a more menacing bird. It flies over the house and turns into a black cloud, which pours rain onto the land. The rain burns little holes on the things it falls into, and crow feathers protrude from the holes. Finally a tornado grabs the house and lifts it from its foundations placing it along others in a more suburban setting. Its acclaimed visuals earned Tim Hope an MTV Video Music Award for Best Art Direction
MTV Video Music Award for Best Art Direction
The following is a list of MTV Video Music Award winners for Best Art Direction in a Video. The Red Hot Chili Peppers are the biggest winners in this category with three wins in 1992, 2000, and 2006....
in 2002. It was also nominated for Breakthrough Video
MTV Video Music Award - Breakthrough Video
The MTV Video Music Award for Breakthrough Video was first awarded in 1988, replacing the award for Most Experimental Video. Along with Best Direction in a Video, this award was considered to be one of the most important professional categories at the VMAs, as every once in a while it was even...
.
Track listing
CD single- "Trouble" – 4:33
- "Brothers and SistersBrothers & Sisters (song)"Brothers & Sisters" is a song by Coldplay, released as their first single in 1999 following the Safety EP, released a year earlier. It was later re-released as an EP....
" – 4:49 - "Shiver" (Jo Whiley Lunchtime Social) – 4:21
Australian CD single
- "Trouble" – 4:32
- "Don't PanicDon't panicDon't panic may refer to:* "Don't Panic" , a catchphrase from The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams*Don't Panic: The Official Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Companion, a book by Neil Gaiman...
- 2:19 - "Brothers and Sisters" – 4:48
- "Shiver" (Jo Whiley Lunchtime Social) – 4:26
Chart
| Chart (2000–01) | Peak Position |
|---|---|
| Dutch Top 40 Netherlands The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders... |
38 |
| France Singles Chart Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique The Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique is the inter-professional organization which protects the interests of the French record industry... |
60 |
| Italy Singles Chart | 16 |
| Irish Singles Chart Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured... |
16 |
| New Zealand RIANZ Singles Chart Recording Industry Association of New Zealand The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand... |
36 |
| Polish Singles Chart | 9 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
10 |
| U.S. Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles The Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States. It lists the top 25 singles below number 100 that have not yet charted on the Billboard Hot 100. Sometimes, however, singles halt their progress on this chart, and never appear on the Hot 100... |
15 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Modern Rock Tracks | 28 |