Cliff-pop-song-professor.png

Welcome!

I'm Clifford Stumme, and I use literary analysis and research to explain the deeper meanings of pop songs. Feel free to leave a comment or to email me at clifford@popsongprofessor.com with questions or ideas!

Is Donald Trump's Wall in Coldplay's "Up&Up" Music Video?

Is Donald Trump's Wall in Coldplay's "Up&Up" Music Video?

It definitely seems like Coldplay's taking a satirical jab at Donald Trump's proposed "giant wall" between the United States and Mexico.

Coldplay's "Up&Up" music video shows about fifty different surreal clips of mixed realities like a turtle floating through the subway, manatees playing over a city, and a giant diver falling through clouds.

But at 1:39, the video is of a giant, garish cement wall between ocean-goers and the beach. Considering current political conversations about building a wall between the US and Mexico, the wall in Coldplay's video seems to be politically charged.

Trump has only suggested building a wall on land, but others have questioned whether to actually accomplish the elimination of illegal immigration building that wall would be enough. They've suggested that Trump's plan will never work because a wall would have to be built all around the coastal areas as well.

This image from Coldplay seems to satire Trump's ideas because it shows the wall keeping ocean goers from actually being able to enjoy the beauty of the ocean, suggesting that maybe Coldplay believes the wall will keep Americans from being able to enjoy something as well.

After all, in this image of the wall that Coldplay gives us, it's not Mexican immigrants being deprived. American tourists have lost the coastline they came to see. Coldplay's opinions on Trump and his ideas are not expressed in this video, but the four second clip does make one wonder.

Be sure to watch the video and to let me know what you think!

Podcast: What does "Kitchen Sink" by Twenty One Pilots mean?

Podcast: What does "Kitchen Sink" by Twenty One Pilots mean?

What does "Wherever I Go" by OneRepublic mean?

What does "Wherever I Go" by OneRepublic mean?