Viva la vida由提琴演奏的充滿英倫風格的主旋律短促有力，步伐整齊，透露著一股濃烈的革命氣息，其慷慨激昂的氣勢和齊整有力的節奏，讓人情不自禁有一種想要前進的沖動。主唱獨特的滄桑嗓音與歌詞含義的完美結合，通過與主旋律的同步協調以及伴奏樂器的獨特樂音，完美詮釋了18世紀中晚期法國大革命爆發對站在封建階級最高層的統治者的巨大沖擊。
I used to rule the world
Seas would rise when I gave the word
Now in the morning I sleep alone
Sweep the streets I used to own
I used to roll the dice
Feel the fear in my enemy’s eyes
Listen as the crowd would sing:
“Now the old king is dead! Long live the king!”
One minute I held the key
Next the walls were closed on me
And I discovered that my castles stand
Upon pillars of salt and pillars of sand
I hear Jerusalem bells a-ringing
Roman Cavalry choirs are singing
Be my mirror, my sword and shield
My missionaries in a foreign field
For some reason I can’t explain
Once you’d gone there was never,
never an honest word
But that was when I ruled the world
It was a wicked and wild wind
Blew down the doors to let me in.
Shattered windows and the sound of drums
People couldn’t believe what I’d become
Revolutionaries wait
For my head on a silver plate
Just a puppet on a lonely string
Oh who would ever want to be king?
我曾經主宰世界。
一聲號令,海水洶涌。
如今我清晨獨眠，
清掃我曾經擁有的街道。
曾經由我投擲骰子
感受敵人眼底的恐懼，
傾聽人群高頌：
“先王已逝!我王永生!”
大權剛剛在手，
城墻卻立刻將我囚禁。
我這才發現我的城堡
建立在鹽粒和散沙的支柱之上。
我聽見耶路撒冷鐘聲鳴響。
羅馬騎兵唱詩班高唱。
我異疆的傳教士啊，
我的明鏡，寶劍與盾牌由你們擔當!
其中緣由我不能講明，
自你走后，我從未，
從未聽過只字真言。
但那是在我主宰世界之時。
邪風怒吼，
沖破重重大門將我卷入，
粉碎窗子與鼓聲。
人們無法相信我將變成何等模樣。
革命人士等待著
等待著我的頭顱擺上銀盤。
我不過是一個單線傀儡，
誰又曾渴望萬人膜拜?