Coldplay: In My Place Meaning

Song Released: 2002

In My Place 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
And yeah
How long must you wait for it?
Yeah
How long must you pay for...

1. anonymous

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   Dec 12th 2010 !⃝

   i took this interpretation on a personal level. i believe its from a girls point a view, about a girl whos in love with someone whos already taken.
   
   Yeah, how long must you wait for him?
   -questioning how long she must wait for him to finally be with her.
   
   Please, please, please
   Come on and sing to me
   To me, me
   -begging him to be with her, and no one else. in my personal view, its literal. im in love with this one guy who used to sing to me, but he has someone else now, and it kills me that he plays the guitar and sings to her now, instead of me.
2. anonymous

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   Jun 7th 2010 !⃝

   Así como la mayoría yo entiendo que él se involucró en una relación que no tenía futuro porque ella aún estaba enamorada de su anterior amante, y él lo sabía, pero aún así "cruzó las líneas que nunca debió cruzar", pasaron cosas cada vez más fuertes entre ellos y ahora él está perdidamente enamorado de ella, y perdido pues ella no le corresponde con la misma intensidad. él supo desde un principio que corría un riesgo, que habían "líneas que él no podía cambiar, pero aún así las cruzó

   This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
3. upendwar

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   Apr 28th 2010 !⃝

   I am appalled and am feeling really bad that I entered this website.
   People, please stop posting ridiculous interpretations.
   
   This song is DEFINITELY about "loss" or death of a close one. - written at a time wen the person is in the death bed(probably).. (probably Chris's mom)
   
   First, "in my place, were lines I couldnt change" - this is about lines of fate , that he couldnt change. He is feeling lost , unable to sustain the feeling of separation.
   He is sad that he "crossed lines he shouldnt have crossed" , wen the person was with him.
   
   How long must you wait for it? -- a clear reference to waiting for death.
   
   He was "scared, tired and underprepared" when the person was in the death bed.
   "If u go " -- a clear reference to death again.
   "(You ) leave me down here on my own"--
   "then I'll wait for you" -- waiting for the "spirit or soul" to come back and HAUNT him ...
   
   
   I believe Cris'd agree with my interpretation.

   This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
4. anonymous

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   Oct 27th 2009 !⃝

   I've always felt this song is actually a personal experience for Chris Martin, I believe he's singing to/for Gwyneth Paltrow, and the "him" (wait for him, pay for him) is Brad Pitt. Paltrow and Pitt dated from 94-97 and In My Place apparently was written around 2000-2001. Certainly Martin as a interested party would have seen any lingering feelings Pa;trow had for Pitt as an obstacle to his own interest in her. This song would seem to portray those obstacles, being tired and underprepared and so forth. Following Pitt as a love interest must not have seemed an easy chore. I've always seen this song as an overture from an interested boy to a girl he liked.

   This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
5. anonymous

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   Oct 4th 2009 !⃝

   I interpretated this song differently. I saw this from a girl's point a view. As in my guy friend and I had crossed the line and we cannot go back to how it was before. That I'm lost now. And I'm waiting on him to come back to me. Basically I saw this from a girl's view.
6. kywildkatt

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   Sep 19th 2009 !⃝

   Wow I'm really shocked no one has said this yet but for me personally it's about God. In my place, I was lost. (He was a sinner)How long must you wait for it or him (I've heard and read both ways) Him is God/Jesus. I was scared, tired and unprepared (not yet saved) but I'll wait for him. If you go leave me DOWN here on my own I'll wait for you. (Saying if he is unprepared when Jesus returned and leaves him here he will still be faithful) come back and sing to me. (he's asking to be saved for Jesus to come back for him and save him.)
7. anonymous

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   Feb 14th 2009 !⃝

   To me "in my place" refers to a person being put in their place by their partner after the person had tried to change part of their partner, beit personality, way of thinking or whatever. This is by reference of "lines that I couldn't change".
   
   After contemplation of why the person tried to change a part their partner, the person realised that they shouldnt have done it, that the person was "lost" and realised what they did was wrong by crossing "lines I shouldn't have crossed".
   
   The person is now asking how long must you wait for forgiveness, how long must you pay for forgiveness?
   
   Being scared, tired and underprepared is the fear of a person realising what they have done wrong and not being really ready to accept the consequenses of their actions,b ut in saying that the person will wait for partner's forgiveness; "but I'll wait for it".
   
   
   And if the partner "leave(s) me(the person) down here on my own", the person will still wait for their partners forgiveness.
   
   The person is then begging out for their partner to sing out forgiveness. Come on and sing it out... to me, me
   Come back and sing it.
   
   Thats my interpretation. Its funny how you can love a song for so long (like years) and have no friggen idea what the song means until you sit down and try to decifer the lyrics.
   
   
   
   
8. sallycanjump

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   Feb 4th 2009 !⃝

   The man is in love with his best friends girl
9. anonymous

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   Nov 9th 2008 !⃝

   This song is about first impressions.
   
   In my place, in my place, were lines that I couldn't change:
   It's very hard to change first impressions
   
   How long must I wait/pay for it:
   He will do anything to change his first impression
10. anonymous

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    Nov 8th 2008 !⃝

    i believe this song is about him trying to get inspiration to write a song for a girl.
    
    "in my place, in my place"
    (in my frame of mind)
    
    "were lines i couldnt change, i was lost oh yeah"
    (were lines of lyrics that he couldn't leave out or change)
    
    "i was lost, i was lost, crossed lines i shouldn't have crossed"
    (he crossed out lines of the song that he shoulda kept)
    
    "how long must she wait for"
    (how long does she have to wait for the song)
    
    (and the song continues)
    
    "sing to me sing to me"
    (give me more inspiration for the song)
11. anonymous

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    Apr 26th 2008 !⃝

    I kind of see it as a past were he made mistakes, was lost and just generally went down the wrong tack.i think we've all been there or are.
12. anonymous

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    Oct 14th 2007 !⃝

    I have interpreted this song based on my personal status, so don't judge it hard.
    
    The first part "in my place * 2" emphasize my own point of view where my hart and mind are. "Were lines that I couldn't change" - is the place where you can't take control of your life than comes the punch of the first part “Crossed lines I shouldn't have crossed” I did something wrong by being in this unclear area, I did crossed the lines.
    
    The second part excuses to show my un-controlled situation “I was scared Tired and under prepared” but the next line still leaves me with the responsibility of the situation maturely knowing the outcome “I wait for it”. The end of the second part is the promise to wait although nothing will come out of it “Leave me down here on my own” – death and I am left alone but I will wait.
    
    The repeated part “Yeah How long must you wait for it” or “pay for it” this is a prayer to join the one you lost staying on earth is paying for it waiting for death to take you over…
    
    Then breakdown, asking for the unachievable option to have him back to hear him sing.
    
    I have recently lost my two and a half year boy from a disease that harmed his central nerve system preventing him from breathing at the end ,I stayed by him during his last weeks dying while I knew nothing can be done just wait for him to die. He was my first born child. This song has touched me deep inside remaining me his last days and my place during that time, I thank for the words and for the way it is preformed with Coldplay.
13. emo

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    Aug 10th 2007 !⃝

    A man in his relationship commits an unacceptable act which he cannot turn his back because of the liabilities and lost the control over the situation. He was feeling guilty and sorry cause she was paying for what he did and asking her how long she could sacrifice for him. And the time comes that she could no longer do anything about it and surrender but he love her so that he wanted her back so badly, begging her to come back and he's willing to wait for her after she clears her thought.
14. anonymous

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    Jan 10th 2006 !⃝

    The song is about a lost love. An impossible love which he waits for..."how long must you wait for it?"
    
    He falls in love with the wrong girl and is "lost and underprepared". He gave everything to her and she basically destroyed him. It's a song of hurt and loss.

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