Posted on

My Gen X Playlist: Scientist – Coldplay

Scroll down to see more content
Daily writing prompt
Describe the most ambitious DIY project you’ve ever taken on.
View all responses

Our handyman is awesome. Well, to call him a handyman is misleading because he actually is a retired Cal Tech scientist who enjoys fixing things. He’s a down to earth guy that amazes me with his knowledge. He loves electrical and plumbing projects, but I have full faith that he can literally fix anything. I once joked that my car’s timing belt may need some work. His reply: been there, done that. And you know what, that doesn’t surprise me.

We try not to call him with little things. After all, he is a Cal Tech scientist. Or we at least wait until we have a bunch of stuff that needs looking at before we pick up the Bat Phone. He’s trying to make me self sufficient, easing my fears to just jump in and try to fix things myself. God bless him for that. I appreciate his efforts and he means well. To his credit, I now try myself before resorting to his speed dialed number. There is comfort knowing it’s going to be done right if we give him a call.

I admit, I’m not entirely lame. If I have instructions I can put stuff together. But ambitious DIY? Nope. I can’t regale you with tales of my elaborate projects. I really wish I could. It’s just not in my DNA.

Coldplay released Scientist in 2002. I read a blog that called this song too Gwyneth Paltrow-ish, but I disagree. I think it’s a great song.

This song is about a scientist who is so caught up in his work that he neglects his girlfriend. When he gets his priorities straight, he wants to “go back to the start” and begin fresh.

– Songfacts

One night, during a stay in Liverpool, Martin found an old piano that was out of tune. He wanted to work on Harrison’s song, “Isn’t It a Pity”, but he could not manage to do so. When the song came to Martin, he asked that the recorder be turned on. He concluded by saying that he came across this chord sequence and noted that the chord was “lovely”. Martin recorded the vocals and piano takes in a studio in Liverpool.

– Wikipedia

Nobody said it was easy
Oh, it’s such a shame for us to part
Nobody said it was easy
No one ever said it would be so hard

Not even our scientist handyman can fix this one…

–

For a complete playlist, please click here.

For the Spotify playlist, please click here.

Come up to meet you, tell you I'm sorry
You don't know how lovely you are

I had to find you
Tell you I need you
Tell you I set you apart

Tell me your secrets
And ask me your questions
Oh, let's go back to the start

Running in circles
Coming up tails
Heads on a science apart

Nobody said it was easy
It's such a shame for us to part
Nobody said it was easy
No one ever said it would be this hard

Oh, take me back to the start

I was just guessing
At numbers and figures
Pulling the puzzles apart

Questions of science
Science and progress
Do not speak as loud as my heart

Tell me you love me
Come back and haunt me
Oh, and I rush to the start

Running in circles
Chasing our tails
Coming back as we are

Nobody said it was easy
Oh, it's such a shame for us to part
Nobody said it was easy
No one ever said it would be so hard

I'm going back to the start

Oh
Oh
Oh
Oh

31 thoughts on “My Gen X Playlist: Scientist – Coldplay”

  1. “The Bat Phone” 😂😂😂great Gen X reference! By the way, my GenZ son thinks that my husband and I are the ONLY people who say “nuke it” when we mean microwave it. He thinks we made that up ourselves. You say that, right?

    Liked by 5 people

    Reply

    1. Don’t we all say that? I guess this skipped a generation. Maybe this is the perfect opportunity for you and your husband to take credit for all the cool Gen X things. I’m sure there are more things that slipped through the cracks!

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply

      1. No, they don’t say it and definitely do NOT think it’s cool – at least on the East Coast. Try it on your nieces and nephews. I’m very curious about this one!

        Liked by 2 people

    2. I thought everyone said “nuke it!” My Millennial daughter is always asking me about the sayings I use, like she’s never heard them before and doesn’t understand what they mean! It makes me feel so old.

      Liked by 3 people

      Reply

  4. For some reason, YouTube thinks I have an adblocker on this PC so the Coldplay song is playing on my MacBook. Your post reminded me “no one said it was easy. It was such a shame for us to part” just played of a Caltech grad I lived with years ago. She graduated Caltech when she was 19, after previously attending a music school for gifted students.

    She chose to leave this world a couple of decades ago. She’d have liked the song.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

  5. I need your handyman! I have things around the house that have been broken/ need repair since last year! 😅
    I like the song! Thank you for sharing!

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

  6. We had a great handyman in WA. Haven’t found one here. Which is too bad because i can’t do the things I used to be able to do, and my hubby isn’t handy, like at all. ^_^ So we have to pay out the ear for professionals whenever something goes wrong.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

  7. I’m not much of a handyman myself, so I’m sure it’s cool to have “a repair guy” on standby.

    A lot of people lie to rip in Coldplay, but I LOVE this song. One of the all time saddest, right there with “something I can never have” by nine inch nails.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

  8. A brilliant song. This was, for me, Coldplay getting close to its top form; I think they plateaued with Brian Eno’s help on ‘Viva la Vida.’

    I’m no handyman. My most ambitious DIY project was replacing the toilet and sink/vanity in a half-bathroom a week before my sweety and I got married. I got most of it done on my own but was smart enough to call in a plumber to do the connections.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  10. Pingback: My Gen X Playlist: One Step Forward and Three Steps Back – dodie – MyGenXerLife

Leave a comment