In My Place

Template:Short description Template:Good article Template:EngvarB Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox song "In My Place" is a song by British rock band Coldplay. The song was written collaboratively by all the band members and released on their second album, A Rush of Blood to the Head. The track is built around thumping drums and chiming guitars. It was released on 5 August 2002 as the lead single from A Rush of Blood to the Head and reached number two on the UK Singles Chart. The song also reached number 17 on BillboardTemplate:'s Modern Rock Tracks.

"In My Place" was well received by critics, who complimented its arrangement and profound lyrics. The song won the award for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal at the 45th Annual Grammy Awards.

Background and composition

In an interview with Q magazine, lead singer Chris Martin stated that "In My Place" was a song Coldplay had left after recording their debut album Parachutes (2000).<ref name="q">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> When the band finished recording their second album A Rush of Blood to the Head, Martin said that the album was complete.<ref name="q"/> However, after guitarist Jonny Buckland played the song on his guitar, Martin said that they now needed to record it and include it on the album.<ref name="q"/> Martin also said that: "That's about where you're put in the world, and how you're given your position, and the way you look, and how you have to get on with it."<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In an interview, Buckland revealed that the song was hard to record, as the band had played the song live.<ref name="ezine"/> He also commented that when they started recording the song, they did not know how it should sound, due to the band members' contrasting ideas.<ref name="ezine"/>

The song opens with a single crash cymbal followed by two bars of 4/4 drumming, then a plaintive three-note guitar line rings through a strummy rhythm, and Martin's vocals.<ref name="tack">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="np">Template:Cite news</ref> Its instrumentation is varied with the sound of thumping drums, chiming guitars, a singalong chorus, and a string arrangement.<ref name="tack"/><ref name="np" /><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> The song also features guitar licks.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The lyrics emphasise: "But I wait for you/if you go, if you go/leave me down here on my own/then I'll wait for you."<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The song's lyrics also include references to a desire for weary optimism.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

The song is written in the key of A major.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> It has been noted that the song's drum intro bears a close resemblance to the beginning of the Ride song "Dreams Burn Down".<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Critical reception

File:Coldplay - In My Place - 08.jpg

Coldplay's performance of "In My Place" during the band's Viva la Vida Tour.

Critics were positive towards the song. In the Entertainment Weekly review of the album, critic David Browne wrote: "Songs like 'In My Place' and 'Warning Sign' marry lyrics imbued with deep regret and mistakes ('You were an island / And I passed you by' in the touching latter song) with lyrical melodies and guitar hooks that twinkle and sparkle".<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Adrien Begrand of PopMatters wrote: "When the shimmering, pretty lead-off single 'In My Place' represents the album's weakest moment, you know you've got something extraordinary. Currently storming the charts a la 'Yellow', 'In My Place' is another surprisingly simple song, carried by Jonny Buckland's chiming guitar and Chris Martin’s heartfelt vocals. It really shouldn't amount to much, but Coldplay make it work very well".<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

Amy M. Bruce of The Towerlight wrote that "With a slew of introspective rock songs like 'In My Place' and 'God Put a Smile upon Your Face,' this album is worthy of the hype surrounding the band's first album".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Jules Willis of the BBC said that "The second track, the first written post-Parachutes and sounding like a refugee from that album, is the grower 'In My Place'. It's a fantastic pop tune that justifies Coldplay's status as one of UK's most exciting bands".<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The A.V. Club and NME included the track at number 14 and 43, respectively, on their "Best Songs of 2002" lists.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}

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|CitationClass=web }}</ref> In the Pazz & Jop Critics Poll, "In My Place" appeared at number 15.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Release and commercial performance

Coldplay released "In My Place" on 5 August 2002 as the album A Rush of Blood to the Head's lead single.<ref name="rel1">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="rel2">Template:Cite magazine</ref> It was pressed with two B-sides: "One I Love" and "I Bloom Blaum".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}Template:Dead linkTemplate:Cbignore</ref> The cover artwork features Buckland, with art directed by Sølve Sundsbø.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

"In My Place" peaked at number two on UK Singles Chart on 17 August 2002,<ref name="bill">Template:Cite magazine</ref> kept off the top by "Colourblind" by Darius Danesh.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> It spent one week on the top 10<ref name="officialcharts.com">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and stayed in the chart until 23 November 2002.<ref>Template:Cite magazineTemplate:Dead linkTemplate:Cbignore</ref> The song re-entered the UK top 40 in July 2011.<ref name="officialcharts.com"/> The song reached number seventeen on Billboard's Hot Modern Rock Tracks in 2002.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> The band were yet to have a number one single.<ref name="yahoo music"/> In 2005, "Speed of Sound", the lead single of the band's third album, X&Y, also reached number two, but never the number one position.<ref name="yahoo music">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> "Speed of Sound" was marked as Coldplay's most successful single until "Viva la Vida", reached number one in 2008.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Music video

The music video for "In My Place" was directed by Sophie Muller. It debuted on 17 June 2002 on AOL.<ref name="tack"/><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> It features the band playing in a huge, nearly empty, white studio room, with a bluish light resembling sunlight coming from an off-screen source. The video starts off with a closeup of Will Champion playing the drums as the song begins; while the rest of the band plays, Chris Martin, who is sitting in a corner, gets up and joins them in the song. Throughout the video, Martin sings directly to the camera, interspersed with shots of the other members of the band playing their instruments. During the guitar solo, Martin runs up to two women who are seen sitting on a step in the background, talks to them for a while, and then runs back to sing the rest of the song. The two women in the background were members of the video crew: a makeup artist/wardrobe assistant and the video commissioner.<ref name="tack"/>

The video was subjected to a spoof by Bad Lip Reading on their YouTube page. It was dubbed with the song "Yeti" that was composed and recorded, like BLR's other videos, to humorously reinterpret the lip movement and action in the video. "Yeti" has received over three million views on YouTube as of April 2017.<ref name="BLR">Template:Cite video</ref>

Awards

"In My Place" won a Grammy Award in the category of Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal at the 2003 Grammy Awards.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The song was nominated for two 2003 MuchMusic Video Awards for Best international Video–Group and People's Choice: Favorite International Group.<ref>Template:Cite magazineTemplate:Dead linkTemplate:Cbignore</ref>

Usage in media

Template:See also In 2003, "In My Place" was featured on Coldplay's live album, Live 2003.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> In 2012, "In My Place" was featured on Coldplay's live album Live 2012. The song appeared in the 2006 season 4 episode "Saving Sammy" on CBS' television series Cold Case.<ref name="cold case">Template:Cite episode</ref> The song was used as a closing montage song about a case from 2003.<ref name="cold case"/> The track appeared again on the 2002 episode "Girls Own Juice" of the television series Fastlane.<ref>Template:Cite episode</ref> The song is also featured in as playable in the 2009 video game Guitar Hero 5.<ref>Template:Cite newsTemplate:Dead linkTemplate:Cbignore</ref>

Track listing

All versions of the official single included the B-side, "One I Love".<ref name="ezine">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> This track was performed on the subsequent A Rush of Blood to the Head Tour and is featured on Live 2003.<ref>Template:Cite video</ref>

Personnel

Coldplay

• Chris Martin – lead vocals, organ, string arrangements
• Jonny Buckland – electric guitars, string arrangements
• Guy Berryman – bass guitar, string arrangements
• Will Champion – drums, percussion, backing vocals, string arrangements

Additional Personnel

• Audrey Riley - string arrangement, string performer
• Ann Lines – string performer
• Chris Tombling – string performer
• Dan Green – string performer
• Laura Melhewish – string performer
• Leo Payne – string performer
• Peter Lale – string performer
• Richard George – string performer
• Susan Dench – string performer

Charts

Weekly charts

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2000s weekly chart performance for "In My Place"

Chart (2002)	Peak position
Canada (Nielsen SoundScan)<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>	2
Europe (European Hot 100 Singles)<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>	8
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40 Tipparade)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	3
Portugal (AFP)<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>	3

Template:Single chart

2010s weekly chart performance for "In My Place"

Chart (2011–2017)	Peak position
South Korea International (Gaon)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	50

Template:Single chart

2020s weekly chart performance for "In My Place"

Chart (2023)	Peak position

Year-end charts

Year-end chart performance for "In My Place"

Chart (2002)	Position
Canada (Nielsen SoundScan)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	19
Canada Radio (Nielsen BDS)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	55
Ireland (IRMA)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	62
Italy (FIMI)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	42
UK Singles (OCC)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	103
UK Airplay (Music Week)<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>	14
US Adult Top 40 (Billboard)<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>	61
US Modern Rock Tracks (Billboard)<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>	65
US Triple-A (Billboard)<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>	10

Release history

Release dates and formats for "In My Place"

Region	Date	Format(s)	Label(s)	Template:Abbr
United States	Template:Start date	Template:Hlist	Capitol	<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
Australia	Template:Start date	CD	Parlophone	<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}Template:Cbignore</ref>
United Kingdom		Template:Hlist		<ref name="rel1"/><ref name="rel2"/>
United States	Template:Start date	Contemporary hit radio	Capitol	<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

See also

• List of UK top-ten singles in 2002
• List of Billboard number-one adult alternative singles of the 2000s

Bibliography

• Roach, Martin (2003). Coldplay: Nobody Said It Was Easy. Omnibus. Template:ISBN.