# Coldplay's "Clocks" **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 11, 2003, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coldplays-clocks/181185 "2003-06-11T20:04:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Peg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b38774/32.png) [@Peg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peg)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2003, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coldplays-clocks/181185/21 "2003-06-12T21:44:10Z")
::shrugs:: Maybe people think the piano intro sounds vaguely like the guitar in “Where The Streets Have No Name.” ---
**Author:** ![Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laughing_Lagomorph)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2003, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coldplays-clocks/181185/22 "2003-06-12T21:49:10Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by jjimm \* > \*\ ***Laughing Lagomorph** , I well remember Bronski Beat, who had a number of hits in the UK (being from the UK). I don’t hear the resemblance at all, especially not in Jimmy Somerville’s vocals, which were rather… falsetto. \*\* Well it must just be me then. Listen to the keyboard though, the next time you hear “Clocks” and see if it doesn’t remind you at least a little of that one Bronski Beat song…the only one by them I know, BTW. These people that think Coldplay sounds like U2? I don’t hear that at all. It’s quite possible though that they were influenced musically by both Sting and U2. ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2003, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coldplays-clocks/181185/23 "2003-06-12T23:47:41Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by jjimm \* > \*\*My brother says Chris Martin’s voice “sounds like Alan Partridge singing” (UK dopers will get this). It has slightly spoiled my enjoyment of Coldplay ever since. \*\* The singer-songwriter of XTC, correct? My brother is currently trying to get me into them, and we’re Floridians. ---
**Author:** ![Rubystreak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Rubystreak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rubystreak)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2003, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coldplays-clocks/181185/24 "2003-06-13T04:14:26Z")
I listened to this song again, thinking intensely of Sting, and now, I can sorta hear it. On the lower notes, Martin does have a bit of a Sting-esque sound to him. I wouldn’t have thought of it if you hadn’t mentioned it. I think Martin has a more nasally sound and his falsetto is higher and thinner (if that makes sense). Sting’s voice is a bit gravellier (if that’s a word). Bottom line: DaddyTimesTwo, your comparison to Gordon Sumner is not totally outta left field, IMO. PS–Why does this song fill me with a nameless sadness? I think it has to do with the piano riff. ---
**Author:** ![eburacum45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eburacum45/32/8690_2.png) [@eburacum45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eburacum45)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2003, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coldplays-clocks/181185/25 "2003-06-13T05:43:44Z")
## quote: ## **jjimm** My brother says Chris Martin’s voice “sounds like Alan Partridge singing” (UK dopers will get this). It has slightly spoiled my enjoyment of Coldplay ever since. ## **Big Bad Voodoo Lou** The singer-songwriter of XTC, correct? My brother is currently trying to get me into them, and we’re Floridians. No, that was Andy Partridge. Alan Partridge is a comedy personality, a creation of the British comedy actor Steve Coogan. No-one wants to sound like Alan Partridge singing, believe me. * * * SF worldbuilding at [http://www.orionsarm.com/main.html](http://www.orionsarm.com/main.html) ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2003, 7:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coldplays-clocks/181185/26 "2003-06-13T07:11:12Z")
Coming to your defense, **DaddyTimesTwo**! Sting is exactly who I thought I was listening to the first half dozen times I heard “Clocks” on the radio. Now, if someone would only explain what the lyrics mean . . . ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2003, 10:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coldplays-clocks/181185/27 "2003-06-13T10:35:33Z")
I don’t hear Sting. Or U2. But I’ll throw in with **Peg** : they _do_ remind me of Dave Matthews( though Cold Play is somewhat less annoying) crossed with **Travis**. ---
**Author:** ![DaddyTimesTwo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f07891/32.png) [@DaddyTimesTwo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DaddyTimesTwo)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2003, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coldplays-clocks/181185/28 "2003-06-13T14:32:21Z")
Thanks **Walloon**. Finally, someone sane replies. 😉 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coldplays-clocks/181185.md?page=1)